‘Boring’ Houston wants to emulate Glasgow
Why is Houston, Texas looking to Glasgow, Scotland as a marketing model to remove it from the boring category?
“We don’t have the destination presence we should have, but we will. I like to cite Glasgow, Scotland as a classic example,” Greg Ortale, recently named to head up the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, tells the Houston Business Journal.
He went on:
“Glasgow was basically a dump where industrialization left houses covered in soot. Nobody wanted to go there, but now it is one of the top destinations in Europe. They made it happen simply by marketing the destination for what it had, as well as making some key investments and increasing the experience level. That is what Houston really has — experience. We can give the visitor a variety of experiences that are unequaled.”
Mr. Ortale said he expected the press to call him “boring,” but that he will try to Houston as a business destination appealing to its core business that he calls its “sweet spot.”
“There are (certain) size groups that we need to have 40 or 50 times a year, and that is going to be our target. Secondly, we are going to attack that image, and make sure that the image we present is the accurate one. I have a number of axioms that I live by, and one of them is ‘perception is reality.’ If you are perceived to be boring, then you are boring,” he said.
He said he perceived Houston’s strongest convention draw is its “world-class cultural experience. It’s become a cliche, but in the case of Houston it is quite true. Also the retail opportunities that are here, particularly for our hemispheric friends from the south.”
He pointed out that Houston is a world capital with 88 consulates and a diverse population.
And the city’s biggest handicap? Lack of awareness, he says.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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