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"Life Liberty And You" the City of Philadelphia�s New Signature Brand

City Expects to End 2009 with a  68% Hotel Occupancy


Convention Center Expansion Celebrated; 15 Bring It Home Champions Honored; 
International Tourism Growth Continues 

PHILADELPHIA - Today, during the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) Annual Luncheon at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Mayor Michael A. Nutter unveiled the City of Philadelphia�s new brand � �Life Liberty And You� before the largest gathering of Philadelphia�s hospitality industry. For the 1,000 hospitality industry leaders and press it was an opportunity to celebrate the core values Philadelphia was built on, successes of the past year, and future developments underway, particularly expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center opening in March 2011. 

�Our new signature brand �Life, Liberty And You� builds on the core values of the City and a timeless brand promise, rediscovered in the roots of Philadelphia�s City seal and the internationally known City icon � the Liberty Bell,� said Mayor Nutter. �We ask everyone who lives, works or visits Philadelphia to be our brand ambassadors and help establish Philadelphia as a customer-friendly place where anything is possible.� 

The new signature brand was developed as a result of research done of best practices in other cities and at the State level. This led to an assessment of the City�s many communications vehicles, and ultimately a need to establish a unified voice for all Philadelphia departments and projects. The Office of the City Representative, working with the 65-person pro-bono Philadelphia Executive Marketing Council, undertook this extensive project that has been developed over the last 12 months. The Philadelphia-based Star Group donated their creative services, and the PCVB donated services to finalize a style guide that clearly outlines how the new brand will be implemented both internally and externally. The signature brand, designed to transcend administrations, will roll out organically through partnerships and existing communications vehicles, so as not to cost the City any unnecessary dollars to implement. In fact, the entire project was completed at no cost to the City. 

In addition, the PCVB Annual Luncheon featured remarks by Governor Edward G. Rendell, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PCVB Chairman Nicholas DeBenedictis reviewed highlights of 2009 and announced the 2010 PCVB Executive Committee, and PCVB President Tom Muldoon talked about what to expect in the coming year. 

�The continued support and partnership of the Philadelphia community this year has put Philadelphia ahead of the curve nationally,� said DeBenedictis. �This has definitely been a challenging year across the world. However, by working together in a strategic fashion, Philadelphia is showing it can come out on top as we saw recently with high attendance at major conventions here and continued international growth in 2009.� 

Among the highlights of 2009: 

  • Expecting to end the year with a 68 percent hotel occupancy rate. While four percent lower than 2008, Philadelphia is bucking national trends. Conventions, meetings, international and domestic tourism, and events, such as Welcome America! and the Philadelphia Marathon, all contributed to this success. 
  • Philadelphia is ending the year on a high note with conventions. The American College of Rheumatology, Infectious Disease Society of America, and the American Public Health Association each met or exceeded attendance numbers. 
  • The Army/Navy Game presented by USAA and the Modern Language Association convention, each to be held in Philadelphia in December, will close the year out. This year, the City also secured the winning bid to bring back the Army/Navy Game in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017. 
  • Through August, Philadelphia showed the second-highest growing number of international arrivals at the airport; 8% growth year-to-date, only Orlando is higher. 
Looking ahead to 2010, highlights include: 
  • The Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) will continue to reach new heights with its current expansion project; the only major convention center expansion project in the nation. When completed in March 2011, the Convention Center will grow by 60 percent, allowing for new major tradeshows or two conventions to be held simultaneously. A second entrance will result in the development of North Broad Street and the Convention Center District, featuring the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) and a new Cherry Street Plaza connection to Museum Row on the Parkway. 
  • The PCVB, in collaboration with the PCCA, is unveiling a new marketing campaign for Philadelphia�s convention market in December. �Philadelphia: The Complete Package� was created by meeting planners for meeting planners. It is every meeting planner�s dream � the best meeting destination, with the best service, all wrapped up in one package. 
  • Philadelphia is one of 27 U.S. cities vying to bring the FIFA World Cup back to the United States in 2018 or 2022. Everyone in the Philadelphia region is encouraged to sign a petition to support Philadelphia�s bid at www.GOUSABID.com/city, then select Philadelphia. 
  • The American Bus Association (ABA), which is having its annual convention in Philadelphia in 2011, announced the Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress� Global Fusion Festival was selected as one of ABA�s 2010 Top 100 Events for Groups. 
Also at the luncheon, the PCVB honored its 2009 Bring It Home Champions, each receiving a coveted Rocky statue. These 15 individuals brought a lead to the PCVB that resulted in booking a convention in 2009. As a result of the PCVB�s Bring It Home campaign, along with the Serious Value for Serious Times campaign, the PCVB generated $5 million in business with just a $130,000 investment in 2009. 

Those honored with 2009 Bring It Home statues were: 

Pastor Tokumbo Adelekan, Mt. Olivet Tabernacle Baptist Church; 
Christine Duffy, Maritz Travel Company; 
Mayor Nutter and Bob Ballentine, Fraternal Order of Police Pennsylvania State Lodge; 
Suzanne Boda, US Airways; 
Susan Robinson, Moss Rehabilitation Hospital; 
Pastor James Moore, Pennsylvania Baptist; 
Rebecca Neuburger and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Police Executive Research Forum; 
Jenn Ross, Professional Convention Management Association; 
Hilary Cummings, Radian Group Inc., 
Warren Montague, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials; 
Janice Sykes-Ross, Church of Pentecost; 
Ahmeenah Young, Rev. Dr. Steve Avinger Sr. and Pastor Deleconte, Progressive National Baptist; and 
Mickey Flynn, Auxilium Pharmaceutical. 
The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB), www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for conventions and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets. 
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Contact: 

Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Liz Sullivan, 215-636-3412
cell: 484-213-7436
[email protected]
 

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Also See: Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau Delivers Healthy Return-on-Investment in the Past 12 Months, Books 768,000 Hotel Room Nights for Future Years / July 2008
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