Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

CONTACT:

Jeff Guaracino

GPTMC

(215) 599-2290

625 RESIDENTS ANSWER THE CALL TO JOIN
THE NEW PHILLY FRIENDS CIVIC PRIDE PROGRAM "Friends” Hail From As Far Away As Japan, the Philippines and India

PHILADELPHIA, July 16, 2003 – Since the launch of Philly Friends, the region’s new civic pride program, on June 18, 2003, more than 625 residents, and counting, have answered the call to join the program. Some 150 new Philly Friends will be inducted into the group on Thursday, July 24, 2003, at the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal at Pier 1 at 6 p.m. The orientation will be followed by a Taste of Philadelphia reception and ferry tour along the Delaware River.

Just three weeks ago, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) began to recruit Philly Friends of all ages who are eager to share their passion and enthusiasm about the Philadelphia region and want to become expert tour guides for their visiting friends and relatives. Among the first to join the program were Pat Croce, Larry Kane, Ben Franklin, Rocky and more than 200 residents. Included among the Philly Friends’ ranks are former residents who now reside as far away as the Philippines, Japan and India.

“It is inspiring that so many people have already joined the program because they love Philadelphia,” says Rachel Delano, project director. “People are looking for a way to share their passion, and nearly everyone has mentioned a different reason why they love it here.”

Members register online at gophila.com/friends and answer several questions about why they are interested in joining the program. GPTMC has created a “Tell-A-Friend” card and other collateral materials to help recruit new Philly Friends and spread the word about the program. Philly Friends have attended special events, including an invitation-only party at the new National Constitution Center and a Chicago concert at the Tweeter Center, with more special-access events in the works.

“Philly Friends are people who like to ‘talk up’ the region and who take Philadelphia with them everywhere they go. They are proud to live here and there is more and more to be proud about,” says Meryl Levitz, GPTMC president and CEO. “No one can sell a place better to prospective visitors, students, residents and businesses than a person who lives here, loves it and wants to share it.”

The Philly Friends program is the newest component of a larger, three-year, $4 million marketing campaign geared towards residents of the region called Philly Friends and Family, which launched on October 1, 2002. Philly Friends and Family is funded by the Delaware River Port Authority.

Residents are inducted into the Philly Friends program during a free, one-hour orientation led by the improvisational comedy-troupe, Comedy Sportz. Afterwards, inductees receive GPTMC’s new Tourism Tool Kit, complete with:

Visitors heading to Philadelphia to celebrate Lewis and Clark’s historic journey can visit gophila.com to make travel plans and book hotel reservations. Once in town, they won’t want to miss the following:

To sign up for the Philly Friends program, visit www.gophila.com/friends or call (215) 599-2003.

GPTMC is a non-profit organization dedicated to generating awareness of and visitation to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit gophila.com or call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, visit the Philadelphia CultureFiles at gophila.com.

Note to Editors: For story angles and photographic images of Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside, visit gophila.com/pressroom.

July 2003