Editor & Publisher Covers the Traveler’s Gazette Fax Newsletter, 1994

A short item by M.L. Stein in the December 17, 1994, issue of Editor & Publisher, headlined “Phoenix papers’ fax free guide to guests in 20 hotels,” describes the Traveler’s Gazette, a two-page newsletter produced by Phoenix Newspapers Inc. and handed to guests checking into Phoenix-area hotels.

The newsletter carried news briefs compiled from the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Gazette, along with information about area restaurants, tours, entertainment, TV highlights, and nearby family outings with maps included u2014 plus an Airport Outlook column reporting weather at various U.S. airports and a box promoting the papers’ Pressline audiotex service.

The article credits the origin of the product to a pair of Phoenix Newspapers staffers:

Lavelle said that last spring Howard Finberg, senior editor/information technology, and Dave Gianelli, new ventures/project manager, hit on the idea of offering current daily information on what’s going on around town to hotel and resorts for distribution to their guests each day.

Chris Lavelle, associate editor/special sections and a member of the development team, described the early steps:

“They ran the idea by a couple of hotel managers, who agreed to look at a prototype and consider testing it with their guests.”

According to the item, a test phase began the previous May with four hotels; content was adjusted over the summer based on feedback from guests, concierges and hotel management, and time was spent refining the information-gathering and fax systems. At the time of publication the newsletter was faxed free via modem to 20 hotels, mostly in Scottsdale, reaching more than 4,000 guest rooms. Some hotels delivered it with a complimentary newspaper; others made it available at check-in. Presentations were being made to additional hotels.