Olathe C

hamber of C

omm

erce Marketing &

Com

munication P

lan • E

CO

NO

MIC

DE

VE

LO

PM

EN

T

Mission: T

o increase business expansion and development in O

lathe through strengthened marketplace initiatives and supportive governm

ent policies.

Audiences

Entities initiating

development projects

LocalR

elocation consultantsR

eal estate professionalsD

evelopersLocal business and industryK

ansas City A

rea Developm

entC

ouncilK

ansas Departm

ent of C

omm

erce and Housing

Regional or N

ationalR

elocation consultantsR

eal estate professionalsD

evelopersB

usiness/Industry seeking RFP

to relocateThose involved

in development projects

Governm

entalC

ity of Olathe

Johnson County G

overnment

State of Kansas

Johnson Co. delegation

Dept. C

omm

erce/Housing

KD

OT

Olathe D

istrict SchoolsM

etropolitan Kansas C

ityFederal G

overnment

U.S. R

epresentatives

Objectives

Accom

plish a balanced tax base of70 percent residential to 30 percentcom

mercial.

Work w

ith city, others to improve

infrastructure through Olathe,

including:

• K-10 and K

-7 corridors

• 119th Street

• 159th and I-35

• D

owntow

n

Some m

easurable indications thateconom

ic development is thriving:

• Increase in total dollar invest-m

ent in development projects

• Increase in square footage ofoffice space• Increase in square footage ofretail space• Increase in square footage ofindustrial space• Increase in jobs O

R decrease in

unemploym

ent rates

Strategies

Aggressively prom

ote qualitycom

mercial developm

ent tocreate a balanced tax base.

Assist existing businesses thrive,

grow, and expand.

Help develop and m

aintain anavailable, w

ell-trained work

force.

Continue to im

prove techno-logical support for econom

icdevelopm

ent activities.

Continue to expand and

improve ED

C features on

Cham

ber Web site. Explore

developing roll-over maps to

show business parks, etc.

Develop a plan to benchm

arkeconom

ic development pro-

grams across the country to

gauge and improve local efforts.

Continue to nurture and

developrelationships w

ith com-

munity partners.

Message Points/Position

Olathe is one of the fastest grow

ing cities in the United

States because of its thriving business climate and other

advantages.

The C

ity of Olathe provides professional, responsive

governance and supports a climate that w

elcomes new

business and industry.

Olathe is ideally located...• in Johnson C

ounty, one of the fastest, most

prosperous (99th percentile) counties in the United

States.• near the geographic center of the U

.S.• near K

ansas City and its am

enities. • on the N

AFTA

Corridor—

I-35

Olathe business and industry are w

ell served by anexcellent highw

ay, rail, and air transportation systems

(excellent freeway access and easy com

mutes throughout

region).

Olatheans enjoy a quality of life next to none. O

lathehas a hom

etown feel w

ith big-city amenities.

Money

magazine ranked O

lathe as the 13th best place tolive in the U

nited States in 2006.

Olathe School D

istrict is nationally recognized, award

winning.

Olathe’s population of m

ore than 120,000 is highly edu-cated, relatively affluent(64%

have household incomes

above $50,000), and young (median age 32.2).

Tactics and T

ools

Continue and expand face-to-face visits w

ithconsultants, developers, and real estate profes-sionals from

across the U.S.

Major existing m

arketing pieces:

• O

lathe Advantage

• Johnson C

ounty Advantage

• O

ther traditional marketing pieces

• Packets and proposals tailor m

ade for specific developers/corporations, oftendone in cooperation w

ith the City of

Olathe, K

CA

DC

, etc.

Develop three new

supplemental m

arketingpieces:

• O

ffice corridors brochure•

Retail corridors brochure

• Industrial corridors brochure

Update, expand ED

C advertising as budget

allows. A

mong the appropriate publications:

Ingrams

Kansas Speedw

ay’s Frontrunner mag.

Expansion M

anagementm

ag.Sites and Selection m

ag.K

ansas City Star

SunK

ansas City B

usiness JournalW

all Street JournalFortune M

agazineB

usiness Journals in other cities

Cont. next page

Cont. next page

Cont. next page

Cont. next page

Cont. next page

Quasi G

overnmental

Kansas C

ity Area

Developm

ent Council

K-10 C

orridor Association

CER

I

Com

munity Partners

City of O

latheO

lathe District Schools

Great M

all of Great Plains

Olathe M

edical Center

Johnson County

Com

munity C

ollegeM

idAm

erica Nazarene

University

Other

Other

Construction industry

professionals: engineers, architects, etc.

Bankers

Utilities

Johnson County Partnership

(Com

posed of all EDC

groups,w

ho joint market)

Objectives

See prior page.

Strategies

See prior page.

Employers benefit from

a large pool of highly skilledw

orkers, drawing from

a 20-county area.

Olathe enjoys one of the county’s hottest retail m

arkets(185%

increase between 1990 to 2001).

The dem

and for office space is rapidly increasing becauseof O

lathe’s business growth, highly educated labor force,

maturation of other Johnson C

ounty office markets, and

position as the county seat.

Olathe has experienced dynam

ic growth in w

holesaleand m

anufacturing because of its central location in theU

.S. and in the county and its excellent transportationinfrastructure.

Institutions of higher education abound with a dozen

colleges and universities in Johnson County and

MidA

merica N

azareneU

niversity and a Kansas State

University bioscience cam

pus in Olathe.

Olathe consists of m

ore than 35,000 acres, 39% of

which is platted and ready for existing or future develop-

ment.

Use C

ERI’s Target Industry Study

to earmark

industries that would be especially valuable to

attract to Olathe.

Continue publicizing and prom

oting new devel-

opment areas in the C

hamber new

sletter, InsideR

eporte-newsletter, online B

reaking New

sannouncem

ents, and EDC

Web site pages.

Enhance Web site features to prom

ote economic

development:

• M

apping project with the C

ity of O

lathe to show zoning/land use of parcels.

• Expanded business parks section.

• C

ontinually updated new construc-

tion photos and write-ups

Use C

oStar Developm

ent Com

pany database,w

hich shows available land/buildings, to supple-

ment m

aterials provided to consultants anddevelopers.

Expand direct mailing to real estate professionals

and consultants.

Continue to w

ork closely with K

CA

DC

, theK

ansas Departm

ent of Transportation, andothers

to attract quality development.

Develop target m

arketing for clusters like tech-nology and life/bio science industries and forinternational, national, and regional headquar-ters.

Audience

Those involved

in development projects

(Cont. from

prior page)

Message P

oints/Position

(Cont. from

prior page)T

ools and Tactics

(Cont. from

prior page)

Audiences

Media

Print media

Radio

Television

Internet

Cham

ber Web site

Related Internet sites

Objectives

Increase media coverage of

Olathe, its advantages, and its

emergence as a leader in

growth/econom

ic development.

Increase local media coverage of

economic developm

ent issues andtrends.

Strategies

Change m

isconceptions aboutO

lathe:

• U

ltra conservative, largely “religious right”com

munity

• Sleepy tow

n, far rem

oved from the rest of

Kansas C

ity•

Blue-collar tow

n•

Devoid of culture

Educate media about necessity

for confidentiality of EDC

prospects.

Educate media about benefits

of incentives such as TIF dis-

tricts, etc.

Message P

oints/Position

Far from being the sleepy little tow

n it once was,

Olathe is a com

munity of 120,000—

one of the fastestgrow

ing cities in the state and in the metropolitan

area.

Olatheans are w

ell educated: one out of three Olathe

adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, and Olathe

School District has m

ore National B

lue Ribbon

Schools than any district in Kansas.

Olathe has big city appeal w

ith a hometow

n feel.

As the seat of Johnson C

ounty,Olathe is a business

and government hub.

Olathe is em

erging as a major contributor/partner in

the Kansas C

ity metropolitan area.

Our com

munity em

braces and is enriched by diversity.

Olatheans have benefited from

very modest property

taxes because of its balanced tax base, due in large partto the C

hamber’s econom

ic development efforts.

Olathe is hom

e to increasing numbers of national or

regional headquarters. Its largest employers are the

Olathe School D

istrict, Johnson County G

overnment,

Farmers Insurance, G

armin International, H

oneywell,

Olathe M

edical Center, Trans A

m Trucking, and Sysco

Foods.

In Olathe citizens have fam

ily values, churches thrive,and the city is a “C

ity of Character.” B

ut Olathe

embraces a broad cross section of faiths, from

funda-m

entalist Christian to liberal, from

Christianity to

Muslim

, Hindu, and m

ore.

Tactics and T

ools

Media kit w

ith collateral materials about O

lathe/EDC

department, contact persons—

ready to use with

major press announcem

ents.

Direct m

edia to the EDC

Internet site as an ongoingsource of background inform

ation for articles.

Ongoing m

edia releases about the following:

• ED

C special events (project announcem

ents, ribbon-cuttings, ground breakings, grand open-ings, legislative breakfasts, etc.)

• Tim

ely issues related to economic

development

• Story ideas or guest-w

ritten storiesabout local com

panies and their successes/expansions, their im

pact on the economy

• Stories that indicate O

lathe’s robust, friendly business clim

ate

Offer the Econom

ic Developm

ent Departm

ent as aresource to localize stories about national trends andissues.

Create editorials and guest colum

ns for use in localnew

spapers.

Co-sponsor special new

spaper tabloids focused oneconom

ic development in O

lathe.

Schedule talk show visits to discuss O

lathe economic

development.

Familiarize m

edia with the C

hamber’s Legislative

Platform.

Use the C

ity of Olathe’s public access C

hannel 7 toget inform

ation out.

Audiences

Residents of O

lathe

Long-termO

latheans

New, often transitory O

latheans

Objectives

To increase residents’ familiarity w

iththe C

hamber, its services, and its

contributions toO

lathe.

Strategies

Help residents understand the

value of economic grow

th anddevelopm

ent.

Help residents understand the

transient guest tax and the excel-lent return on the investm

ent ofpublic m

onies that help fundC

hamber ED

C activities.

Increase understanding of TIF and

other incentives as valuable andw

ell accepted economic develop-

ment tools to recruit incom

ingbusiness /industry.

Educate Olatheans about the bene-

fits they enjoy and turn them into

ambassadors for their hom

etown.

Message P

oints/Position

The C

hamber attracts retail, com

mercial, and indus-

trial growth that helps balance the tax base and lessen

the tax-burden on homeow

ners.

The C

hamber’s efforts contribute to the quality of life

Olatheans enjoy: m

ore job opportunities, better andbroader shopping opportunities, m

ore restaurants andhotels, etc.

The C

hamber’s W

eb site, ww

w.olathe.org, provides a

wealth of inform

ation useful to Olathe residents.

Tools and T

actics

Use press releases/local m

edia and the City of

Olathe’s public access channel 7 to report on

ways the C

hamber helps O

lathe.

Meet w

ith homeow

ners associations and civicgroups to prom

ote an understanding of eco-nom

ic development and incentive tools.

Use T

he Olathe N

ews special C

hamber-focus

tab to promote C

hamber program

s and activi-ties, fam

iliarize citizens with services.

Develop an advertisem

ent to run occasionallyin local publications rem

inding Olatheans

about the services the Cham

ber offers, how the

Cham

ber benefits them.

Olathe C

hamber of C

omm

erce Marketing &

Com

munication P

lan • C

ON

VE

NT

ION

& V

ISITO

RS B

UR

EA

U

Mission: T

o promote a diverse and healthy tourism

industry for the economic grow

th and well-being of O

lathe.

Audiences

Visitors

Vacation and pleasure travelers

(45.6%)*

Visitors to pioneer/from

-tierhistory sites (37%

), includinghistoric trails

Visitors to cow

boy/Old W

estattractions (32.9%

)

Visitors to art &

culturalattractions (31.5%

)

Participants in outdoor recre-ation or activities (30.8%

)

Travelers going through Kansas

en route elsewhere

Visitors to friends and relatives

(21.8%t)

Business travelers

Individual business people

Conventions, conferences,

educational events

Bus tour/m

otor coach partici-pants

* State statistics provided by theK

ansas Departm

ent ofC

omm

erce and Housing T

raveland T

ourism D

evelopment

Division

Objectives

Increase visitors toO

lathe as reflectedby a 20%

increase insales tax revenue by2010.

Maintain, achieve or

exceed an averageyearly city-w

ide hoteloccupancy of 70%

.

Support develop-m

ent of attractionsthat w

ill enhancetourism

in Olathe,

including anarena/conventioncenter.

Promote O

lathe as anationally recognizedhistorical site andexperience.

Increase the estimat-

ed economic im

pactof tourism

in Olathe

from $30 to $35 m

il-lion.

Strategies

Publicize online hotelreservations to O

lathehotels and expandother W

eb site offer-ings.

Publicize download-

able Visitors G

uideand

online hotel reserva-tions in classified adssections of nationaland regional publica-tions.

Target market by

advertising in nationaland regional publica-tions and com

municat-

ing with their editorial

staffs.

Distribute m

ore Visitors

Guides.

Expand database ofpotential and/or repeatvisitors from

15,000 to30,000 by 2010.

Expand and improve

tourism prom

otions onw

ww.olathe.org and

use emerging tech-

nologies to promote

tourism.

Message P

oints/Position

Historical

Olathe played an im

portant role in the history ofW

estward expansion as the point at w

hich alltrails—

Santa Fe Trail, Oregon, and C

alifornia—converged.

• M

ahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm is the

only stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail stillopen to the public.•

The Lone Elm

Park is the site where three

trails—Santa Fe, O

regon, and California—

con-verged.

Olathe is the hom

e of the cowboy boot. Its unique

design originated with

Hyer B

oot, an Olathe com

-pany that outfitted fam

ous figures of the Wild

West.

Olathe has played a “trailblazing” role in deaf edu-

cation with the K

ansas School for the Deaf. T

heD

eaf Cultural C

enter and William

Marra M

useumof D

eaf History and D

eaf Culture capture that her-

itage.O

lathe is the place for visitors to “Shop. Play.Experience. D

ine. Rest. Enjoy!” “Shop” encom

-passes B

ass Pro, Great M

all, other shops; “play,”attractions and recreation; “experience,” history,arts and culture; “dine,” 170 restaurants; “rest,”hotels; “enjoy,” festivals and events.O

lathe was the site of the N

aval Air Station.

General advantages

Olathe is easily accessible w

ith its central locationin the U

nited States and excellent highway and air

transportation systems.

Olathe has all of K

ansas City at its doorstep.

Our com

munity is a great place to stay—

safe,friendly, affordable—

while visiting K

ansas City.

Tactics and T

ools

Advertise in the follow

ing (and other) publications as budget allows:

State of Kansas Travel G

uide, KS M

agazine, Midw

est Living, AA

A H

ome

& A

way, Travel K

ansas, Experience K

ansas City

Develop, expand or m

aintain special themed tours: H

istoric Olathe,

Historic Trails, R

ecreation & Sports, A

ntiques, Cultural/Festivals,

Holiday specials, C

owboy B

oot Tour.Expand and im

prove Web site: update 12 tourism

web pages.

Link with other travel-related Internet sites and special interest sites

that attract niche markets.

Maintain listing on 24-7vacations.com

Distribute increasing num

bers of CV

B guides (through V

isitors Center,

MidA

merica N

azarene University, G

reat Mall, B

ass Pro, etc.).C

hamber printed 20,000 four years ago; 50,000 in 2007.

Expand database of travelers (repeat or potential) to receive five-times

yearly e-newsletter.

Maintain V

isitors Center at G

reat Mall.

Increase wayfinding signage. Erect signage identifying points of inter-

est along historic tour of Olathe and preservation districts.

Begin playing up M

ahaffie’s Heritage C

enter and one-room school

house (both under construction and due to open mid-2008).

Contact travel w

riters on a regular basis with suggestions for stories.

Implem

ent data obtained through ongoing market research into m

ar-keting/com

munications. C

ontinue research with surveys

Publish tear-away m

aps that highlight Olathe attractions and shopping

and recreation opportunities for distribution to visitors through Olathe

hotels.Prom

ote and support events and activities that draw visitors from

through Kansas C

ity, not just overnight visitors.D

evelop leisure e-newsletter prom

oting seasonal events and attrac-tions.B

egin development of attraction to show

Walt D

isney connectionw

ith Olathe N

aval AirStation.

Audiences

Visitors

Corporate travelers

Convention, conference,

meeting planners

Group tour traw

lers andorganizers

Sports travelers

Objectives

I ncrease visitors to Olathe as

reflected by a 20% increase in

sales tax revenue by 2010.

Maintain, increase hotel bed

nights in Olathe to achieve or

exceed an average yearly city-w

ide hotel occupancy of 70% .

Support development of attrac-

tions that will enhance tourism

in Olathe, including an

arena/convention center.

Promote O

lathe as a nationallyrecognized historical site andexperience.

Strategies

Promote O

lathe as a great loca-tion for conferences, conven-tions, m

eetings, sporting events,etc. Expand leads-generation pro-gram

.Identify lists of business m

eetingsto target.Educate m

ajor corporations, espe-cially those headquartered inO

lathe, about accomm

odationpackages, discounts and am

enitiesat O

lathe hotels.

Message P

oints/Position

Advantages

Olathe is easily accessible w

ith itscentral location in the U

nitedStates and its excellent highw

aysystem

s.

Business travelers can fly into the

Executive Airport, bypassing busy

KC

I.O

lathe is the county seat forJohnson C

ounty.

Olathe has safe, friendly, afford-

able hotels and more than 170

restaurants eager to cater to corpo-rate visitors and offering a varietyof m

eeting spaces.

Olathe has all of K

ansas City at its

doorstep, including the I-70 corri-dor, w

hich is just minute aw

ay viaK

-10.

In addition to all of the fun ofK

ansas City, O

lathe has a greatvariety of attractions and am

eni-ties on its ow

n.

Historical

See page 1.

Tactics and T

ools

Identify list of business meetings to target.

Distribute flyer (also posted online) to m

embers asking them

toidentify potential conferences, conventions, w

orkshops, seminars,

reunions (military, class, fam

ily), business meetings, sporting

events, and other activities that could be brought to Olathe.

Make sales calls w

ith 100 targeted businesses in Olathe. K

eep intouch w

ith follow-up calls.

Contact 150 targeted associations about m

eeting and conventionneeds.

Target tour operators in Wichita, O

maha, O

klahoma C

ity, Tulsa,D

allas, and Minneapolis.

Launch sales blitzes in ’08 to St. Louis, Branson, M

inneapolis, andD

allas.

Promote new

and renovated accomm

odations (new and rem

odeledhotels).

Update and circulate event planner brochure show

casing Olathe’s

meeting spaces, including hotels, B

all Conference C

enter, etc.

Help attract and later assist in m

arketing a conference center toaccom

modate larger groups.

Maintain m

embership in M

eet Kansas, Tour K

ansas, and PlayK

ansas coalitions.

Develop volunteer program

to help with tourism

efforts.

Continue to advertise in M

idwest M

eeting Guide B

ook.

Lead development of destination athletic facilities/venues, includ-

ing softball, track, and Olathe Lake area.

Maintain contact w

ith targeted POC

for regional sportsclubs/groups, including the follow

ing:•

Users of M

idAm

erica Sports Com

plexes•

Olathe B

asebal Club

• O

lathe Girls Softball A

ssociation•

Kansas R

ush (Soccer)•

Heartland Soccer A

ssociation•

Prairie Highlands G

olf Course’

• M

idAm

erica Nazarene U

niversity(H

eart of Am

er. and other conference cham

pionships)

Audiences

Local M

edia

Print media

The O

lathe New

sK

ansas City Star

Kansas Speedw

ay Guide

KC

,K

S CV

B G

uide

CalendarsR

ealtors

Monthly hotel calendars

published by the CV

B

Collaborative calendar w

ithother C

VB

’s

Radio

Television

Internet

Cham

ber Web site

Related Internet sites

National/R

egional Media

Kansas G

et-Aw

ay Guide

Hom

e & A

way

Historic trail m

agazinesEtc.

Objectives

Double advertising in national and

regional publications by 2010.

Expand seasonal marketing by m

ar-keting year-round, placing advertis-ing in strategic publications on aregular basis.

Increase local media coverage of

Olathe and its attractions by send-

ing at least one press release am

onth on CV

B-related events and

services.

Increase user sessions to CV

B data-

bases by 10 percent in 2010.

Tactics and T

ools

Create dow

nloadable media kit.

Direct m

edia to the CV

B Internet site as

an ongoing source of background informa-

tion for articles.

Ongoing m

edia releases about the follow-

ing:• Special events and festivals (w

orking with sponsors)

• Tim

ely issues related to tourism•

Story ideas or guest-written stories

about local attractions, hotels andrestaurants and their successes

Expand number of calendar publications to

which C

VB

sends festival and eventannouncem

ents.

Strategies

Arrange for co-op advertising w

ithO

lathe hotels and attractions innational and regional publicationsto share costs.

Advertise in m

agazines catering tospecific m

arketing niches (historictrails buffs, etc.)

Identify, develop, and implem

entnew

Internet marketing strategies

to attract visitors.

Vigorously prom

ote the Cham

berW

eb site, ww

w.olathe.org as a sourcefor travelers.

In comm

unications sentby convention groups to m

embers

In Olathe hotel room

s

Link comm

unity calendar, attrac-tions to hotel W

eb sites.

Familiarize local m

edia with

national travel, convention,tourism

issues and trends and helpthem

localize the story.

Initiate media partnerships in festi-

vals, events to guarantee coverage.

Arrange for talk show

visits byC

VB

staff to promote historic

experience, festivals and events.

Message P

oints/Position

Tourism has never been higher in O

lathe. The

economic im

pact is more than $30 m

illion ayear—

a modest estim

ate.

Nationally, travel and tourism

is the secondlargest services export industry and the thirdlargest retail sales industry.

The O

lathe CV

B provides a full-range of servic-

es for meeting planners (see m

eeting plannerpage).

Audiences

Olathe residents

Objectives

Increase comm

unity-wide recogni-

tion of CV

B m

ission and services asm

easured by.....

Strategies

Develop relationships w

ith employ-

ers, organizations that attract visitorsto

Olathe (B

ass Pro Shops, theG

reat Mall of the G

reat Plains,M

idAm

erica Nazarene U

niversity,N

AIA

, etc.)

Publicize the fact that the CV

Bw

ould like to hear about incoming

groups so they can provide welcom

ebags, other services.

Engage businesses and individualsw

ithin the comm

unity in bringingtheir favorite conferences, conven-tions, reunions, industry and leisureactivities to O

lathe.

Message P

oints/Position

The O

lathe Convention and V

isitors Bureau

provides a great return on transient guest taxdollars by bringing in m

ore visitors and touriststo fill O

lathe hotels, restaurants, and businesses.Transient guest taxes are bed taxes paid by non-residents staying in O

lathe hotels.

The econom

ic impact of tourism

in Olathe

exceeds $30 million a year.

Tactics and T

ools

Help publicize festivals, events to

Olatheans through the follow

ing:

Utility or bank invoice stuffers

Notes on paycheck stubs.

Announcem

ents submitted to m

ajorem

ployee newsletters

Media cam

paigns and public serviceannouncem

entsA

ssess event success and ways to

improve w

ith satisfaction surveys

Plan “Visit your ow

n hometow

n” promo-

tionals to familiarize O

latheans with

attractions—perhaps in conjunction w

ithTourism

Week.

Invite the comm

unity to attend National

Tourism W

eek activities and familiarize

Olatheans w

ith the importance of tourism

Teach children about tourism through

postcard contests aimed at elem

entaryschool children and held in conjunctionw

ith National Tourism

Week.

Audiences

Meeting P

lanners

Association

Corporate

Group T

ours

Travel A

gents

Objectives

Build recognition am

ong meeting

planners of the existence of Olathe

and the Olathe C

VB

and the bene-fits of its services, as reflected inincreased usage and m

ore visits.

Strategies

Place classified ads in publica-tions for m

eeting planners,including:

EXPO

Magazine

Meeting N

ews

Meetings &

Conventions

Magazine

Meetings N

etSuccessful M

eetings Mag.

Where M

agazine Intl.

Take advantage of promotional

opportunities with professional

groups: •

Meeting Professionals

International•

International Society of M

eeting Planners•

Professional Meeting

Planners

Message P

oints/Position

Position Olathe C

VB

as a central resource for meet-

ing planners that provides:

• C

onvenience (easy on-line access any time

of the day from any com

puter)

• Tim

eliness (up-to-date information about

hotels, attractions, festivals, events)

• Tim

e savings (CV

B helps coordinate site

visits, housing, transportation, tours, registrations,etc.)

Emphasize benefits of the follow

ing CV

B product

and services:

Visitors G

uide (publication)D

ownloadable V

isitors Guide

Visitors bags

Maps

Online hotel reservations

Online restaurant listings

Online database on festivals, attractions

Familiarization tours

Help coordinating tours, visits to attractions,transportation, housing, registration, spouse&

kids programs, etc.

Help designing itineraries, finding local speakers

Publicity for meeting/convention

Supplements for their m

arketing materials:

Online photos to dow

nload & use

CV

B guide, m

ap, materials to include

Tactics and T

ools

Develop special them

ed tours:H

istoric Olathe

Historic Trails

Recreation &

SportsA

ntiquesC

ulturalH

oliday specials

Send marketing packages to m

eeting plan-ners w

ith marketing letter outlining C

VB

services and Visitors G

uide.

Provide an online RFP form

for meeting

planners (see attached).

Provide a convention services form (see

attached).

Provide online mileage inform

ation.

Generate an e-m

ail mailing list by having

planners, visitors register for a free vaca-tion w

eekend in Olathe.

E-mail updates, calendars of events, special

packages, etc.

Expand visitors bags (Visitors G

uide,M

ahaffie and Great M

all rack cards,O

lathe map, sunflow

er seed packet, lug-gage tag) to include business give-aw

ays

Olathe C

hamber of C

omm

erce Marketing &

Com

munication P

lan • SP

OR

TS M

AR

KE

TIN

G •

Marketing P

lan

Mission: T

o promote and ensure successful, quality sporting events that provide a positive and m

emorable experience for everyone involved.

Audiences

Out-of-tow

n Visitors

NA

IA athletes

NA

IA coaches &

officials

Spectators to NA

IAnational cham

pionships

Spectators and athletescom

ing to national events(non-N

AIA

)

• R

ingside Boxing

• R

egional Soccer tour-nam

ent•

Special Olym

pics•

Kansas Shrine B

owl *

Visitors to the N

AIA

national headquarters andother athletic organiza-tions

Participants in outdoor

recreation or activities

Objectives

Increase visitors to Olathe as

reflected by a 20% increase in

sales tax revenue by 2005.

Increase hotel bed nights inO

lathe; to achieve or exceedan average yearly city-w

idehotel occupancy of 70%

by2005.

Facilitate completion of new

sports venues.

• O

lathe Events Center/

arena•

Minor League B

aseball com

plex•

Kansas Sports H

all of Fam

e•

Soccer Com

plex

Conduct three N

AIA

nationalcham

pionship events profitablyeach year.

Attract one or tw

o new sports-

related events and activities toO

lathe each year.

Introduce a new open-to-the-

public marathon to O

lathe in2003, to raise m

oney andaw

areness of Olathe.

Strategies

Keep athletes and specta-

tors in Olathe, using

Olathe hotels, restaurants,

shops, attractions.

Publicize online hotelreservations to O

lathehotels.

Publicize downloadable

Visitors G

uide and onlinehotel reservations to ath-letes and visitors to sport-ing events.

Support the Olathe

School District in com

ple-tion of the O

lathe District

Activities C

enter II.

Develop and m

arket a“sports experience” to visi-tors:

• Parks and trailw

ays•

City’s Skateboard

park•

Public golf courses•

Private sports and entertainm

ent facili-ties like N

ascart, lasertag, paint ball, golfcourses, bow

ling

Message P

oints/Positions

Olathe attractions

Olathe attractions are plentiful for spectators,

athletes, officials, and coaches to enjoy while

here:

• H

istorical sites—M

ahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm

; Lone Elm Park w

hereSanta Fe Trail, O

regon, and California

converged•

Bass Pro Shops

• G

reat Mall of the G

reat Plains•

Deaf C

ultural Center (M

arra Museum

)•

170 restaurants•

Nascart and other private sports and

entertainment facilities

• Parks and trailw

ays

General advantages

Olathe is easily accessible w

ith its centrallocation in the U

nited States and excellenthighw

ay and air transportation systems.

Olathe is a city of cham

pions and champi-

onships.O

lathe has all of Kansas C

ity at its doorstep.Travelers can fly into the Executive A

irport,bypassing busy K

CI.

Olathe is the hom

e of the NA

IA.

Olathe is a C

ity of Character (a them

e insports)

Olathe hotels

Our com

munity is a great place to stay—

safe,friendly, affordable—

while visiting K

ansasC

ity.

Tactics and T

ools

Create packet w

ith Visitor’s G

uide, on-line hotelreservations, coupons, and other attraction infor-m

ation

• Provide to N

AIA

to distribute to coaches (w

ho distribute to athletes) and toN

AIA

headquarters business visitors•

Distribute to event officials

• Provide to non-N

AIA

sports eventorganizers to distribute to athletes and coaches

• Provide to other sports organizations/venues locating in O

lathe

Develop an inexpensive, one-sheet description of

Olathe attractions, perhaps w

ith coupons fromm

erchants who pay for the advertising/printing.

This sheet could be distributed to athletes through

coaches and to spectators as they enter the sport-ing event.

Set up expanded Olathe visitors booths at all

sporting events.

Advertise in the follow

ing publications as budgetallow

s:

Kansas Speedw

ay Guide

SportsTravel Magazine

National professional coaches publications

Expand Internet information specifically for sports

traveler, which w

ould include: online mileage

information, coupons especially for athletes and

coaches to Olathe stores, restaurants, etc.

Include sports marketing com

ponent in market-

ing CD

-RO

M being developed by ED

C.

Revised A

ug. 02

Audiences

Media

Print media

Today’s Olathe N

ews

Kansas C

ity StarK

ansas Speedway G

uideK

ansas City Sports M

ag.A

ssociated PressR

eal SportsSportsTravel M

ag.Street &

Smith’s Sports

Business Journal

Other

CalendarsR

ealtors

Monthly hotel calendars

published by the CV

B

Collaborative calendar

with other C

VB

’s

NA

IA college W

eb sites(post W

eb cast of events)and college new

spapers

RadioW

HB

810O

ther

TelevisionM

etro SportsFox Sports N

etO

ther

Internet visitors

Cham

ber Web site

Related Internet sites

Objectives

Increase ticket sales/atten-dance at sporting events by____ %

Increase sponsorships ofsporting events by ____ %

Increase recognition ofO

lathe as a sports destina-tion.

Tactics and T

ools

Create dow

nloadable media kit for

each sports event.

Direct m

edia to the sports Internet siteas an ongoing source of backgroundinform

ation for articles.

Ongoing m

edia releases about the fol-low

ing:

• U

pcoming cham

pionships and other sporting events

• Tim

ely issues related to sports•

Story ideas or guest-written stories

about athletes and their successes•

Information about new

sportsorganizations/venues com

ing toO

lathe

Expand number of calendar publica-

tions to which the C

hamber sends

sports event announcements.

Expand the information on the W

ebsite for athletes, coaches, officials, andspectators pertaining to specific sportsevents and O

lathe attractions.

Join the National A

ssociation ofSports C

omm

issions; send representa-tive(s) to national conventions.

Link with other sports-related Internet

sites and special interest sites thatattract this niche m

arket (for example,

NA

IA W

eb site)

Strategies

Invite local radio d-jays and/or t.v. weather

personalities to broadcast from the sporting

events.

Initiate media partnerships in sporting

events to guarantee coverage.

Increase local, regional, and national media

coverage of all sporting events by widely dis-

tributing press releases.

Increase media coverage of O

lathe’s emer-

gence in the field of sports marketing and the

economic im

pact of such events.

Arrange for co-op advertising w

ith Olathe

hotels and attractions in national and region-al sports publications to share costs.

Advertise in m

agazines directed at sportsevent sponsors/planners/ organizations.

Identify, develop, and implem

ent newInternet m

arketing strategies to keep sportstravelers in O

lathe.

Promote the C

hamber W

eb site,w

ww.olathe.org, as a source for new

s aboutsports events.

Familiarize local m

edia with national sports

issues and trends and help them localize the

story.

Arrange for talk show

visits by CV

B staff,

NA

IA staff, sports organizations, and ath-

letes to promote events, sponsorship oppor-

tunities, etc.

Message P

oints/Position

Sports marketing is big business and

has a tremendous econom

ic impact

on Olathe:

• N

AIA

basketball, $2.7 million

• N

AIA

track & field, $2.8 m

illion

• Track other sports event and provide sim

ilar information.

The O

lathe SAC

/sports marketing

staff provides the following services:

• H

elp secure local venues for sporting events.

• Provide visitor bags to introducevisitors to O

lathe, its shops andattractions.

• Provide housing assistance to athletes, coaches, and spectators.

• H

elp promote sports events.

• H

elp recruit volunteers to help at sports events.

Sporting events provide excellentphoto opportunities and feature storypossibilities.

The new

emphasis on sports is in

keeping with O

lathe’s young, family-

oriented population.

Strategies

Increase understanding of economic

impact of sporting events held in

Olathe.

Help the N

AIA

involve students inm

entoring relationships with N

AIA

athletes through its Character in

Sports program.

Attract m

ore students and youthgroups to volunteer at and/or toattend special sporting events.

Build am

ong existing volunteers asense of pride and ow

nership; providethanks and recognition for theirefforts.

Com

municate w

ith local hotels,restaurants, and attractions aboutupcom

ing sports events.

Message P

oints/Position

Sports marketing provides a

great economic boost to the

comm

unity by bringing inm

ore visitors and tourists to fillO

lathe hotels, restaurants, andbusinesses.

The new

emphasis on sports is

in keeping with O

lathe’syoung, fam

ily-oriented popula-tion.

Attending m

ajor sportingevents provides good fam

ilyfun, chance to see top athletes.

Attending provides good sup-

port for a comm

unity eventthat is im

portant to Olathe.

Tactics and T

ools

Publicize special sports events to Olatheans through

the following:

Utility or bank invoice stuffers

Notes on paycheck stubs.

Announcem

ents submitted to m

ajor employee

newsletters

Media cam

paigns and public service announcements

Assess event success and w

ays to improve w

ith satis-faction surveys

Send press releases to school newspapers to publicize

sports events.

Undertake activities that involve youth groups and

students in sporting events (for example, contests,

coupons for admission, etc.).

Com

municate w

ith hotels by letter and e-mail to

inform them

of upcoming sporting events.

Engage hotels as sponsors; ask for their participation byproviding coupons spectators, m

eals for volunteers’ askhotels to use m

arquees to welcom

e sporting events.

Increase the number of O

lathe hotels that are mem

-bers of W

orldRes and em

phasize use of the Cham

ber’sonline hotel reservations.

Sponsor a “vision night” event and invite hotels,attractions, restaurants, the M

all, etc., to comm

unicateabout O

SAC

and sporting events.

Com

municate m

ore closely with Johnson C

ounty andC

ity of Olathe parks and recreation departm

ents.

Objectives

Increase comm

unity-wide

recognition of Olathe as a

sports destination as meas-

ured by _____.

Increase attendance bylocal groups and individu-als at sporting events.

Audiences

Olathe and area residents

Visitors from

throughoutm

etropolitan area

Local spectators to NA

IAcham

pionships

Local youth groups

Junior high and seniorhigh school students

Hoteliers

Audiences

Volunteers

Event sponsors/donors

Association

Corporate and privately

owned businesses

• R

estaurants•

Hotels

• M

erchants•

Service providers

Objectives

Increase volunteerism at

sporting events by ____ %.

Increase sponsorships ofsporting events by ____ %

.

Strategies

Increase understanding of economic

impact of sporting events held in

Olathe.

Build am

ong existing volunteers asense of pride and ow

nership; pro-vide thanks and recognition fortheir efforts.

Illustrate to sponsors and potentialsponsors the advantages of support-ing specific sporting events.

Recruit m

ore youth/youth groups tohelp as volunteers at events.

Create am

bassadors for Olathe

sports as well as a Trailblazers organ-

ization to support NA

IA events.

Message P

oints/Position

Sports marketing provides a

great economic boost to the

comm

unity by bringing inm

ore visitors and tourists to fillO

lathe hotels, restaurants, andbusinesses. Sponsors are sup-porting their com

munities,

exhibiting good corporate citi-zenship.

Volunteering provides good

support for a comm

unity eventthat is im

portant to Olathe.

Tactics and T

ools

Publicize sponsorship and volunteer opportunities toO

latheans and others through the following:

Media cam

paigns and public service announcements

Utility or bank invoice stuffers

Notes on paycheck stubs.

Announcem

ents submitted to m

ajor employee

newsletters

Assess event success and w

ays to improve w

ith satis-faction surveys given to volunteers and sponsors.

Use testim

onials from sponsors w

ho have had positiveexperiences w

ith other sports events.

Develop a database of sponsors and volunteers w

ithw

hom to com

municate year-round about their event

and similar events.

Develop a quarterly Sports A

dvisory newsletter sent

to key sponsors, volunteers, business leaders, etc. toupdate about sports events, m

arketing successes, etc.

Develop a database of youth and civic groups from

which to recruit volunteers.

Provide special recognition, privileges (VIP areas,

meals, t-shirts), thank-you events (receptions, picnics,

etc.) for sponsors and volunteers.

Send thank-you notes to sponsors and volunteers.

Post sponsor and volunteer names prom

inently at theevent to recognize their efforts.

Develop a special sports volunteer flyer or brochure;

equip volunteers with packets to recruit other volun-

teers.

Audiences

Developers of sporting

events that might com

e toO

lathe

Developers of sport ven-

ues interested in coming

to Olathe

Objectives

Attract one or tw

o new sports-

related events and activities toO

lathe each year.

Facilitate completion of new

sports venues.

• O

lathe Events Center/

arena•

Minor League B

aseball com

plex•

Kansas Sports H

all of Fam

e•

Soccer Com

plex

Strategies

Build recognition am

ongsports organizations andplanners of m

ajor sportingevents of O

lathe as a sportsdestination.

Place display/classified ads inappropriate sports publica-tions including:

Sports Travel Mag.

Other?

Take advantage of promo-

tional opportunities with pro-

fessional sports groups/con-ventions:

• ?

Message P

oints/Position

Position Olathe’s sports m

arketing staff/SAC

asa resource for planners of sporing events, pro-viding:

• C

onvenience (easy on-line access any time

of the day from any com

puter)

• Tim

eliness (up-to-date information about

sports venues, hotels, attractions, events)

• Tim

e savings (helps coordinate venue visits, housing, transportation, tours, registrations,etc.)

Emphasize benefits of the follow

ingC

hamber/SA

C products and services:

Visitors G

uide (publication)D

ownloadable V

isitors Guide

Visitors bags

Maps

Online hotel reservations

Online restaurant listings

Online database on festivals, attractions

Help coordinating tours, visits to attractions,transportation, housing, registration, spouse&

kids programs, etc.

Publicity for sports event

Tactics and T

ools

Send marketing packages to sports

organizations with m

arketing letteroutlining O

lathe venues and servicesand V

isitors Guide.

Provide an online RFP form

for sportsplanners.

Provide a convention services form for

sports organizations.

Provide online mileage inform

ation.

Generate an e-m

ail mailing list by hav-

ing planners, visitors register for a freevacation w

eekend in Olathe.

E-mail updates, calendars of events,

special opportunities, etc.

Olathe C

hamber of C

omm

erce ME

MB

ER

SHIP

• A

Marketing P

lan

Mission: T

o be the voice that advances the economic w

ell-being and quality of life in the Olathe C

omm

unity. To create an atm

osphere that fosters business success in the Olathe area.

Internal Audiences

Individual mem

bersN

ew m

embers just joining

First-/second-year mem

bersLong-term

mem

bersInvestor’s G

uild mem

bersV

olunteers

Major com

munity partners

Olathe M

edical Center

Olathe D

istrict SchoolsM

idAm

erica Nazarene U

niv.C

ity of Olathe

NA

IAG

reat Mall of the G

reat PlainsO

thers

Cham

ber leadershipB

oard of Directors

Executive Com

mittee

Adv. Boards (ED

C, C

VB, SA

C)

Standing Com

mittees

Former B

oard Chairs

Am

bassadorsC

hairman’s Liaison

Mem

bership Council

Special mem

ber groupsLeadership O

lathe Alum

Hum

an Resource R

oundtableH

ome-B

ased Businesses

Nonprofit m

embers (501c3)

Associate m

embers

Reciprocating m

embers

(other chambers of com

merce

and business organizations)

Objectives

Improve m

ember retention by

85% by 2006.

Introduce newC

hamber

Health A

dvantageprogram

andother m

ember benefits.

Increase involvement of

Cham

ber mem

bers in activi-ties and program

s:

•___%

increase in volun-teerism

• ___%

increase in event attendance

• ___%

increase in sponsor-ships of events

Strategies

Engage mem

bers inC

hamber decision m

akingand activities to providing asense of ow

nership andinvolvem

ent.

Increase visibility ofInvestors G

uild mem

bers;offer m

ore benefits.

Enhance mem

ber services,including Internet and w

orkforce developm

ent initia-tives.

Take advantage of newtechnologies to com

muni-

cate with m

embers.

Foster entrepreneurialgrow

th for home-based busi-

nesses.

Message P

oints/Position

The O

lathe Cham

ber of Com

merce is the

largest Cham

ber in Johnson County, second

largest in the Kansas C

ity area.

The C

hamber w

as voted “Nation’s B

estC

hamber.”

Mem

bers benefit from nationally recognized

programs and benefits—

including networking

and marketing opportunities.

Cham

ber mem

bers can network and m

arkettheir goods and services each w

eek at coffeesthat are the largest w

eekly chamber netw

orkingevent in the K

ansas City area (200 plus people

attending).

Investment in the C

hamber doesn’t cost, it

pays. During flat econom

ic times it is all the

more im

portant to be a mem

ber, increasing vis-ibility and taking advantage of m

arketingopportunities.

The O

lathe Cham

ber offers a unique healthinsurance plan to m

embers.

Tactics and T

ools

Include all major partners and

Cham

ber leadership in Inside Report

weekly e-m

ail list.

Add Investor’s G

uild mem

bers to InsideR

eportmailing list and increase visibili-

ty on Web site.

Expand the Mem

bers Only section of

the Web site.

Develop a “sponsorship opportunities”

packet to familiarize m

embers w

ithnew

ways to get involved.

Have four new

mem

ber breakfasts eachyear w

ith the following included in ori-

entation materials: “G

et Involved”brochure, Investor’s G

uild information,

calendar of upcoming events, business

plan, etc.

Show volunteers their value to the

Cham

ber by having the annualV

olunteer Appreciation D

inner.

Recruit voluneers to assist in m

akingretention calls (staff, chairm

an’s liai-son, A

mbassador’s, etc.)

External A

udiences

Potential m

embers

In Olathe

Outside of O

lathe

Objectives

Increase mem

bership by 32%and double the num

ber ofInvestors G

uild mem

bers overthe base year of 2001.

Strategies

Provide packets of informa-

tion including Cham

berB

enefitsand G

et Connected

brochures and applicationfor m

embership, to all new

Olathe businesses.

Use new

health insurancebenefit as a m

arketing toolto reach/retain new

mem

-bers.

Increase advertising inselect new

spapers and pub-lications to interest busi-nesses in m

embership.

Enhance mem

ber services,including Internet and w

orkforce developm

ent initia-tives.

Message P

oints/Positioning

The O

lathe Cham

ber of Com

merce is the

largest Cham

ber in Johnson County, second

largest in the Kansas C

ity area.

The C

hamber w

as voted “Nation’s B

estC

hamber.”

Mem

bers benefit from nationally recognized

programs and benefits—

including networking

and marketing opportunities.

Cham

ber mem

bers can network and m

arkettheir goods and services each w

eek at coffeesthat are the largest w

eekly chamber netw

ork-ing event in the K

ansas City area (200 plus

people attending).

Investment in the C

hamber doesn’t cost, it

pays. During flat econom

ic times it is all the

more im

portant to be a mem

ber, increasing vis-ibility and taking advantage of m

arketingopportunities.

The O

lathe Cham

ber offers a unique healthinsurance plan to m

embers.

Tactics and T

ools

Provide a packet of new m

ember infor-

mation for ED

C staff to give to new

businesses with w

hom they m

eet. •

Benefits brochure

• G

et Connected brochure

• Latest new

sletter•

Application for m

embership

Continue w

ith extremely successful

mem

bership drives in the fall.

Objectives

Increase local media coverage

of the Olathe C

hamber of

Com

merce, its services and

activities.

External A

udiences

Olathe C

omm

unity

Residents, businesses

Media

Print media

Radio

TelevisionC

hamber W

eb siteR

elated Internet sites

Internet

Cham

ber Web site

Related Internet sites

Strategies

Increase the number of

press releases sent.

Initiate

Take advantage of partner-ship opportunities w

ithnew

spapers/media, especial-

ly co-sponsorship of events.

Message P

oints/Positioning

The C

hamber is the voice that advances econom

icdevelopm

ent and quality of life in Olathe.

The C

hamber fosters business success in O

lathe.

The O

lathe Cham

ber of Com

merce is the largest

Cham

ber in Johnson County, second largest in

the Kansas C

ity area.

The C

hamber w

as voted “Nation’s B

estC

hamber.”

Tools and T

actics

Direct m

edia to the Cham

ber’s Internetsite as an ongoing source of backgroundinform

ation for articles.

Ongoing m

edia releases about the fol-low

ing:

• Special events (ribbon-cuttings, ground breakings, grand openings,“A

fter Hours,” special C

hamber

nights, golf tourneys, etc.)•

New

or expanding mem

berbusinesses

• Story ideas about C

hamber

mem

bers•

Cham

ber awards, accom

plishments

• N

ew m

ember benefits

(for example, health insurance)

Develop a standard, brief paragraph for

use with all press releases to position/

sell the chamber.

Continue co-sponsoring special new

spa-per tabloid w

ith Today’s Olathe N

ews

focused on the Olathe C

hamber of

Com

merce.

Increase advertising in the following

publications as budget allows:

•K

ansas City B

usiness Journal•

Johnson County B

usiness Times

• T

he Olathe N

ews

Continue entering C

hamber program

s,publications, etc. in national com

peti-tion and publicize results.

Audiences

Those at w

hom lobbying

efforts may be directed

City of O

latheJohnson C

ounty Governm

entState of K

ansasO

lathe state delegationJohnson C

ounty delegationLegislature

Federal Governm

entO

lathe District School

Metropolitan K

ansas City

municipalities

Those w

ith whom

lobbyingefforts m

ay be coordinated

Com

munity P

artnersC

ity of Olathe

Olathe D

istrict SchoolsO

lathe Medical C

enterJohnson C

ounty Governm

ent

Other cham

bers of comm

erceU

.S. Cham

ber of Com

merce

Kansas C

hamber of C

omm

erce and Industry

Johnson County C

hamber

Presidents Council

Johnson County Public Policy

Council

Greater K

C H

ispanic Cham

ber

Other partners

Kansas C

ity Area D

ev. Council

K-10 C

orridor Association

Small/H

ome-B

ased Bus. C

onnI-35 C

oalitionJohnson C

ounty Partnership

Objectives

Increase voter registration andvoter turnout in O

lathe.

Increase the percentage of Olathe

votes cast among registered voters

as compared to the percentages

cast in the rest of the JohnsonC

ounty area.

Achieve enactm

ent of provisionsof the C

hamber’s state and federal

legislative platforms.

Influence passage of legislationfavorable to O

lathe and its busi-nesses.

Strategies

Advocate for the O

lathe busi-ness com

munity at the city,

county, state, and federal levels.

Develop and m

aintain strongrelationships w

ith elected offi-cials and staff at all legislativelevels.

Respond proactively to m

etro-politan issues that have anim

pact on Olathe.

Serve as a catalyst for consensusbuilding am

ong municipalities

on both sides of the state line.

Increase comm

unications with

legislators.

Seek input from C

hamber

mem

bers; encourage greaterinvolvem

ent and sense of own-

ership through the Business to

Governm

ent Advocacy

Council.

Message P

oints/Position

The C

hamber speaks for the O

lathe business comm

u-nity, keeping in touch w

ith business leaders and sur-veying m

embers on issues.

Olathe is one of the fastest-grow

ing cities in theU

nited States among cities of m

ore than 100,000 pop-ulation. It is the fastest grow

ing such city in the metro-

politan area. It is the fifth largest city in Kansas.

Olathe is a m

ajor contributing partner and leaderw

ithin the metropolitan com

munity.

The city’s greatest econom

ic development tool is its

excellent education system. A

dequate funding must be

supplied to support our public schools.

Tactics and T

ools

Publish, print, distribute, and post online theC

hamber’s state and federal legislative platform

.

Continue to expand the V

oteOlathe program

.

Enlist increasing numbers of businesses to encourage

their employees to register to vote in advance.

Continue to educate voters on issues and on candi-

dates, posting descriptions and candidate responses tosurveys on the W

eb site.

Host condidate forum

s and post Webcasts online.

Include state legislators and U.S. representatives in

Cham

ber e-newsletter com

munications to fam

iliarizethem

with our program

s.

Provide special seating, make special provisions for

U.S., state, and local electeds at C

hamber functions.

Continue State-of-the-C

ity and State-of-the-County

luncheons.

Maintain direct contact w

ith elected officials andothers in a postition to effect affect outcom

es of leg-islative actions.

Identify local, state, and national organizations(boards, civic groups, etc.) that influence legislaturepertaining to econom

ic development/business (for

example, the K

ansas Cavlary, U

.S. Cham

ber ofC

omm

erce, Kansas C

hamber of C

omm

erceExecutives, etc.).

Integrate Cham

ber and Olathe leaders into positions

of leadership.

Use the C

ity of Olathe’s public access channel 7 to

publicize legislative dialogue breakfasts.

Use Inside R

eportas a “you heard it here first” vehiclefor late-breaking new

s (Breaking N

ews on the front

page of the Web site.)

Olathe C

hamber of C

omm

erce Marketing &

Com

munication P

lan • G

OV

ER

NM

EN

T A

FFAIR

S M

ission: To prom

ote and facilitate pro-business actions by city, county, state, and federal governments.

Audiences

Media

Print media

Radio

Television

Internet

Cham

ber Web site

Related Internet sites

Objectives

Increase media coverage of

Olathe, its advantages, and its

emergence as a leader in

growth/econom

ic development.

Help m

edia recognize Olathe’s

emerging role as a strategic deci-

sion maker and source of influ-

ence in government affairs w

ithinthe G

reater Kansas C

ity comm

u-nity.

Increase local media coverage of

economic developm

ent issues andtrends.

Strategies

Change m

isconceptions aboutO

lathe:

• U

ltra conservative, largely “religious right”com

munity

• Sleepy tow

n, far rem

oved from the rest of

KC

• B

lue-collar town

• D

evoid of culture

Educate media about necessity

for confidentiality ofprospects.

Educate media about benefits

of incentives such as TIF dis-

tricts, etc.

Message P

oints/Position

Far from being the sleepy little tow

n it once was,

Olathe is a com

munity of 120,000—

one of the fastestgrow

ing cities in the state and in the metropolitan

area.

Olatheans are w

ell educated: one out of three Olathe

adults have at least a bachelor’s degree, and Olathe

School District has m

ore National B

lue Ribbon

Schools than any district in Kansas.

Olathe has big city appeal w

ith a hometow

n feel.

As the seat of Johnson C

ounty,Olathe is a business

and government hub.

Olathe is em

erging as a major contributor/partner in

the Kansas C

ity metropolitan area.

Our com

munity em

braces and is enriched by diversity.

Olatheans have benefited from

very modest property

taxes because of its balanced tax base, due in large partto the C

hamber’s econom

ic development efforts.

Olathe is hom

e to increasing numbers of national or

regional headquarters. Its largest employers are the

Olathe School D

istrict, Johnson County G

overnment,

Farmers Insurance, G

armin International, H

oneywell,

Olathe M

edical Center, Trans A

m Trucking, and

Sysco Foods.

In Olathe citizens have fam

ily values, churches thrive,and the city is a “C

ity of Character.” B

ut Olathe

embraces a broad cross section of faiths, from

funda-m

entalist Christian to liberal, from

Christianity to

Muslim

, Hindu, and m

ore.

Tactics and T

ools

Media kit w

ith collateral materials about O

lathe/EDC

department, contact persons—

ready to use with

major press announcem

ents.

Direct m

edia to the EDC

Internet site as an ongoingsource of background inform

ation for articles.

Ongoing m

edia releases about the following:

• ED

C special events (project announcem

ents, ribbon-cuttings, ground breakings, grand open-ings, legislative breakfasts, etc.)

• Tim

ely issues related to economic

development

• Story ideas or guest-w

ritten storiesabout local com

panies and their successes/expansions, their im

pact on the economy

• Stories that indicate O

lathe’s robust, friendly business clim

ate

Offer the Econom

ic Developm

ent Departm

ent as aresource to localize stories about national trends andissues.

Co-sponsor special new

spaper tabloids focused oneconom

ic development in O

lathe.

Schedule talk show visits to discuss O

lathe economic

development.

Familiarize m

edia with the C

hamber’s Legislative

Platform.

Use the C

ity of Olathe’s public access C

hannel 7 toget inform

ation out.