Santa Monica to mark official Friendship City Pact with Brighton & Hove with a series of events and collaborations throughout the month of July
The mayors of Santa Monica and Brighton & Hove in the UK have joined forces this month as part of a new Friendship City Pact to collaborate, support each other and exchange ideas between the pier cities and their citizens.
“What drives this synergy is the two cities share iconic piers, beautiful coastlines, rich cultures, and vibrant communities offering a natural fit for this partnership,” Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) said in a press release announcing the pact.
SMTT will host a series of Santa Monica-inspired events and experiences at locations around Brighton throughout the month to help boost coast-to-coast tourism from Brighton to Santa Monica.
“The pact aims to deepen the relationship between the two cities promoting cultural understanding between their citizens and offering an exchange of ideas and activities through school curriculum, event series and in-market tourism experiences on both sides of the Atlantic,” SMTT said.
On Friday, July 29, the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Lizzie Deane and the Mayor Pro-Tem of Santa Monica, Kristin McCowan will each sign the official Friendship City Partnership Agreement in person. In attendance will be Santa Monica Sister City Association President Jeff Jarow, with senior representatives of Visit Brighton and Santa Monica Travel and Tourism. The mayors will then unveil a dedicated street art mural to mark the collaboration by Santa Monica artist, Ruben Rojas, on Brighton’s Palace Pier before it moves to its permanent home in the city.
“This partnership marks a new chapter for the tourism industries of Santa Monica and Brighton as they partner to celebrate the parallels between the culture, history, food scenes and creative communities of the respective cities, and of course their iconic piers, both over 100 years old, opening a decade apart in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,” SMTT said.
As part of the scheduled events, SMTT representatives will take part in several key events, which included the Visit USA Summer Affair in London on July 6, a sales mission as well as hosting an event for industry partners, trade, and media to share what’s new and encourage visitation to Santa Monica.
Brighton’s seaside Shelter Hall will play a key role in the collaboration with the launch of a Santa Monica-inspired menu on July 7 as part of a partnership between Mark Rush, the Hall’s chef, who visited Santa Monica in May, and the highly acclaimed, two-starred Michelin chef Josiah Citrin and Govind Armstrong, who will be in Brighton this month showcasing their culinary talents.
“As two of the worlds most beloved coastal cities we are excited to form this partnership. Having two of our talented and award-winning chefs join us in sharing a flavour of what Santa Monica has to offer and creating memorable experiences for the public throughout July, we hope to give locals and visitors a true taste of the Santa Monica vibe while in Brighton to inspire them to visit our city,” said Misti Kerns, President and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism.
SMTT is offering one lucky winner and a guest from the U.K., the chance to win a four-night trip to Santa Monica. The giveaway went live on July 1 at SantaMonicaLovesBrighton.com.
“We look forward to welcoming the Santa Monica Travel & Tourism team to our shores and supporting this fully immersive cultural experience for our residents and visitors throughout July. It is a sign of the exciting times that lie ahead for both destinations and we look forward to collaborating on further activations as part of our Friendship City Partnership,” said Howard Barden, Head of VisitBrighton.
