MARKETING & ADVERTISING - CALL FOR BIDS:
The Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism seeks a creative team for advertising development and program support, excluding media placement for fiscal year July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009. Project includes regional and national ad campaign development and design for a combined $1 million advertising budget for the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and the Columbia Regional Sports Council. Letters of interest and samples of work are due April 1, 2008. Project presentation opportunities with selected candidates will follow. EOE.
Please send to:
Kelly Barbrey
VP of Sales & Marketing
Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism
1101 Lincoln Street
Columbia, SC, 29201
Thursday, March 20, 2008
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 1, 2008 - CALL FOR BIDS
Friday, March 14, 2008
Are you Certified Friendly?
The Columbia Riverbanks Region is known for its friendliness. That’s why we offer a one-day training session for employees that frequently interact with area visitors that provides information on enhancing the visitor experience and reinforces the region-wide branding message “Where Friendliness Flows.”
On your next visit, look for desk clerks, wait staff, and a variety of area personnel who wear the gold “Certified Friendly” pin then ask them any questions you might have about the Columbia Riverbanks Region!
Sign up online today at www.certifiedfriendly.com!
Monday, March 10, 2008
MARKETING CAMPAIGNS - CALL FOR BIDS
CALL FOR BIDS:
The Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism seeks a creative team for advertising development and program support, excluding media placement for fiscal year July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009. Project includes regional and national ad campaign development and design for a combined $1 million advertising budget for the Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center and the Columbia Regional Sports Council. Letters of interest and samples of work are due March 20, 2008. Project presentation opportunities with selected candidates will follow. EOE.
Please send to:
Kelly Barbrey
VP of Sales & Marketing
Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism
1101 Lincoln Street
Columbia, SC, 29201
Sunday, January 27, 2008
FLW Outdoors Forrest Wood Cup to be Held in Columbia, SC
FLW Outdoors Forrest Wood Cup, Presented by Castrol
Dates & Times:
August 14, 2008
2:00 - 8:00 pm
August 15, 2008
2:00 - 8:00 pm
August 16, 2008
10:00 am - 8:00 pm
August 17, 2008
10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Website: http://www.flwoutdoors.com/
Location: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Admission: Exhibition is FREE and Open to the Public
Event Sponsors: Castrol, Walmart, Chevrolet and many more
Event Contact: Kim Lynn, klynn@flwoutdoors.com, (270) 252-1599
Expected Attendance: 60,000+ over 4 days
__________________________________________
NEWS RELEASE
For additional information, please contact:
Dave Washburn, vice president of communications, 270.252.1607
FLW Outdoors Announces 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Schedule
Forrest Wood Cup Heading to Columbia, S.C.
DETROIT (July 11, 2007) - FLW Outdoors announced its 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Tour schedule today at the Chevy Open. The schedule includes some familiar destinations for the world's top bass anglers plus the introduction of a new 12-day off-limits at every tour stop.
The new off-limits, adopted at the request of FLW Tour anglers, will precede an official practice period that starts the Saturday prior to each tournament and extends through Tuesday of the tournament week. Registration for each event will be held on a Wednesday and no competitors will be allowed on tournament waters that day. Competition will run Thursday through Sunday, with the FLW Tour's traditional top-10 cut taking place following Friday's weigh-in. The heaviest cumulative weight from Saturday and Sunday will determine the winning pro as in 2007.
In addition to the off-limits period, FLW Tour anglers may not solicit or receive fishing information from anyone except for confirmed tournament anglers in 2008. Anglers who make the top-10 cut may not solicit or receive fishing information from anyone except for other top-10 anglers. During practice, pro anglers may fish only with other confirmed tournament anglers, immediate family members, approved sponsor representatives or approved media representatives.
Also new for 2008 is an adjustment to the payouts in the $1.5 million Wal-Mart, Chevy and National Guard opens that will see a greater percentage of the field receiving at least $10,000. Payouts of $10,000 cash will now extend through 75th place in Pro Division. Cash awards of $5,000 will extend through 100th place in each of the opens. Payouts in of the tour's three $1 million qualifiers remains unchanged with $10,000 cash awards extending though 50th place and $2,000 cash through 75th place. Additionally, pros finishing 76th through 100th will receive a $100 gas card from BP at each $1 million qualifier in 2008.
"All of our program enhancements for 2008 were adopted to continue to grow the sport," said FLW Outdoors President and CEO Charlie Evans. "Our mission is to provide the absolute best tournaments possible for our anglers, our sponsors and our fans. We are having a terrific 2007 season and 2008 promises to be even better."
Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition kicks off Feb. 28-March 2 on Lake Toho in Kissimmee, Fla., and then continues on Lewis Smith Lake in Jasper, Ala., April 3-6. Lake Norman in Charlotte, N.C., will host the $1.5 million National Guard Open April 24-27 followed by the $1.5 million Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake in Rogers, Ark., May 15-18. Knoxville, Tenn., will host the fifth tour stop June 19-22 with anglers fishing Fort Loudoun-Tellico, and the Detroit River in Detroit, Mich., will host the $1.5 million Chevy Open July 10-13. The $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by Castrol will be held on Lake Murray in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 14-17.
Entry fees for 2008 are unchanged at $3,500 per qualifier and $4,000 per open for pros and $700 per qualifier and $800 per open for co-anglers. The top 100 anglers from the 2007 FLW Tour and the top 30 anglers from the 2007 Wal-Mart FLW Series will have priority entry into the 2008 FLW Tour. Entry dates will be released soon.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owens Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.
Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit http://www.walmart.com/.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit http://www.flwoutdoors.com/ or call (270) 252-1000.
Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism Adopts Lincoln Street
(From Left to Right; Mandi Engram, Nicole Smith, Ellie France)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Nicole Smith
Director of Media Relations
Columbia, SC – (January 25, 2008) In an effort to give back to the community, the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports & Tourism (MACST) has signed an agreement to participate in the Adopt-A-Street cleanup program through Keep the Midlands Beautiful and the City of Columbia. The MACST has adopted the portion of Lincoln Street that runs alongside the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center from Blossom Street to Elmwood Avenue. The first cleanup day is scheduled for February 8, 2008.
According to Peter Tarlow, renowned international tourism expert and author, "Beautification helps a tourism entity grow by attracting more visitors, providing positive word of mouth publicity, creating an environment that tends to lift the spirits of service personnel, and creates community pride often resulting in the lowering of crime rates."
Ric Luber, president/CEO for the MACST states, "We like to think of beautification as having an impact on the local economy. When a meeting planner visits the Riverbanks region, it's imperative that we are able to showcase a clean and healthy environment with great restaurants, attractions, and unique shopping. A clean and unpolluted region is a great selling point for our community."
Through the Adopt-A-Highway and Adopt-A-Street programs, caring citizens take part in preserving and maintaining streets throughout the Midlands. Participating community organizations (civic, school or business groups) adopt sections of road in or near their communities and clean litter from those segments at least four times a year for two years.The benefits are numerous. First, the program serves as an educational tool against littering and establishes stewardship of public lands. Secondly, the program helps advance tourism, development and quality of life for all of our citizens by improving the appearance of our area. Finally, the program saves taxpayer dollars by performing a valuable public service on a volunteer basis.
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Friday, January 25, 2008
Weekly Fishing Report: January 22-28, 2008
Lake Murray Fishing Report
Courtesy of www.SCFishingReport.com
Striped Bass: Fair. Fish are scattered so try free-lining herring and large minnows in areas where birds (gulls, loons, etc.) are seen. Also look for schooling activity early and late. Fish will be on the surface down to 35 feet.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. Fish slowly using jigs and spinnerbaits in 12 to 20 feet of water and around points.
Crappie: Good. Fish minnows and jigs around brushpiles in 8 to 15 feet of water. Once the waters starts to warm a bit slow trolling in creeks will be effective.
Bream: Fair. Fish in 15 to 30 feet of water using red worms.
Shellcracker: Fair. Use worms in 8-12 feet of water on the bottom. In the afternoon when the water starts to warm look for fish to move a bit shallower.
Catfish: Fair. Use cut herring on the bottom.
For additional Lake Murray information, please visit our website.
“For more information please visit www.SCFishingReport.com.”
