Julie Pingston of the GLCVB gives an update about the Certified Tourism Ambassador program. 

 The First Impressions Strategy Team, in collaborate with many others, is leading an initiative to connect college students with our regional community.  Several initiatives are already in place to connect with local businesses for internships and mentorships; however, we need to do a better job “selling our community” as a great place to live and play, as well as work.  Studies increasing point to the fact that college graduates are first choosing WHERE to live, then finding empl...

 Both the Placemaking and First Impressions committees have identified Wayfinding as a future project. The teams have decided to collaborate to complete this initiative. Why is Wayfinding Important? Urban planner Kevin A. Lynch borrowed the term for his 1960 book Image of the City,where he defined wayfinding as “a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment”.  In short, it tells us how to get there.  Although numerous studies...

 The event will take place in the summer of 2011 and will consist of community groups and teams improving a public area that needs help. Residents can submit an area that needs improvement and then the teams will execute throughout the year.

 The program plans to get started in the next few months. The plan will hopefully distribute collateral branded with the regional logo and tagline, in an effort to unify the region. 

 This program works to offer a certification course to front-line employees who come into contact with any and all tourist and residents of Greater Lansing. The course trains the student on the assets and attributes of Greater Lansing and how to advocate for the region. The classes begin August 24th. 

 After winding down from the first mentoring session, the Leap has been developing invitation list for next group and hopes to start again in September. If you would like to participate in the next round of 5 on 5’s please contact Dru Mitchell, mitchelld@leapinc.biz. 

We are quickly approaching the August 24 launch date of the Greater Lansing Tourism Ambassadors Program, a certification program presented by the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau (GLCVB). The program serves to increase tourism by inspiring front-line employees and volunteers to work together to turn every first impression by a visitor into a positive experience.

Kent Love, Communications Director for Wharton Center, is leading an initiative for Michigan State University to connect incoming freshman to the Greater Lansing community. The hope is to engage and connect college students with the community, to make them feel a part of the larger community they will call “home” for the next four years, and potentially beyond graduation.  A committee is being formed to further explore ways to improve the campus to community connectivity. 

This project’s goal will be to encourage residents to take pride in their communities by committing to beautify a portion of public space in Greater Lansing. The event will be held throughout the summer months with hopes of being a sustainable initiative for the future. After the groups have done their beautifying, they will be entered in a competition for recognition and prizes for the most “prideful” group. Currently, details are being finalized.