Checking In - West May 2010

April 19, 2010

Tyler Davidson

It’s not often that an editor can literally look out his or her window and see the story they’re covering.

Sure, I do have to lean forward and crook my neck to the left a bit, but San Francisco’s Chinatown is right outside my building. I even walked to work down Nob Hill through Chinatown the morning of this writing, past the barrage of colorful signs written in English and Chinese, alongside Portsmouth Square, where the locals engage in tai chi and checkers, and into our digs at the edge of the Financial District.

Please enjoy this issue’s fascinating cover story on our grande dame and its many opportunities to take in the most celebrated Asian cultural experience in the Western hemisphere, written by Maria Lenhart. Of particular note is the wonderful walking and, of course, eating tours of Chinatown operated by Shirley Fong-Torres (www.wokwiz.com), who fits right in when it comes to San Franciscans on the lovably eccentric side.

And by all means, make sure to check out the digital edition of this issue, in which Maria interviews Fong-Torres (with deft camerawork by Managing and Destinations Content Director Lori Tenny) and digs into the finer aspects of dim sum dining with the resident expert.

About the author

Tyler Davidson is the vice president and chief content director for Meetings Today, which publishes the meetings industry trade magazine Meetings Today as well as MeetingsToday.com, various newsletters, webinars, the in-person Meetings Today LIVE! Hosted-buyer events and other meetings and events industry B2B channels.

Tyler has covered the travel trade for nearly 35 years. In his role with Meetings Today, which recently won the prestigious FOLIO: Eddies Award for best magazine issue, Tyler leads the editorial team on its mission to provide the most in-depth meetings content in the industry. Previously, he worked as the Asia, Canada, Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. editor at Travel Weekly magazine and TravelAge West. Before joining the dual editorial staff producing destination sections for Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, Tyler was the Africa, Israel, Middle East, Switzerland and Pacific Northwest editor at TravelAge West. He also undertook general news and feature assignments while working at the magazines.

Besides reporting on the travel trade, Tyler has covered the real estate industry, held various editorial positions at the San Francisco-based national satire magazine The Nose, wrote freelance technology industry pieces and covered the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders for a bilingual newspaper in San Francisco. He has a B.A. in Journalism from San Francisco State University, where he worked in various editorial capacities on its award-winning student magazine, Prism.

Contact: tyler.davidson@meetingstoday.com