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 Community Announces 'i love bg' Week Activities
Contact:
Marissa Butler, Public Relations Director
Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
270-782-0800; marissa@visitbgky.com
Jessica M.L. Thompson, Marketing & Communications Director
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
270-781-3200; jessica@bgchamber.com
BOWLING GREEN, KY-Community members announced the activities planned for i love bg Week during a news conference today at the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce.
"We are so fortunate to live, work and play in such a beautiful progressive community like Bowling Green. I've been many places but I always love coming home to Bowing Green. It possesses so many qualities that other communities can only dream about," said Tim Earnhart, founder/CEO/creative director of Werkshop Marketing.
"We've worked with numerous businesses and organizations in Bowling Green to coordinate a weeklong celebration of our Bowling Green community spirit, and their response has been overwhelming," said Vicki Fitch, executive director of the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It's so exciting to watch this campaign build such momentum that we've expanded from a single day of i love bg spirit to a week of activities."
i love bg Week will be celebrated beginning Memorial Day, May 28, and will culminate in a special I love bg Night at the Bowling Green Ballpark.
i love bg Shindig and i love bg Idea House The i love bg Shindig will be held at Brennans Tobacco Warehouse on Thursday, May 31, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Shindig Shidig kicks off the first annual i love bg Idea House with tours starting on Thursday with purchase of a preview party ticket or open to the public Friday, June 1, through Sunday, June 3. Tickets can be purchased at Werner Lowe or Abby Carpet, online at www.ILoveBGHouse.com, or from any idea house committee member.
"We are looking forward to the Shindig as an opportunity to celebrate the first annual I Love BG Idea House and to showcase all the local small businesses involved in the project. It will be a great time to enjoy a fun-filled, boot-clad, laid back evening celebrating everything we love about BG all while raising money for WKU," said Alison Gildersleeve, co-chair of the i love bg Shindig.
Gallery Hop The Gallery Hop highlights artists throughout Bowling Green and invites visitors to attend these artists' showcases at local businesses. The Gallery Hop will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 1. Gallery Hop venues are listed at http://www.radrelics.net/thebowlinggreengalleryhop/assets/bghop2012.pdf.
i love bg Day Several events are planned for Saturday, June 2, the official i love bg Day.
- "The Heart Dart" is a one-mile fun run for children ages 4 to 7 will begin at 9 a.m. at Traditions at Lovers Lane (201 Traditions Boulevard). The cost is $5 per child, and parents are encouraged to participate.
- Antique and unique cars will be on display around Fountain Square from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the I love bg Car Show.
- The Bowling Green Hot Rods game begins at 7:05 p.m. Winners of the i love bg Songwriters Contest will perform after the game followed by fireworks. Everyone is encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online at www.bghotrods.com using the promo code ILOVEBG or say "I love bg" when purchasing tickets at the window or over the phone. The Hot Rods will donate $3 from every ticket sold using the promo code back to the campaign. For more information, go to www.bghotrods.com.
"The Hot Rods are proud to once again be the culmination site for i love bg Day on June 2. Everyone can come enjoy a great game, see an exciting fireworks show and be the first to hear the i love bg song contest winner," said Brad Taylor, president of the Bowling Green Hot Rods. "The Hot Rods will also wear special i love bg green jerseys and those game worn jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the i love bg Campaign."
i love bg Songwriters Contest The i love bg Songwriters Contest is sponsored by Citizens First and open to amateur and semi-professional songwriters to submit their original song about Bowling Green. The winner will receive a $3,000 prize awarded by Citizens First. The Top 10 semifinalists-selected by the I love bg Committee--will be announced on May 15 and will be posted on www.goodthingshappenhere.com and on social networks.
The committee will announce the Top 3 songs on May 21, and community online voting will last from May 21 until May 31 at midnight. The Top 3 songs will also be performed on May 31 at the i love bg Shindig. The contest winner will be announced and performed on June 2 at the I love bg Night at the Bowling Green Ballpark.
Teressa Hood, loan processor at Citizens First, is overseeing the contest. She said, "The song contest has had a great response and we look forward to meeting on May 10 to choose the top ten entries. We look forward to showcasing the top three songs at the i love BG Shindig on June 1 and especially hearing the winning song perform at the Hot Rods game on June 2. It has been a true pleasure for Citizens First to be a part of the I Love BG song contest. "
For more information about the I love bg Songwriters Contest, contact Hood at Citizens First: 270-393-8576. The Top 3 song submissions will be included on the i love bg Album, produced by Yellowberri.
Exposure for Businesses Additionally, businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate in i love bg Week by celebrating their community spirit in a number of ways. Participants will receive extra exposure from the i love bg Committee. Potential ways to participate include
- Encouraging front-line staff to wear 'i love bg' buttons or t-shirts
- Offering patrons discounts when mentioning 'i love bg'
- Decorating sidewalks with chalk art or painting windows
- Adding a special 'i love bg' dish or the 'i love bg' signature cocktail to the menu
- Hosting a contest or drawing for signature items or gift baskets
- Tweeting why your location loves Bowling Green: #ilovebgky
- Incorporating 'i love bg' into an existing sale
The committee will highlight activities on www.goodthingshappenhere.com and Facebook. Those choosing to participate in I love bg Week in some way should notify the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau by contacting Marketing Director Emily Causey (emily@visitbgky.com) or Public Relations Director Marissa Butler (marissa@visitbgky.com). Those needing the i love bg graphic should contact Emily Causey.
The i love bg campaign began with the idea of an 'i love bg' graphic from Leon Volkert, a member of the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. That graphic idea has evolved from an initial campaign by the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to a communitywide committee to manage the brand. Nearly 15,000 'i love bg' buttons since the graphic was created, encouraging all who wear the buttons to share their appreciation for the community with others.
The i love bg Committee is a group of individuals, businesses and organization leaders--including people from BlueCotton, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, Countryside Play Structures/Landscape Structures, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority, Heartland Outdoor Media, Junior Achievement of South Central KY, Werkshop Marketing and Western Kentucky University-to increase the reach of 'i love bg.'
"The Chamber supports our community in many ways, and the I love bg Campaign is yet another way for us all to show our pride in Bowling Green," said Chamber Board of Directors Chairman D. Gaines Penn. "We're deeply appreciative for all involved, and we look forward to participating in the week's activities."
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