Noting “Providence has become a great destination city,” Mayor David N. Cicilline said combining the marketing focus of the Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) with the Providence Tourism Council (PTC) would allow the capital city to promote itself with “one, strong voice.” He made the announcement recently at Waterplace Park with Kevin Cameron, chairman of the PWCVB, Jack McConnell, chair of the Providence Tourism Council and members of the Providence business community.
The mayor said there would be a physical co-location of the administrative arms of these agencies at the PWCVB, at One West Exchange St., effective Dec. 1. The Providence Tourism Council’s Information Center will be combined with the Visitors’ Center at the RI Convention Center, and that will occur by Oct. 1.
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“This is to better, more efficiently market our city and create the greatest marketing impact possible,” he said. “Combining the two administrative offices improves coordination and will allow them to jointly develop an overall marketing strategy and plan for the capital city, coordinate all advertisements and create a unified approach towards design and distribution of brochures and the like,” he said.
“Merging the visitors’ operations increases the number of hours we are able to serve the public,” he added.
In a joint marketing contract, both organizations agreed to continue as legally separate entities and maintain their own separate identities, but to share space, resources and strategy in promoting Providence.
The two agencies also agreed to create a joint, six-member marketing committee, with two representatives and the existing chairs of each group. That committee will create a joint leisure marketing strategy and plan for the city; coordinate advertisement placements and publications, and coordinate and implement the design, printing, and dissemination of publications about Providence “in order to avoid duplication and to create efficiencies.”
The mayor also announced that there will be a single, unified Web site www.goProvidence.com; a single, unified, toll-free telephone number to promote the city, with the phasing out Oct. 1 of the Providence Tourism Council’s phone line, and the acceptance of all calls by the PWCVB. The executive director of the PTC will continue in that role, as well as assuming the responsibilities for destination development.
“While these two entities will remain independent, locating them together and combining their talent and resources will create the best strategy possible for the continued growth and promotion of the city of Providence, expanding our revenue base and giving Providence residents reason to celebrate,” Cicilline said.
