VOLUME 4 • NUMBER 2 • NOVEMBER — DECEMBER 2009 TOURISM – A Traveler’s Observations By Rhonda Davis them. And guess what? All of Charlotte’s street signs had crowns on them – their city’s logo. In my opinion, they have taken branding to a This summer my personal travels have taken me to new destinations and new level. to cities I’ve long wanted to visit. With an eye of a traveler interested in historic preservation and armed with a background in downtown Mo- Parking Made Easy bile’s revitalization, I kept a photo journal and a mental list of the things I Parking is always the most thought were well done and of sites I found inspiring. All these things, not stressful part of traveling to a completely unique, but well-executed, could be reinterpreted and new city. This problem is easier adapted for Mobile. to fix than most people think. The solution is good signage Here is a list of things I found that made my traveling experience easy coupled with good parking lots. and memorable: As a visitor, I want to know where I can park, how much it’s going Directional Sign Systems to cost me and that my car going Knowing where you are going, or rather, where you want to go, is impor- to be safe while I’m gone. tant to any traveler. A well thought-out directional sign system, designed for both pedestrians and vehicles, is a primary component in successfully Again, Greenville does an out- moving tourists, business travelers and new residents around any city. standing job with public park- The vision for a well-developed directional sign system should be: let’s ing. Their directional sign provide good customer service by helping people find our attractions and system, large and colorful, di- destinations while branding our city. Oh, and let’s show them where to rects you to public parking lots park and how much it’s going to cost while we are at it. that are equally well-marked with signs that include the park- Greenville, South Carolina had the most thoroughly developed and easy- ing fees. It makes parking an to-read system I’ve seen. The signs were large and well placed, the color easy experience. key worked, and parking was identified and easy to find. It made finding your way around their downtown easy as pie. Savannah has great on-street parking with new meters that Charlotte, North Carolina is known as Well Marked Streets can access debit cards if you are the Queen’s City with crowns every- Every city, town and neighborhood should have street signs. They are es- out of change. They also do where. Here, you see that the direc- sential to finding your way around a community. If you don’t have streets something I think is wonderful - tional sign system it topped with the that are well marked a map or GPS system is of no use. You can’t follow if you are a visitor and your crown, the city’s logo. This directional directions or reach a destination if you don’t have street signs to navigate meter has expired, the parking sign system is easy to spot, has color- by – no matter how simple the directions are. police leave a visitors packet on coded information on it, and is very your windshield that includes tall in keeping with the downtown’s Charlotte had the best street signs I’ve ever seen. They are oversized, LED maps to parking garages and a streetscape. And, it continues Char- lit signs that are posted over every major street throughout the city. I warning ticket. It’s a delightful lotte’s successful branding campaign. would guess they were about four feet long. For secondary roads and in- way to gently slap you on the terior roads, all the street signs were also large and easy to read. This is wrist for a parking violation while helping you make better parking deci- very important to me and to my husband because we are both blind as sions. Great customer service and tourist management rolled into one! bats and searching for street names can be impossible if you can’t read continued on page 3 1 STAFF Director’s Letter Elizabeth Sanders, Executive Director Jo Ann Olivera, Office Manager Authentic Tourism Carol Hunter, Communications Manager Recently an article came across my screen from the International Council of Shopping Cen- Susan Daniels, Membership and Fund Raising Director ters (ICSC) that said, “Architects of retail centers must make sure that their designs reflect the local culture, weather, and history in order to cultivate authenticity and appeal.” It made me Fred Rendfrey, Director of Downtown think about how fortunate we at the Downtown Mobile Alliance really are. We are charged Economic Development with nurturing the growth of an authentic place in Downtown Mobile. Our district has a 300 Kathleen Tansey, Marketing Assistant year history of responding to the local culture, weather, and history. How important this is, DOWNTOWN MOBILE ALLIANCE we know, for creating a place where people want to be! AND MAIN STREET MOBILE BOARD OF DIRECTORS This month’s issue of “Downtown Alliance News” focuses on tourism. We have comments from state director of tourism Lee Sentell, local tourism statistics, and musings from a local President traveler on what was appealing in places visited on a recent vacation. You will see that the Sam Covert, Alabama Power Company* theme throughout all of the articles is authenticity of place. Create an authentic place and Vice President, Development people will enjoy visiting that place. Mickie Russell, Dauphin Realty* Vice President, Public Spaces The ICSC article went on to say, “RTKL’s Jeff Gunning cited ‘what we call globalization fatigue, Margo Gilbert, Battle House Hotel* with shoppers looking for authenticity. There is a desire for a real local experience when it Vice President, Membership & Marketing comes to shopping.’” How true this is. Those of us in the downtown revitalization and heritage John Peebles, Peebles & Cameron* tourism fields have been tracking this growing trend for the last few decades, but it is significant Vice President, Parking & Transportation that the shopping center industry recognizes the importance of authenticity as well. Sydney Raine, Mobile Works, Inc. Secretary As you read through this issue, please think about Downtown Mobile and what kind of enhance- Stephen Carter, S & A Investment Strategies* ments you can make to your customer’s experience or improvements that you would like to see Treasurer the municipality, the museums, the restaurants, and the entertainment venues make in order to Mary Anne Ball, Bienville Properties* make this place an authentic and delightful destination. Jot them down and send your ideas to Past President Cooper C. Thurber, Lyons, Pipes & Cook* us. Your ideas are important to us as we begin the implementation plan for our 2015 plan. Laura Brabner, Resident* Visitors and locals have many of the same needs. Visitors only need more overt Stephen E. Clements, 301 St. Louis Street, LLC* education/promotion as to the offerings than locals. If we make Downtown Mobile a place Wanda J. Cochran, Attorney where locals of all ages are welcome and comfortable, visitors will feel the same way. After David Constantine, Lyons, Pipes & Cook* all, think about your own travels, and how enjoyable it is visiting a place and immersing Rev. Johnny Cook, Christ Episcopal Church yourself in the local culture! We in Downtown Mobile should every day strive to make our Angus Cooper, III, Cooper/T Smith Corp. commercial district a place of great experiences and beautiful sights. Mike Dean, Mobile County Commission* Sheila Dean-Rosenbohm, International Shipholding Corp. Finally, the ICSC author talks about the fact that consumers are looking for “higher quality Richard Dorman, Richards, LLC* dining alternatives” and that shopping centers are combining the “dining seating area with Robert Drew, Willis HRH shoppers’ traffic.” In downtown we call that a sidewalk café and restaurants that can offer Barbara Drummond, City of Mobile one are wildly popular with downtown employees and conventioneers starved for fresh air Dee Gambill, Regions Bank* and blue sky. Christopher Gill, Hand Arendall Ralph Hargrove, Hargrove & Associates* In Downtown Mobile, through projects large and small, authenticity of place has been re-es- Chuck Harmon, Wachovia Bank tablished. The Downtown Mobile Alliance has been one key player among many in getting Cedric Hatcher, RBC Centura Bank the district on the path to success. Just as shopping centers have to be managed and pro- Michelle Herman, Mobile County moted, downtown districts most certainly have to be. The Downtown Mobile Alliance, Mike Johnson, BankTrust through the funding that comes from the BID assessments and payments-in-lieu as well as Frank Leatherbury, Leatherbury Real Estate business members and sponsors, works every day to clean, beautify, and make more hos- Lee Moncrief, Tensaw Land & Timber pitable the area for customers, visitors, and residents. The Downtown Alliance staff mem- Ruby Moore, A Spot of Tea bers promote the downtown in everything they do and are constantly thinking about how to Fabian Olensky, Olensky Brothers Office Supply take downtown’s marketplace to the next level of success. Our advertising campaign, Randy Setterstrom, Grand Central* “Downtown Mobile: It’s a Life with Style,” is attracting heaps of attention and this will only Richard Stimpson, Leavell Investment Management* grow as we increase the promotions surrounding the campaign. Joseph P. Toole, The Retirement Systems of Alabama* It would be very easy to forget the herculean effort it has taken to rebuild Downtown Mobile EX-OFFICIO over the past 20 or so years. Downtown Mobile is poised to come out of this economic Devereaux Bemis, Mobile Historic Development Comm.