Syracuse visitors bureau launches regional campaign

SYRACUSE - The Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau is asking event planners to "Think SMART" with a direct-mail campaign aimed at luring regional gatherings. The campaign's SMART acronym stands for Syracuse Means Accessible Regional Travel. More than 3,000 association executives and meeting planners

The CVB readjusted its marketing focus following the growth of air-travel fears following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The Think SMART mailing is designed for the "wheels and windshield" traveler, says Quitzau.

Oncenter and Empire Expo Center. The mailing consists of a brightly colored quad-fold brochure with attached reply card. The first page features a map of the Northeastern United States and Southern Canada, illustrating the driving times to Syracuse from a dozen metropolitan areas.

The hospitality business already had seen a drop in business travel prior to Sept. 11, due to slowing economic conditions, says Quitzau.

Courting new business during a twopronged downturn is important for Onondaga County's economy, says Edward Kochian, deputy county executive. Tourism accounts for 21,000 local jobs with a combined payroll of $250 million, he adds.

"This is a vital endeavor," says Kochian.

Quitzau offers two ways residents can help the hospitality industry stay strong: bringing their organizations and their relatives to town. Approximately 70 percent of the city's meeting business, he explains, comes as a result of local members suggesting their organization come to Syracuse. The CVB has an extensive collection of tourism materials that can turn residents into the "best tour guides ever for visiting family members, be adds.

Latorra, Paul, and McCann Advertising created the Think SMART campaign over a two-week period, says Michael J. Ancillotti, vice president of account services for the agency. LP&M has created other campaigns for the CVB and is putting the finishing touches on the Tour NY Web site, a fivecounty partnership of Central New York tourism agencies.