(previously published here at www.thebulletin.us)
By: Heather J. Chin, The Bulletin
07/24/2008
"America's life sciences meetings destination" may become the newest Philadelphia marketing slogan, according to officials from the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. They unveiled their business strategy on Tuesday, aimed at drawing more visitors with a variety of programming - including more health care conventions.
Forty percent of all meetings held at the Philadelphia Convention Center are devoted to health care and life sciences, while 55 percent are held in Philadelphia-area hotels. PCVB hopes increased marketing and cooperation with economic-development groups to recruit related students and businesses to the region, the city will become a global destination for meetings.
The greater Philadelphia area hosts many health care; pharmaceutical and biomedical research; manufacturing; and marketing facilities, including U.S. branches of international corporations.
"Not only do we have the community to hold those conventions, but also the connections in the life sciences to make these things happen," said Mr. Jack Ferguson, executive director of PCVB. From being within driving distance from 85 percent of "big pharma" in the country and [institutions] of higher education, "we've got the infrastructure to do it and an expanding convention center to host."
Philadelphia is the 12th most-visited U.S. city for international visitors, and tourism rose by 27 percent last year, to around 550,000 visitors, according to U.S. Department of Commerce figures, due in part to the strength of foreign currency against the dollar. This increase was valued at $1.2 billion in economic impact for the region, PCVB President Tom Muldoon told a regional business news publication.
The convention center, at 15 years old, is set to expand from the current 440,000 square feet of exhibit-hall space to 700,000 square feet. Construction could finish in January 2011, at an expected cost of between $700 million and $800 million.
In addition to more life-science conventions, PCVB's business plan for the upcoming fiscal year aims to attract individual and group tourism, multicultural groups and sporting events. The Philadelphia Sports Congress, a division of PCVB, has already hosted the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Table Tennis and Gymnastics, generating over $20 million in economic impact.
The PCVB and the Sports Congress, also continue to build on the Philadelphia 2016 Olympic bid, further branding the city as an international and Olympic sports destination city.
"If our city is to compete in a global marketplace, we need to continue to tell the Philadelphia story to people around the world so they choose to travel to America's birthplace," said Mayor Michael Nutter.
Heather J. Chin can be reached at hchin@thebulletin.us
©The Evening Bulletin 2008
Showing posts with label mayor nutter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mayor nutter. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2008
LOCAL: Steuer Instated As Head Of Phila. Culture Office
(previously published here at www.thebulletin.us)
By: Heather J. Chin, The Bulletin
07/21/2008
Philadelphia - Mayor Michael Nutter has installed Gary P. Steuer as the city's new cultural leader, who will head the newly reconstituted Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Mr Nutter made the announcement Friday at a City Hall reception, where the 52-year-old was introduced to members of the city's diverse arts community.
Reopening the arts office fulfills one of Mr. Nutter's campaign pledges. The office, as well as the $165,000-a-year cabinet-level post, was eliminated by former Mayor Street for financial reasons and has been recreated in what Mr. Nutter says is an investment in urban revitalization.
"We will be a place where other cities come to figure out how we did it," Mr. Nutter said at the reception, packed with around 100 city arts leaders.
Mr. Steuer carries an extensive background in arts administration and communication, having served as president of the Arts and Business Council, and then as vice-president and executive director of the newly merged Arts and Business Council of Americans for the Arts. His wife, Sophie, is a fund-raiser at Jazz at Lincoln Center, but will leave her job in the coming months to move to Philadelphia.
Mr. Steuer's new responsibilities will include bringing more arts venues and opportunities into neighborhoods, attracting more visitors to the city and restoring full-time art and music instruction in public schools. He will be a member of Mr. Nutter's cabinet, and will work out of the mayor's office. Additional staff for the Office of Arts and Culture have not yet been named.
Mr. Steuer begins work on Oct. 1.
Heather J. Chin can be reached at hchin@thebulletin.us
©The Evening Bulletin 2008
By: Heather J. Chin, The Bulletin
07/21/2008
Philadelphia - Mayor Michael Nutter has installed Gary P. Steuer as the city's new cultural leader, who will head the newly reconstituted Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Mr Nutter made the announcement Friday at a City Hall reception, where the 52-year-old was introduced to members of the city's diverse arts community.
Reopening the arts office fulfills one of Mr. Nutter's campaign pledges. The office, as well as the $165,000-a-year cabinet-level post, was eliminated by former Mayor Street for financial reasons and has been recreated in what Mr. Nutter says is an investment in urban revitalization.
"We will be a place where other cities come to figure out how we did it," Mr. Nutter said at the reception, packed with around 100 city arts leaders.
Mr. Steuer carries an extensive background in arts administration and communication, having served as president of the Arts and Business Council, and then as vice-president and executive director of the newly merged Arts and Business Council of Americans for the Arts. His wife, Sophie, is a fund-raiser at Jazz at Lincoln Center, but will leave her job in the coming months to move to Philadelphia.
Mr. Steuer's new responsibilities will include bringing more arts venues and opportunities into neighborhoods, attracting more visitors to the city and restoring full-time art and music instruction in public schools. He will be a member of Mr. Nutter's cabinet, and will work out of the mayor's office. Additional staff for the Office of Arts and Culture have not yet been named.
Mr. Steuer begins work on Oct. 1.
Heather J. Chin can be reached at hchin@thebulletin.us
©The Evening Bulletin 2008
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