Mile High Holidays Kicks Off Multi-State Promotion of Denver

DENVER, Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper joined VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau and other business leaders at a press conference staged in front of the Wizard's Chest toy store in Cherry Creek North to kick off the seventh annual Mile High Holidays campaign.  The marketing promotion, valued at more than $1 million, is designed to advertise Denver as the ultimate holiday vacation destination.  

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101123/DC07022)

Sponsored by VISIT DENVER, the City of Denver and more than two dozen other partners, the integrated marketing campaign hopes to encourage visitors from throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region to come to Denver during the holiday period, which for the sake of the campaign runs from late November through January 2011.  The campaign includes a dedicated website, Internet promotions, radio and television commercials, direct mail, regional newspaper ads, regional magazine ads, outdoor boards, RTD ads, and newspaper inserts.  A total of $500,000 is being invested in the campaign, which through media partnerships and in-kind services will create a campaign valued at more than $1 million.  

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper stated, "While the holidays are a magical time of year, they are also a crucial make-or-break period for many businesses in the city.  In this Mile High Holidays campaign, we have shopping districts and businesses that normally compete against each other, but in this instance, they are working together to sell all of Denver to out-of-town visitors."  

Richard Scharf, president & CEO, VISIT DENVER, said, "Denver is the largest cultural, shopping, nightlife, dining, sports and entertainment capital in a 600-mile radius.

This campaign encourages families from throughout the region to start a tradition of coming to the big city during the holiday period to see the Parade of Lights, take a carriage ride down the 16th Street Mall, see the lights and listen to the bells at the City & County building, see the massive holiday displays at shopping districts like Cherry Creek and Downtown Denver, take in a performance of The Christmas Carol, cheer on the Avs and the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center and dine in some of our outstanding restaurants."

More than 50 Denver hotels are participating in the promotion, with 30 of them offering special holiday rates that start at the "mile high" price of $52.80.  

Mile High Holidays – in its seventh year – is a collaborative marketing program to increase the overall number of visitors to Denver in the traditionally slow period of November through January.  Participating entities include: VISIT DENVER; the City & County of Denver; the Downtown Denver Partnership; and the Cherry Creek Shopping District.  The joint campaign will allow the partners to reach more people than any partner could reach on its own with information about Denver's holiday activities and the terrific seasonal bargains offered by Denver merchants.

One Joint Website:  www.MileHighHolidays.com

As part of the cooperative Mile High Holidays promotion, VISIT DENVER, the City of Denver, and the Downtown Denver Partnership combined to create one comprehensive website, www.MileHighHolidays.com.

The website has complete information about all holiday events, from the Parade of Lights to the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, as well as information on shopping, parking and hotel specials, including New Year's Eve packages.  More than 50 Denver hotels have agreed to offer special rates for the holiday season, including 30 that have rates starting at the "mile high" price of $52.80 per room starting November 2010 through January 2011.  The $52.80 prices are not available on New Year's Eve.

Mile High Holidays Marketing Campaign 2010 Includes:

25 Target Markets

• Denver Metro
• Regional:
• NM: Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Farmington
• WY: Casper, Cheyenne
• NE: Omaha, Lincoln, Scottsbluff, North Platte, Grand Island, Kearney
• KS: Wichita
• SD: Rapid City (newspaper insert only)
• TX: Amarillo (newspaper insert only)
• UT: Salt Lake City (newspaper insert only)
• In-State: Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Fort Collins, Greeley, Vail, Summit County, Aspen

Additional Tactics and Investment

Consumer on-site promotions were staged at:

• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Boo at the Zoo = 7,000 attendees
• Fort Collins CSU Game = 20,000 attendees
• Denver Zoo, Boo at the Zoo = 19,000 attendees

Partners in Mile High Holidays

A number of organizations joined together in 2010 to market Denver as holiday getaway destination including:

• City & County of Denver
• VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Comcast
• KCNC-CBS4
• Entercom radio
• Entravision TV and radio
• King Soopers
• Denver Newspaper Agency
• CBS Outdoor
• Denver Center for the Performing Arts
• Cherry Creek Shopping Center
• Cherry Creek North
• Kroenke Sports
• RTD
• Downtown Denver Partnership
• National Western Stock Show & Rodeo
• Grand Hyatt Denver
• Denver Art Museum
• Downtown Aquarium
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
• Butterfly Pavilion
• Sheraton Denver Downtown
• Westin Denver Downtown
• Writer Square
• Denver Pavilions
• Larimer Square
• Tabor Center
• More than 50 Metro Denver hotels

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau

Founded in 1909, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes.  Tourism is the second largest industry in Denver, generating $2.9 billion in annual spending in 2009, while supporting 50,000 jobs. For more information on Denver call 800-2-DENVER or visit Denver's official Web site at VISITDENVER.com.

With press or photo inquiries, please contact:

Rich Grant: (303) 571-9450 or [email protected]

Katie Adamson: (303) 571-9418 or [email protected]

SOURCE VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau