'The World is Coming - Get in the Game' Campaign Launched to Pump Up Metro Detroiters for MLB All-Star Game and Super Bowl XL

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DETROIT, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- "The World is Coming - Get in the Game" is the rally cry for a new public information campaign announced today by the Tourism Economic Development Council (TEDC). The campaign is designed to get metro Detroit residents excited for the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game, Super Bowl XL and other marquee events headed to metro Detroit.

Steve Hamp, president of The Henry Ford and chair of the TEDC's Image Development Tourism Action Group, unveiled the comprehensive, local public information campaign at the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau's Annual Meeting. He was joined by Roger Penske, chairman of the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee, Christopher Ilitch, chairman of the MLB 2005 All-Star Week Host Committee and Shirley Stancato, president of New Detroit and a member of the TEDC. Close to 600 members of the area's hospitality community, including hotels, restaurants, service providers, transportation and special event companies were on hand for the event at the Ford Conference & Event Center in Dearborn.

"'The World is Coming - Get in the Game' campaign has been developed to maximize the spectacular opportunities we have at our doorstep with the All-Star Game, Super Bowl XL and the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four and follows on the heels of a very successful Ryder Cup," Hamp said. "Despite these incredible wins, Detroit suffers from a national image problem that we have to address from the inside out if we are to be successful with these and other events that we hope to attract."

Hamp said the goal of the program is to raise the awareness and experiences that local residents have with Detroit today, encourage their involvement, create greater civic pride and motivate them to display that pride to the world, including visitors and national media.

Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee Chairman Penske said that Super Bowl XL will bring $300 million in economic impact, 800 million viewers and over 100,000 visitors, but the real measure of success will be in how residents embrace the opportunity.

"It is how we welcome visitors and what we say about the place we call home that will help us deliver one of the best Super Bowl experiences ever," he said. "There is a lot to be proud of in Detroit, and we need to share this message with the outside world."

Ilitch, whose organization will host the MLB All-Star Game in July, said that All-Star Week in Detroit will bring about 250,000 fans to the area that will spend about $55 million.

"We stand together, poised to invite the world in to see what we've accomplished," he said. "This summer will present all of us with an opportunity to showcase our city and provides a great occasion for reflecting on Detroit's proud baseball history. For one week this summer, baseball nirvana will come to Detroit, and we're going to do it right."

The campaign will officially kick off to the public on January 27 (Thursday) when the majority of local television and radio stations participate in an "advertising roadblock." At 7:55 a.m. on radio and 5:58 p.m. on television, participating stations will air a one-minute "The World is Coming - Get in the Game" public service announcement. Nearly 20 radio stations are participating, including the Infinity, ClearChannel, ABC/Disney, Radio One, Greater Media and CHUM radio groups. All major television stations in metro Detroit will air the spot.

A grass roots initiative wrapped around the "The World is Coming - Get in the Game" call to action will become an ongoing part of the campaign. A website, http://www.theworldiscoming.com/ , has been created to inform residents about how they can experience first hand all that metro Detroit has to offer in terms of automotive and music history, sporting events, bars and restaurants, as well as how they can "Get in the Game" by volunteering and spreading the word about the positive changes happening in our area. Advertising and public relations programs are planned throughout the year to create awareness of this campaign and its mission.

Also, as part of the campaign, monthly bus tours showcasing downtown Detroit's new developments will be launched for residents in April. Detroit Synergy, a volunteer group dedicated to promoting Detroit, will conduct the tours. Detroit Synergy is hosting a "Get in the Game" Super Bowl party this year on February 5 at 5 p.m. at Detroit Beer Company to get residents enthused about when Detroit hosts the big game next year. For more information, visit http://www.detroitsynergy.org/ . Volunteer opportunities during Super Bowl XL and All-Star Week will be available to residents.

Additionally, the TEDC's hospitality training program, which was launched late last year to train taxicab drivers, has been expanded to include front- line employees from all sectors of the hospitality industry, such as hotel, restaurant and airport workers, as well as other service workers.

"The World is Coming - Get in the Game" campaign will be sustained by recruiting corporate and government stakeholders from throughout metro Detroit. To date, the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, Super Bowl Host Committee, MLB All-Star Host Committee, City of Detroit, Detroit Renaissance, Detroit Regional Chamber, Wayne County and SEMCOG have all contributed funding or other support toward the program.

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