FOREVER INDEPENDENT

•  “This program is critically important for the long-term economic vitality of our region. As our destination’s competitors brand themselves and as the global economy continues to expand, we must do more if we are to continue to grow.” – Manny Stamatakis, founder and CEO, Capital Management Enterprises, and chairman, GPTMC’s board
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•  “Just as exciting as unveiling the new brand, Forever Independent™, is the fact that never before has the Greater Philadelphia region come together in this way. By fostering greater collaboration among our region’s most prominent entities during the past year, we have proven that together anything is possible for the ‘Next Great City.’” – Nick DeBenedictis, chairman and CEO, Aqua America, and chairman, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
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• “GPTMC’s work on branding over the last several years has shown that investment in the development and extension of a brand really pays off. Brand builds business. The design and use of a regional brand has great promise.” – Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, GPTMC

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SURVEY SAYS: IT WAS A FESTIVE FOURTH IN PHILLY

BOUNDLESS FUN IN BOUNDLESS PHILADELPHIA

     Fishing at Valley Green
     Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

GPTMC ushered in the summer season with the launch of Boundless Philadelphia™, a new marketing campaign inviting residents and visitors to play outside in the five-county region. Our Web site, gophila.com/outdoors, forms the core of this $1.7 million effort, with more than 150 easily searchable, comprehensive pages covering 10 categories that give visitors the lowdown on the region’s vast outdoor activities, including rowing, hiking, biking, running, fishing, disc golfing and geocaching, among others.

The site will be promoted by a print advertising campaign, public and media relations and buzz marketing initiatives, including a Boundless Philadelphia™ Brigade appearing at outdoor events throughout the summer. Web visitors will also have 12 chances to win a Fuji bicycle this summer on gophila.com/outdoors.

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NO WRITERS’ BLOCK IN THE PLACE THAT LOVES YOU BACK®

Spring was even busier than usual for GPTMC’s communications department, which hosted two meetings of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), a professional association of travel editors, writers, photographers and tourism public relations professionals. In April, 44 members of the organization’s prestigious Editors Council came to town; in June, we hosted 60 members of SATW’s Western Chapter, the largest and most prolific of the five chapters in North America. Both groups enjoyed themed tours, special visits and receptions at sites throughout the region. To date, there have been nearly 30 media placements, including articles in USA Today, Miami Herald, Toronto Star, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News and the Detroit Free Press. Many additional placements are expected later this year.

HOW SWEET IT IS: GPTMC WELCOMES DAILYCANDY

Philadelphia notables in the restaurant, retail, fashion and design industries joined local media and marketing professionals at the newly opened XIX at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue to help GPTMC officially welcome DailyCandy to town. Providing insider information on what’s hot, new and undiscovered throughout the U.S. and London, the popular daily e-mail newsletter helps build Philadelphia’s image as a fun and lively place to live, work and play for a younger audience. Like last year’s LIVE 8 and the National Geographic Traveler’s “Next Great City” article, the launch of DailyCandy Philadelphia shows the city has gained serious momentum that will continue thanks to this new recognition from a very influential online trend spotter. To subscribe, visit   dailycandy.com/subscribe .

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ACCORDING TO THE PRESS

•   “ The serious history and art are all still there, of course, but today Philadelphia is percolating with a more youthful sensibility that’s both cosmopolitan and neighborly. It’s a welcome paradox: a kind of Madrid on the Delaware River, rich in history but liberally sprinkled with outcroppings of experimental new culture, ambitious student life, and cunning luxury-condo developers poised to profit from the city’s new energy.” – Elle Décor (508,343 circulation), March 2006

•   “There are a few things that every jazz fan should know about Philadelphia. First, it’s ‘Philly’ to all parties involved. Second, as a modern jazz town it takes a backseat only to New York. Third, it cedes that dominance with a certain degree of angst, like an accomplished but overshadowed younger brother.” – The New York Times (1,142,464 circulation), March 14, 2006

• “I had not expected rural Pennsylvania to remind me of France. But as I stood in front of the main conservatory at Longwood Gardens, less than an hour’s drive west of Philadelphia, the only thing I could think of was: ‘Might this be Versailles?’ Around me, as far as the eye could see, stretched sumptuous gardens framed by fountains and conservatories built in a style that conveyed a distinctly continental feel. The day before, not far away, I had visited vineyards and art galleries that seemed to emerge out of a soft and manicured French landscape.” – The Ottawa Citizen ( 140,000 circulation), April 15, 2006 

• “ The aquarium could easily occupy a whole day, but there’s more fun to be had on the waterfront. The battleship New Jersey, the country’s most decorated battleship and one of the largest ever built, is open for tour. The Camden Children’s Garden has a butterfly house, amusement rides, a train ride and an assortment of gardens for children to explore. And don’t forget, just across the water is Philadelphia .” – The New York Times ( 1,142,464 circulation), May 4, 2006

• “Philadelphia tourism officials report a 55 percent increase in overnight stays by leisure travelers from 1997 to 2005, and the city hopes to keep visitors coming back this spring and summer with its annual July 4 celebration as well as some new attractions.” – Associated Press, May 22, 2006

• “Full of artists and restaurants, Philly is the new hipster paradise!” – SPIN Magazine (540,901 circulation), June 200

• “They just seem to know how to have more fun in Philly – at least when it comes to tourism marketing.” – Chicago Sun-Times ( 487,480 circulation), June 8, 2006

• “Rowers flock to Boathouse Row near the center of town, the epicenter of rowing in the United States for more than a century. Birders relocate from Europe to Cape May, N.J., 90 minutes away, to watch the extraordinary migration. Elite bikers put Eastern Pennsylvania on a par with — cynics beware — Boulder, Colo., and San Diego.”
  – The Seattle Times ( 232,124 circulation), July 21, 2006

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KEEPING PHILLY’S GAY CAMPAIGN OUT AND ABOUT

Philly’s a gay-friendly kind of town. GPTMC uses innovative partnerships, sponsorships and promotions to ensure this message continues to reach media and consumers. Here’s what we’ve done recently and what’s in store for the future:

• Sponsored Chicago’s 2006 Gay Games VII Media Center, where more than 500 members of the media gathered from July 15-22, 2006 to cover the games.
• Sponsored the   1 ^st World Outgames Montréal 2006   media centre, a gathering place for 600 members of the media from July 26- August 5, 2006.
• Will partner in 2007 with RSVP Vacations, the foremost presenter of gay and lesbian travel events, and R Family Vacations, the first-ever travel company for gay families co-founded by Rosie and Kelli O’Donnell and Gregg Kaminsky, to promote gay-friendly vacation experiences in Philadelphia through cross-promotional marketing, trip giveaways and sponsorship.
  
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PHILLY’S MORE FUN WHEN YOU SLEEP OVER® -- AND OVER AGAIN

Philadelphia Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival. Disney’s The Lion King. Center City Restaurant Week . It’s clear that the last days of summer will be popular for tourists visiting Philadelphia. That’s why the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) has extended its two-night Philly Overnight ® Hotel Package through September 16, 2006. Originally available through September 4, the package was extended due to popular demand and to coincide with several popular end-of-summer events in the city.

The hotel package is available any two nights of the week, giving visitors the flexibility they need to make vacation plans. It includes free hotel parking (to help ease rising gas prices), a Philly’s More Fun teddy bear and a coupon book. Packages are bookable by calling the hotel or visiting  gophila.com.

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PROMOTE PHILADELPHIA CAMPAIGN

As a result of the Mayor’s Hospitality Summit held earlier this year, GPTMC will launch a two-year, $5 million campaign in September to attract forward-thinking visitors who want a less conventional city experience. The  Promote Philadelphia   effort will not only encourage visitation to the region, but also keep the national buzz going for America’s “next great city.” The campaign will use traditional media in non-traditional ways along with new media to drive consumers to the campaign Web site, where an inclusive, informative, interactive experience awaits. Stay tuned for more next month. Return to Top

_ GPTMC AWARDS $350,000 IN GRANTS African American Muesum of Art Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC This summer, GPTMC awarded marketing grants to 31 Philadelphia-area organizations totaling $350,000 for projects that show the potential to draw more tourists to the region. Since 1997, GPTMC has awarded nearly 240 marketing grants totaling nearly $4 million to high-quality, compelling and marketable events, exhibitions and special projects. The 2006-2007 grant recipients list highlights the many cultural experiences – art, history, performing arts, festivals and special events – found in Philadelphia and The Countryside™. Among the organizations that received grants were the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology ($25,000), the Schuylkill River Development Corporation ($10,000), the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program ($12,000), the James A. Michener Art Museum ($20,000), Historic Yellow Springs, Inc. ($8,000) and the African American Museum in Philadelphia ($10,000). gophila.com/grants Return to Top

_ LISTEN UP Podcast Listener Photo by K. Ciappa for GPTMC If you see people wandering around Philadelphia with recording equipment, they may just be recording inside scoop on the city¹s attractions, restaurants, shops and museums. GPTMC and The Pew Charitable Trusts are creating a series of free, completely mapped and customizable downloadable audio tours. Come September, visitors--or anyone interested in the region--can listen to these tours at their home computers or on their i-Pod or mp3 player as they experience the city itself. Concentrated on lesser-known Philadelphia experiences, the tours combine interesting tales, fun facts and lively music to tell the city's story. soundaboutphilly.com Return to Top

_ IT’S TUT TIME It was all Tut, all the time at the most recent Philly’s More Fun Alliance meeting on July 13, 2006. The advisory group to GPTMC’s board of directors focused their attention on the upcoming Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition, presented by Mellon Financial Corporation, which will be on display at The Franklin Institute beginning in February 2007. The meeting focused on the history of the exhibition, how other cities have marketed the show, what the region can expect from an exhibition of this magnitude and how the show can be promoted to extend the Philly’s More Fun When You Sleep Over ® message. gophila.com/tut Return to Top

_ COMING ATTRACTIONS As summer’s end nears, we look ahead to fall events and exhibitions that promise to help drive tourism demand: September 1-16, 2006: Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly, throughout the city, (215) 413-1318,   livearts-fringe.org   September 9-10, 2006: Mushroom Festival, Kennett Square, (610) 925-3373,    mushroomfestival.org September 20-December 31, 2006: Treasures: The Arts of Latin America, Philadelphia Museum of Art, (215) 763-8100,   philamuseum.org September 22-October 31, 2006: Terror Behind the Walls, Eastern State Penitentiary, (215) 236-3300,   easternstate.org   October 7-8 and 14-15, 2006: Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, throughout the city, (215) 574-2143,   philaopenstudios.com   October 14-15, 2006: RotorFest, American Helicopter Museum, (610) 436-9600,    helicoptermuseum.org October 20-22, 2006: USArtists: American Fine Art Show, 33 rd Street Armory, (800) 455-8312,   usartists.org   October 27-29, 2006: Treasures – From the Silk Road to the Santa Fe Trail, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, (215) 898-5000,   upennn.edu/pennews/artsandculture Return to Top

Photos by: M. Kennedy, R. Kennedy and B. Krist for GPTMC. e-TourismNews is produced by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, building the region's economy and image through destination marketing that increases the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county region.Want to use this information? Feel free to use the stories in this newsletter to communicate with your own stakeholders. You can easily copy and paste this information into your own publications - but please attribute it to GPTMC. Comments or questions? Send feedback to e-TourismNews GPTMC gophila.com Homepage | Send feedback Unsubscribe