Former visitors guide publisher launches new effort

Tarik Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Officials with the city’s Conference & Visitors

Bureau say an effort by businessman Jeff Laird to produce a rival city

guide could have a detrimental effect on the finances of the official

visitors booklet that has been distributed annually for years.

“It’s just complete confusion right now,” said Diane Baker, executive

director of the bureau. “I think it’s such a shame to fragment the

industry like this, and confuse the advertisers.”

Laird did not return phone calls Tuesday or Wednesday on the matter.

Last month, the bureau’s board of directors went over bids from six

different publishers vying for the chance to publish the guide,

ultimately choosing the Newport Beach-based Axis Marketing Group because

the firm’s president, Tacha Leider, promised a January release date.

“We are publishing the only official guide,” Leider said. “It’s a free

country, and Laird can pursue another guide if he chooses, but I think

some of the information he’s sending out is concerning.”

In a Nov. 26 letter signed by Laird and sent to potential advertisers,

the businessman claimed that the upcoming visitors guide is “the biggest

and best it has ever been” and enclosed a copy of the most recent

edition, the official 2000 Visitor’s Guide published by his company.

John Gilbert, chairman of the bureau’s board of directors and an

advertiser in the guide, said the inclusion of the prior guide is the

main source of confusion, where advertisers not involved in the

publication’s development think they’re buying space in the official

document.

Baker said there are a number of alternatives available for

publications about the city, such as a restaurant guide or something

along the lines of a 100 things to do list, but all it needs is a little

creativity.

Laird was among the bidders for the publishing rights to the official

guide, though his company, bureau officials said, is part of former guide

publisher Coatings Resources Corp., whose contract was canceled in

September at the urging of the City Council and City Atty. Gail Hutton.

Both Hutton and the visitors board were concerned about a possible

conflict of interest on the behalf of Councilman Dave Garofalo, who

published the guide for several years, and may have profited from the

contract, before selling the business to Ed Laird, Jeff Laird’s father,

in 1998.

The business was later turned over to Jeff Laird.

During the bidding process, Laird said he believed the canceled

contract was still valid because he did not have any affiliation with any

city or bureau officials, adding that the visitors guide was a main

project for his company and only 90 days from completion in November.

Leider, however, said she promised a January release, which bureau

officials found more attractive, and things are on track to reach that

goal.

While the guide is distributed through the city-run bureau, publishers

generate their revenues through advertising. Traditionally, the visitors

guide contains 21 pages of advertisements promoting about 60 businesses

to interested travelers.