Lubbock Promotion at World Event Leaves Austin Seeing Red

May 3, 2006

BY CHRIS VAN WAGENEN

Lubbock Avalanche Journal Business Editor

A simple commitment turned into a marketing windfall for the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, whose representatives are in Austin this week attending the five-day World Congress on Information Technology.

LEDA - the city-appointed economic development arm - spent $10,000 on a sponsorship involving tote bags that were given out Monday to more than 2,000 global chief executive officer delegates at the Austin Convention Center.

But the bags weren't such a hit with the Austin American-Statesman, which featured a picture of one of them on the cover of its business section Tuesday in a story headlined "Lubbock or leave it. Where's the burnt orange? Event's totes tout Lubbock."

"We had no idea when we agreed to do this that it would create so much conversation," said LEDA President Gary Lawrence."

Instead of burnt orange, convention delegates walked the exhibit hall carrying red-and-black canvass bags promoting the congress on one side and "Lubbock Economic Development Alliance - Home of Texas Tech University" on the other.

"Even though Austin is hosting the event, Lubbock got the plug because it paid for the printing, a WCIT official explained to several curious delegates Monday, the newspaper said.

LEDA made the decision to make the financial commitment in February at the insistence of AngelouEconomics - a corporate site selector and strategist hired by the Lubbock organization 15 months ago to assist it in recruiting new business and industry to the Hub City.

Ironically, Angelou is based in Austin.

Tony Whitehead, co-chairman of LEDA, said the tote bags were one of those opportunities "we couldn't pass up."

"The thing about this event is it moves from city to city. This year, it just happened to be in Texas," he said.

Whitehead said the tote bags promoted not just the city, but its special relationship with the university. "I'm sure the people in Austin didn't enjoy seeing it, but (this week) there's no way to get around them," he said.