Selling Vegas in the South

Shelia M. Poole

Wednesday, June 16, 1999 | 10:53 a.m.

ATLANTA -- Coming your way: A swivel-hipped Elvis and high-stepping showgirls.

No, you haven't been transported back in time to a Las Vegas lounge. Rather, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is betting on an aggressive marketing campaign to lure metro Atlantans to Glitter Gulch. They're bringing a sample of the glitz here.

During June, Atlantans are being hit with an advertising blitz that includes billboards, radio and television spots, and maybe not the King himself, but certainly a good impostor. The authority has plunked down $900,000 to saturate the area with ads and a Las Vegas Ultra-Lounge Extravaganza mobile marketing vehicle that is making appearances at area malls, flea markets and other sites.

"We're merely trying to appeal to residents of Atlanta that Las Vegas is a tremendous entertainment resort destination, and we'd like them to think of us the next time they plan a leisure trip or vacation," said Jim Gentleman, group director of R&R Advertising in Las Vegas, marketing agency for the convention authority. Portland, Ore., was targeted with a similar project in May.

While the obvious attraction is the casinos, Gentleman said the city wants to put the word out that there's much more to do in Las Vegas. He said the city is rich in restaurants, shopping and family entertainment.

In 1997, the latest individual city figures available, about 350,000 Atlantans visited Las Vegas. But based on the availability of airline seats between the two cities, that has the potential to double, Gentleman said. He said while the authority hopes Atlantans will fly to Las Vegas directly, it's also hoping to lure travelers flying to Los Angeles, which is just a short drive or plane ride away.

Bill Howard, executive vice president of tourism and public relations for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, called the marketing campaign "smart."

Other cities, domestic and international, have done similar campaigns here, he said. But the Las Vegas blitz is among the largest to hit the metro area. The ACVB would be hindered from doing a campaign of the same magnitude because it doesn't have the marketing budget of a Las Vegas, he said.

"They have a lot more dollars than Atlanta. They have 15 times more money," Howard said. Additionally, he said, the bulk of metro Atlanta's leisure travel business comes from within a 300-mile radius of the city, so most marketing efforts are concentrated regionally. "Atlanta is a tourist mecca for those in smaller communities."

Las Vegas' biggest competitors for the Atlanta market include such regional hot spots as Orlando and the Gulf Coast. For instance, AirTran offers direct service from Atlanta to the Gulfport/Biloxi, Miss., area, which has a growing casino industry.

Lynn Lofton, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Atlanta has always been considered an important market for the Gulf Coast.

"We have gaming, the beach and family entertainment," she said. "Of course, for Atlantans, we feel like we're their best bargain. We're close by and we can give them what Las Vegas gives them and more. Plus it doesn't cost as much to get here.