marketing the region to college students and their visiting families
Prospective college students and their families filled the halls at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) on Feb. 11 and we were there to facilitate conversations about all there is to see-and-do in Tacoma + Pierce County. PLU's Presidents and Regents Scholarship weekend is a great event and opportunity for us to help students ?get to know their new home? (or potential new home) and promote our attractions, restaurants and hotels to their visiting families.
Moira and I answered questions of approximately 100 students and their families, gave them weekend coupons to some of our top attractions, and shared with them our new online scavenger hunt Tourism Revealed. Simon was there as well (the face of our ?Simon Says? advertising campaign) to quiz students on Pierce County trivia! There were students visiting from all over the world, from Hawaii to Japan. Working with PLU puts us in direct contact with visiting students and their families (visitors), allowing us to provide them with our Visitor Guide and help them plan their itineraries when they are in town. During the night families were looking for nearby restaurants, hiking trails, museums and places to shop over the weekend. We let them know that they could find all of these things here, without going to Seattle. Plus, it was a very rewarding experience, knowing that we are helping students make decisions about the future of their higher education and where they will study. Go Lutes!