Lubbock Wins Tote-Bag Battle With Austin
Tote-al breakdown: Austin-themed bags won't make it in time to hand out at World Congress

May 5, 2006

By:  Tony Plohetski, Robert Elder

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

A shipping delay for one city, a marketing win for another.

Austin City Manager Toby Futrell, frustrated that Lubbock tote bags were being handed out at an international conference in her town, had ordered 2,000 Austin-centric bags to give World Congress on Information Technology participants.

The bags, which cost the city about $2,000, were supposed to arrive by noon Thursday, but Lubbock claimed victory when Austin officials learned that their shipment wouldn't arrive until noon today — just as the conference ends. Austin Chief Financial Officer John Stephens said "some sort of logistical breakdown" caused the delay, but he didn't know the specifics.

Kenny McKay, director of business retention for the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance, said there was a run on the black-and-red Lubbock bags Thursday morning. He also did several TV interviews about the tote-a-tote between the cities.

"(It) turned out to be the best thing that could have ever happened to us," he said.

The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau will give away the bags — emblazoned with "Austin: Live Music Capital of the World" — at future events, officials said.