Travel Portland

Last updated
Travel Portland
Type
Headquarters100 Southwest Main Street, Suite 1100
Location
Coordinates 45°30′53″N122°40′32″W / 45.5148°N 122.6755°W / 45.5148; -122.6755
Region served
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
CEO and President
Megan Conway
Budget$30 million [1] (2024)
Staff72 [1] (2024)
Website travelportland.com
Formerly called
Portland Oregon Visitors Association

Travel Portland, formerly the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, is a destination marketing organization in Portland, Oregon, United States. [2] It is a private, nonprofit organization [3] and the largest destination marketing organization in Oregon. [4] Travel Portland has operated visitor centers at Pioneer Courthouse Square and Director Park in downtown Portland, and has an office in the First & Main building.

Contents

Travel Portland's tourism campaigns have featured the nation's largest free-standing cuckoo clock, stop motion and other animated videos, and Mr. Dude, a Bigfoot-like mascot to market the city to Japanese tourists. The organization has also offered dining promotions and funded beautification projects such as murals and other art installations throughout the city.

History

In 2001, Portland Oregon Visitors Association (POVA) was among ten members of the city's Taxicab Board of Review, which advises City Council on the taxi industry. [5] In September, the computer worm known as Nimda disabled POVA's servers for less than 48 hours, temporarily limiting employee access to email and stored files. [6] In 2004, POVA received a Governor's Film Advocate of the Year award as part of the Oregon State Film and Video Office's Industry Leaders Awards. [7]

POVA booked events at the Oregon Convention Center (OCC), as of 2007. [8] POVA became known as Travel Portland in January 2008. The rebrand included a new logo and website redesign. [2] [9]

In 2011, Travel Portland was among the nation's only tourism organizations with a public relations manager "dedicated solely to promoting environmentally responsible travel", according to Fodor's. [10]

Oregon Business said in 2024, "Travel Portland's budget is made up of 1% of Portland's tourism tax revenue as well as a 3% hotel tax and a $4 million contract with the convention center. Funded as it is by tourism dollars, the organization's fortunes rise and fall with the crowds. Prior to the pandemic, Travel Portland employed 76 people with a budget of $30 million. COVID cut those figures to 38 employees and a $8.5 million budget. The budget's now back at $30 million with 72 staff members." [1]

Leadership

Sho Dozono (pictured in 2008) has been the organization's president. ShoDozonoMay7Cropped (cropped).JPG
Sho Dozono (pictured in 2008) has been the organization's president.

Tom Kennedy was the organization's director in 1982. [11] Sho Dozono has been the organization's president. [12] In 2002, Craig Thompson was a past chair, Suzanne Miller was the chair, and Brad Hutton was chair-elect. [13]

Joe D'Alessandro was Travel Portland's president and chief executive officer (CEO) from 1996 to 2006. [14] According to the Bay Area Reporter, he is believed to be the nation's first openly gay man to lead a visitors bureau. [15]

Carol J. Lentz was an interim president in 2006, until Jeff Miller was selected in October. [16] He held the president and CEO role until late 2024. [1] [17] Megan Conway became the CEO and president on January 1, 2025. [18]

Visitor centers and offices

Entrance to the visitor center in the lobby of Pioneer Courthouse Square in 2013 Christmas trees at Pioneer Courthouse Square (2013).JPG
Entrance to the visitor center in the lobby of Pioneer Courthouse Square in 2013

Travel Portland operates the Portland Visitor Center in the West End of downtown Portland. [19] It previously had a glass kiosk at Director Park. [20] It also ran the Travel Portland Visitor Information Center (previously called Portland Oregon Visitors Association Information Center) [21] [22] on the Southwest Broadway side of Pioneer Courthouse Square, [23] where it shared space with TriMet. [24] [25]

Following a $2.7 million renovation, the lobby at Pioneer Courthouse Square became a full-service visitor center in June 2001. [26] POVA's Ticket Central outlet began operating at the visitor center, having previously been located on Front Avenue. [27] The visitor center saw 40,665 people in June 2001, a 198 percent increase from June 2000. The lobby received 207,782 visitors during June–September 2001, a 157 percent increase from 80,890 visitors during the same months in 2000. The renovation also included a remodeled TriMet counter, a theater, and restroom improvements. [28]

In 2002, the lobby was leaking and required extensive repairs. The Oregonian reported, "large plastic sheets are tacked to the ceiling below the skylights and covering tourist brochures in a display case at the Portland Oregon Visitors Association counter. Water is pooling in the ceiling sheets over employees' heads and computers. Big plastic buckets and tubs are placed on the floor in spots where water drips constantly." [29]

Travel Portland's office is in the First & Main building. [1] As of 2010 its offices were at 1000 Southwest Broadway. [22]

Campaigns and projects

In 1985, POVA collaborated with the Port of Portland and other tourism officials in Oregon and Washington to bring Japanese tourists to the Pacific Northwest. [30] The organization has also promoted Portland to industry travel planners in Europe and other parts of the U.S. [31]

Mayor Vera Katz announced the formation of the Pacific Gateway Alliance in 2001; the agreement between the cities and ports of Portland and Vancouver, Washington, as well as POVA and the Portland Development Commission, was created to "promote our companies to the world as never before, with the goal of creating new markets for exports, tourism and business investment". Katz said the alliance would "support local efforts such as deepening the Columbia River navigation channel while complementing our environmental clean-up in the Portland harbor". [32]

In 2001, The Oregonian said POVA's annual "Big Deal" campaign historically promoted Portland tourism in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington for October through May. POVA spent $120,000 on the campaign starting in October 2001, which was more focused on Oregon and Washington than past years. [33] In 2022, POVA's "Cool Summer Deals" program offered discounts on attractions, restaurants, shopping and transportation to visitors who made reservations at 28 participating hotels, [34] and December's "Portland Big Deal" campaign saw approximately 30 local hotels offer special holiday package, some of which included gift wrapping, tickets to the arts, wine tastings, and mistletoe left on pillows. [35]

The organization has marketed the OCC nationally; in 2003, a commission by the Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission cut the budget for marketing the convention center by $250,000. [36] POVA also hosted a luncheon in 2003 to commemorate the opening of OCC's expansion. [37]

POVA has also marketed Portland's association with sneakers and sportswear. In 2003, The Oregonian said POVA had an advertisement a few years prior that "obliquely mentioned that despite Portland's relative small size, one of its many attributes included access to 'the world's biggest shoe company'." [38] POVA asked Adidas and Nike, Inc. to sponsor fun runs during annual trade shows for national engineering and science associations. POVA handed out fliers promoting Columbia Sportswear and Nike stores at the convention. POVA has also helped organize tours of the Nike World Headquarters "for out-of-town VIPs", including officials from Bologna (one of Portland's sister cities) in June 2003. [38]

The organization has used a promotional video featuring Allow Me, a bronze sculpture in Pioneer Courthouse Square of a man holding an umbrella, in acknowledgement of the city's rainy weather. Allow Me, Pioneer Courthouse Square.jpg
The organization has used a promotional video featuring Allow Me , a bronze sculpture in Pioneer Courthouse Square of a man holding an umbrella, in acknowledgement of the city's rainy weather.

In the early 2000s, POVA used the slogan "It's not easy being green" to acknowledge the Portland's areas forests and rain. POVA had previously tried to avoid acknowledgement of rainy weather, but by 2004 the organization was using imagery to appreciate rain. POVA's promotional video featured Allow Me , John Seward Johnson II's 1983 bronze sculpture at Pioneer Courthouse Square of a man holding an umbrella, and the organization used business cards depicting raindrops. [39] After the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival's relaunch and second festival by new leadership in 2003, POVA helped organizers acquire a $25,000 contribution from Multnomah County's hotel and motel tax. [40] The organization also offered 25 percent discounts on Amtrak service between Eugene and Vancouver. [41]

In early 2005, POVA was also among sponsors of a fundraiser organized by the Portland Business Alliance to help mayor Tom Potter and commissioner Sam Adams pay off political campaign debts. [42] In mid 2005, POVA supported the potential use of the aircraft carrier USS Ranger to become a local memorial and museum. [43] POVA and the Regional Arts & Culture Council also published a new walking tour brochure and map featuring approximately 100 public artworks in the metropolitan area. [44] POVA, Mercy Corps, Qwest, and VH1 collaborated with the Portland Jazz Festival to secure temporary housing for jazz musicians, agents, and promoters based in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina (2005). [45] In late 2005, POVA, the city of Portland, the Portland Business Alliance's Downtown Retail Council launched an advertising campaign for the holiday season to promote shopping in downtown Portland. The campaign included events, a website, and "green-clad sidewalk ambassadors with handheld computers to answer questions". [46]

The Shanghai tunnels (pictured) have been used by the organization to promote Portland. Shanghai Tunnels.jpg
The Shanghai tunnels (pictured) have been used by the organization to promote Portland.

POVA has advocated for the construction of a hotel large enough to host conventions. [47] [48] In 2006, The Oregonian said POVA and Gordon Sondland of Aspen Investments of Portland "pushed for a minimum of 400 rooms, which would require less public subsidy". [49] POVA, U.S. Bank, and other organizations sponsored "Portland; The View From Here", a pictorial biography by photographer Robert Reynolds, in 2006. Melissa Jones of The Oregonian said the project "[became] popular with businesses looking to impress prospective employees, clients and visitors". [50] In 2007, the newspaper said POVA "dangles the story" of Portland's Shanghai tunnels "as a lure to out-of-towners" [51] and "concentrates on selling not only the city, but also its proximity to adventure". [52]

In 2014, Travel Portland launched a winter tourism campaign by installing a 7,000-pound, 24-foot (7.3 m) tall cuckoo clock carved from an Oregon maple tree at Portland International Airport after visits to Seattle and Vancouver. [53] [54] [55] Dubbed the nation's tallest freestanding cuckoo clock, the clock was disassembled in late 2016. [56] [57] Travel Portland launched an animated advertising campaign in 2015 [58] and a campaign featuring the Bondi Hipsters in 2017. [59] It had a stop motion campaign during 2017–2018, in collaboration with the studio House Special and Wieden+Kennedy. [60] [61] In 2019, Travel Portland, the city, and the Portland Business Alliance offered deals and free parking to make up for revenue lost during protests. [62] In 2021, Travel Portland placed an advertisement in The New York Times and other major newspapers. [63] [64] [65] The "This Is Portland" campaign received a mixed reaction. [66] [67] [68] In 2023 and 2024, Travel Portland ran a campaign called "Ticket to Dine" to encourage dining in downtown Portland. [69]

Delegations

In September 2001, following the September 11 attacks, POVA supported a delegation led by Dozono to visit New York City. Other supporters of the "Flight for Freedom" included the city of Eugene and the Bend Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Port of Portland, Portland State University, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo. More than 500 people signed up to join the delegation, including Katz, Eugene's mayor Jim Torrey, state senator Margaret Carter, Ron Saxton, representatives from Portland Public Schools and the Urban League of Portland, and other business and community leaders. According to The Oregonian, the delegation "captured the attention of New York media" and Katz and others were scheduled to appear on the television programs Today and NBC Nightly News . [70] POVA representatives were also part of a 50-member delegation to travel to Sapporo, one of Portland's sister cities, with Potter in early 2005. [71]

Events

POVA was involved in the early development of the Portland Jazz Festival. Promoter Bill Royston approached POVA c. 1999 "about a downtown event that would be a cultural tourism event to provide support for hotels, restaurants and related businesses". POVA partnered with Royston Company to help bring the annual event to fruition in 2003. [72]

POVA was a sponsor of the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival in 2001. [73] In 2022, POVA and Oregon's State Historic Preservation Office "lured" the National Trust for Historic Preservation to have a national conference in Portland in 2005. [74] In 2003, POVA supported a local foundation's bid to host the U.S. Transplant Games, described by The Oregonian as an "Olympic-style festival for athletes who have received life-sustaining organ transplants", in 2004 or 2006. [75] POVA was also among groups working in keep the G.I. Joe's 200 (now the Grand Prix of Portland) in the city. [76] POVA was part of the business community supporting Harley-Davidson's 2003 event at the South Park Blocks. [77] The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art partnered with POVA to market the Time-Based Art Festival to people outside the region in 2003. [78]

POVA supported and helped fund the bid to bring the U.S. Figure Skating Championships to the Rose Garden arena (now Moda Center) and Veterans Memorial Coliseum in January 2005. [79] Travel Portland, the Portland Development Commission, and mayor Adams were credited for recruiting the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, which was held at the OCC in February 2008. [80] In March, Travel Portland launched a three-day "Green Familiarization Tour" to "persuade meeting planners from across the country that Portland is the place to convene", according to The Oregonian. [9] [81]

LGBTQ tourism

POVA has marketed Portland to the LGBTQ community. In 2003, the organization launched an LGBTQ-focused brochure, which was updated in 2005 to highlight "new gay friendly clubs and culture -- along with the beautiful scenery, vibrant culinary scene and tax-free shopping". [82] Between 2003 and 2005, POVA spent $24,000 on advertising and trade shows promoting LGBTQ tourism. POVA had a booth at the Gay and Lesbian World Travel Expo in Seattle in 2005. [82]

In 2004, POVA launched an advertising campaign promoting Portland's Pride festival, among other events. POVA's "Gay Portland" brochure highlighted neighborhoods, bookstores, restaurants, and other cultural attractions "that might be of interest to gay tourists and other sexual minority groups". A new website geared towards the LGBTQ community attracted thousands of views and hotels like the Benson and the Paramount offered discounts to LGBTQ tourists. [83]

Mr. Dude

Mr. Dude was Travel Portland's mascot to market the city to Japanese tourists. [84] [85] The "blue furry, Sasquatch-like creature" [86] was created in 2016 as part of a campaign called the "World of Odnarotoop", a name derived from the Japanese pronunciation of Portland, spelled backwards. The bearded character was introduced in a video hosted on the website Odnarotoop.com. [87] [88] The video's theme music is performed by the Portland-based rock band Ages and Ages in Japanese, with some English words and phrases such as "breakfast", "crazy donuts", and "ice cream". Mr. Dude is featured on the website, saying, "Are you the one who want to go to Odnarotoop? I am your guide/camera man. Nice to meet you. Let's take a picture to start the trip." [87] He also instructs users to upload their pictures, which are integrated into the music video. [87] The mascot was inspired by "the joy and lightheartedness that the city embodies" and Sasquatch (or Bigfoot). [88] Some Reddit users speculated that Mr. Dude was derived from a Portland man who is often seen wearing blue makeup, though a Travel Portland representative denied that the mascot was based on any particular individual. [87]

A live version of Mr. Dude appeared before the Japanese Association of Travel Agents and at a tourism conference in Tokyo. [87] [88] Willamette Week described him as "huggable". [89] In September 2016, Travel Portland credited Mr. Dude and the "World of Odnarotoop" campaign with helping to increase Japanese visitation to Portland by as much as 11 percent in the preceding 18 months. [88] Mr. Dude ranked seventh in The Oregonian's 2017 list of Oregon's mascots and said, "Mr. Dude is a twee Travel Portland creation meant to represent Portland to the Japanese market. He's tall and hairy and blue and maybe into donuts? The best thing about him, probably, is his music video. The worst thing about him is that you can't see him unless you live in Japan." [90] Animation Magazine called the campaign "bizarre" in 2018. [91]

Murals and other art installations

In 2018, Travel Portland, the Hollywood Theatre, Travel Oregon, and other companies collaborated on an art project at Portland International Airport's south pedestrian tunnel. The project displayed a series of posters for films and television shows shot in Oregon, over a 160-foot (49 m) mural by Darren Cools. The work was slated to remain until 2020. [92]

Travel Portland has funded beautification projects via the Visitor Experience Enhancement Grant program. [93] The organization funded a mural visible from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in southeast Portland with the text "support working artists" in 2023. [94] Travel Portland funded the Viaduct Arts Column Mural Initiative in 2024. The project by the Portland Street Art Alliance and artist Hayden Senter included four bridge column murals in the Central Eastside. Two of the columns commemorate the Pearl District's Lovejoy Columns, one honors the Portland Rose Festival's dragon boat races, and another is about the Ground Score Association, which the Portland Tribune described as the city's "democratic worker association of dumpster divers, canners and waste pickers". [93]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Andrews, Garrett (2024-07-12). "Q&A: Outgoing Travel Portland CEO Jeff Miller". Oregon Business. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  2. 1 2 Richard, Terry (2008-01-17). "The new name: Travel Portland". The Oregonian . Advance Publications. ISSN   8750-1317. OCLC   985410693 . Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  3. ↑ "CORRECTIONS * "THE BEST COAST: A SURVEY OF YOUNG WEST COAST ARTISTS" EXHIBIT". The Oregonian. May 17, 2003. p. A02. The Portland Oregon Visitors Association is a private, nonprofit organization, not a division of the city of Portland. An article in Monday's Living section implied that the visitors association is an agency of city government.
  4. ↑ Raine, George (2007-12-27). "Faces of 2007: Joe D'Alessandro, S.F. Convention & Visitors Bureau". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  5. ↑ STEWART, BILL (August 21, 2001). "PORTLAND TAXICAB BOARD'S RANGE GROWING". The Oregonian. p. B03.
  6. ↑ KOSSEFF, JEFFREY (September 20, 2001). "COMPUTER WORM CONTINUES ITS ONLINE ATTACK". The Oregonian. p. B01.
  7. ↑ McCarty, Erin (February 16, 2004). "INDUSTRY NOTES AWARDS GIVEN TO SIX WHO AID STATE FILM INDUSTRY". The Oregonian. p. D02.
  8. ↑ Leeson, Fred (December 6, 2007). "Tower could power 'underdeveloped' area". The Oregonian. p. 10. ... says Brian McCartin, executive vice president of convention and tourism sales for the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, which books events at the convention center.
  9. 1 2 Dworkin, Andy (January 10, 2008). "Portland tourism boosters changing name but not mission". The Oregonian. p. B02. This year, the group will try to further increase travel by marketing Portland as a spot for "green" travel, food and wine, design and creativity, outdoor recreation and family trips.
  10. ↑ Moker, Molly (2011). Fodor's Oregon. Fodor's. ISBN   978-1-4000-0511-6.
  11. ↑ "Tour operators plan Portland-area visit". The Sunday Oregonian. February 14, 1982. p. 10.
  12. ↑ Sho Dozono:
    • GAUTHIER, LEEANN (February 8, 2004). "SCENE AND HEARD WHO'S WHO AT BENEFITS AND BASHES VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA DEPREIST AWARD COLUMBIA SLOUGH AWARDS SCHOOLHOUSE SUPPLIES SPELLING BEE". The Oregonian. p. L02.
    • "A real race for Portland mayor". The Oregonian. January 8, 2008. p. C04. Dozono, 63, is a civic leader with no elective experience but decades in the trenches running a business, raising money and serving the community. He's best known as the co-founder of the Portland Schools Foundation, but he also served as port commissioner, United Way chairman and president of the Portland Oregon Visitors Association.
  13. ↑ SULLIVAN, TARA (July 15, 2002). "PEOPLE SIX RECEIVE AWARDS FOR COMMITMENT TO FAMILY". The Oregonian. p. C02.
  14. ↑ Joe D'Alessandro:
  15. ↑ "Gay man tapped to head visitors bureau". Bay Area Reporter . OCLC   26378505 . Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  16. ↑ RIVERA, DYLAN (October 18, 2006). "Tourist group reaches within for top job". The Oregonian. p. E01. The state's largest tourism industry group launched a months-long national search this summer for a new leader but in the end opted for one of its own board members... The Portland Oregon Visitors Association said Tuesday that it has chosen Jeff H. Miller, general manager of the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission, or MERC, to be its new president and chief executive... said Carol J. Lentz, who has served as POVA's interim president in recent months.
  17. ↑ Giegerich, Andy (June 20, 2024). "Travel Portland's Jeff Miller will retire from key tourism role". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  18. ↑ Megan Conway:
  19. ↑ "Portland Visitor Center Now Open". The Official Guide to Portland. 2025-01-02. Archived from the original on 2024-12-29. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  20. ↑ Fodor's Inside Portland. Fodor's. 2020-04-07. ISBN   978-1-64097-251-3.
  21. ↑ Portland. Fodor's. 2008-07-01. ISBN   978-1-4000-0748-6.
  22. 1 2 Gottberg, John; Lopeman, Elizabeth (2010-06-01). Best Places: Portland, 8th Edition. Sasquatch Books. ISBN   978-1-57061-699-0.
  23. ↑ CHRIST, JANET (November 7, 2001). "PORTLAND SQUARE MAY LOSE AN 'I' BECAUSE OF CITY CODE". The Oregonian. p. E03. Inside the lobby under the Southwest Broadway side of the square is the Portland Oregon Visitors Association center, Ticket Central and a Tri-Met ticket and information.
  24. ↑ "Pioneer Courthouse Square". The Oregon Encyclopedia . Archived from the original on 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  25. ↑ Lonely Planet Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. Lonely Planet. 2020-02-01. ISBN   978-1-78868-740-9.
  26. ↑ CHRIST, JANET (May 31, 2001). "SPACE OPENS UNDER PORTLAND SQUARE". The Oregonian. p. D01.
  27. ↑ MAHAR, TED (March 21, 2001). "PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WILL CLOSE ITS TICKET OFFICE, LAY OFF 8 WORKERS THE CHANGE WILL SAVE AN ESTIMATED $325,000 A YEAR AND HELP THE CENTER MOVE NEAR OR INTO THE BLACK". The Oregonian. p. C04. Besides regular Ticketmaster and Fastixx outlets, customers will have the Portland Oregon Visitors Association's Ticket Central outlet, which will move from Front Avenue to Pioneer Courthouse Square on Memorial Day weekend.
  28. ↑ "ABOUT TOWN TRACK REPAIRS PUT RIDERS ON BUS GOING NORTH AT EUGENE". The Oregonian. November 5, 2001. p. C02. The $2.7 million renovation included adding the Portland Oregon Visitors Association information center and Ticket Central, a remodeled Tri-Met information and ticket service, and a multimedia theater for showing city promotional films.
  29. ↑ CHRIST, JANET (January 23, 2002). "WHEN IT RAINS, DOWNTOWN SQUARE LEAKS". The Oregonian. p. B02.
  30. ↑ Tripp, Julie (September 1, 1985). "Oregon courts tourists from Pacific Rim countries". The Oregonian. p. 124.
  31. ↑ Hughey, Ray (October 17, 2002). "BRIEFLY FRIDAY CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON EASTSIDE ECONOMY, FUTURE". The Oregonian. p. 05. She also has worked with the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, promoting the city to industry travel planners in the United States and Europe.
  32. ↑ THOMPSON, COURTENAY (September 24, 2001). "KATZ SAYS JOB 1 IS THE ECONOMY". The Oregonian. p. D01.
  33. ↑ KOSSEFF, JEFFREY (October 15, 2001). "OREGON'S TRAVEL FIRMS RETOOL ADS TO DRIVERS". The Oregonian. p. B01.
  34. ↑ "QUICK GETAWAYS". The Oregonian. July 28, 2002. p. T05.
  35. ↑ McDermott, Judy (December 1, 2002). "IT'S CHRISTMASTIME IN THE CITY EVENTS INDULGE IN HOLIDAY CHEER: - PERFORMANCES, DISPLAYS, FOOD". The Oregonian. p. T01.
  36. ↑ OPPENHEIMER, LAURA (August 31, 2003). "CONVENTION CENTER CUTBACKS RISK LONG-TERM RAMIFICATIONS". p. E01.
  37. ↑ MCCARTY, ERIN; MITCHNER, TED (June 30, 2003). "INDUSTRY NOTES ANT HILL FINISHES FILM, 2 TV ADS ON SUICIDE". The Oregonian. p. C02.
  38. 1 2 HERZOG, BOAZ (August 3, 2003). "TOP 50 INDUSTRY LEADERS SPORTS APPAREL SEEKS RESPECT AT THE TOP". The Oregonian. p. D01.
  39. ↑ "A PARADE THAT'S RIGHT AS RAIN". The Oregonian. June 12, 2004. p. B04. A few years back, though, they made a conscious decision to stop ducking the rain, McCartin says. Even POVA's slogan, "It's not easy being green," now tacitly acknowledges that spectacular forests may require some sacrificial sloshing. A POVA promotional video unabashedly depicts the man-with-the-umbrella sculpture in Pioneer Courthouse Square. And the organization's business cards even sport raindrops.
  40. ↑ BRIGGS, KARA (April 8, 2004). "MT. HOOD JAZZ FEST TRUMPETS ITS REVIVAL, ANTICIPATES GROWTH". The Oregonian. p. 01. That success attracted the attention of the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, which helped the jazz organizers land a $25,000 contribution from Multnomah County's hotel and motel tax -- a donation that arrived, fortuitously, a few weeks after the title sponsor bowed out.
  41. ↑ MCMAHON, SHANNON (June 16, 2004). "SUMMER'S DOLDRUMS WORRY HOTELS". The Oregonian. p. B01. Hoping to help the hotels, the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, recently began offering 25 percent discounts on Amtrak service between Eugene and Vancouver, B.C., trying to attract tourists from north of the border who might be wary of higher prices at the pump.
  42. ↑ GRIFFIN, ANNA (February 2, 2005). "POTTER AND ADAMS SHARE LOVE FEST WITH BUSINESS AT CAMPAIGN DEBT FUND-RAISER". The Oregonian. p. C02. Beyond the business alliance, other sponsors of the event were the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, City Center Parking, Roy Jay Enterprises, Northwest Natural, Star Park, Portland General Electric, Qwest, the Oregon Lodging Association and the Oregon Realtors Association.
  43. ↑ GOETZE, JANET (June 16, 2005). "NAVY VETS WANT TO WELCOME CARRIER". The Oregonian. p. D15. The Portland Oregon Visitors Association would support the arrival of the aircraft carrier, as long as an operations plan and financial backing are in place, said Joe D'Alessandro, the association's president and chief executive officer.
  44. ↑ Row, D.K. (June 24, 2005). "VISUAL ARTS D.K.'S HOT SHEET THE $40 MILLION RENOVATION". The Oregonian. And the local administrators of public art, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, is celebrating the anniversary with a new public art walking tour map and brochure co-presented by RACC and the Portland Oregon Visitors Association. The guide lists about 100 public art pieces in the Portland area and is available at visitor centers throughout the city.
  45. ↑ "Hurricane Katrina: The Aftermath - RELIEF EFFORTS". The Oregonian. September 18, 2005. p. C04. The Portland Jazz Festival is working with organizations including VH1, Portland Oregon Visitors Association (POVA), Azumano Travel, Mercy Corps, and Qwest to secure temporary housing for displaced New Orleans jazz musicians, agents and promoters and their families.
  46. ↑ Gunderson, Laura (November 22, 2005). "Downtown adds shopper services". The Oregonian. p. D07. This holiday season, downtown Portland shoppers will have several resources on the street --and back home --to help them. The services, announced in an ad campaign Monday, include a Web page, green-clad sidewalk ambassadors with handheld computers to answer questions and a list of events. The campaign was organized and paid for by the Portland Business Alliance, the alliance's Downtown Retail Council, the city and the Portland Oregon Visitors Association.
  47. ↑ Frank, Ryan (June 10, 2005). "WHAT'S NEW WITH...PDC WILL BE BRIEFED ABOUT CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL". The Oregonian. p. B02. A group that includes the Portland Oregon Visitors Association and Gordon Sondlund of Aspen Investments of Portland wrote a letter to Mayor Tom Potter on June 3, recommending the hotel hold a minimum of 400 rooms. The group suggested the commission provide $16 million in subsidies for the project.
  48. ↑ Frank, Ryan (November 23, 2005). "Convention center hotel looks better in new view". The Oregonian. p. D01. Today, the Portland Oregon Visitors Association says the city has missed out on millions of dollars in convention and tourism spending because it lacks a large hotel near the center.
  49. ↑ Frank, Ryan (March 16, 2006). "Portland is told to think big on hotel". The Oregonian. p. B01.
  50. ↑ Jones, Melissa L. (March 15, 2007). "Exit Lines: Pictorial biography captures Portland". The Oregonian. p. 22.
  51. ↑ Jung, Helen (October 4, 2007). "Portland's buried truth". The Oregonian.
  52. ↑ Richard, Terry (April 22, 2007). "State balances tourism, livability". The Oregonian. p. W05.
  53. ↑ Lloyd, Michael (2014-12-19). "Giant cuckoo clock at PDX welcomes travelers, in a very Portland way (photos and video)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-12-05. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  54. ↑ Baskas, Harriet. "Giant cuckoo clock lands at Portland International Airport". USA Today . Gannett. ISSN   0734-7456. OCLC   8799626. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  55. ↑ "Huge Portland-themed cuckoo clock travels the Northwest". KGW. 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  56. ↑ "Nation's Tallest Cuckoo Clock Now at Portland Airport". Portland Monthly . ISSN   1546-2765. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  57. ↑ Hewitt, Lyndsey (2016-12-08). "Travel Portland's gigantic cuckoo clock disassembled". Portland Tribune . Pamplin Media Group. OCLC   46708462 . Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  58. ↑ "Portland Gets Animated by Blacklist and WIZZ". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on 2024-11-14. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  59. ↑ "Bondi Hipsters front Portland campaign". Travel Weekly. Northstar Travel Group. 2017-11-03. Archived from the original on 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  60. ↑ "Portland artists celebrate hometown in nifty stop-motion spot". KGW. 2018-11-15. Archived from the original on 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
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  69. ↑ "Ticket to Dine":
  70. ↑ THOMPSON, COURTENAY (September 28, 2001). "OREGONIANS WILL TRAVEL TO N.Y. TO LEND SUPPORT". The Oregonian. p. B01.
  71. ↑ Griffin, Anna (January 18, 2005). "MAYOR POTTER WILL CELEBRATE WITH SISTER CITY IN JAPAN". The Oregonian. p. B02. The Portland delegation will include representatives from the Portland Business Alliance, the Portland Oregon Visitors Association and a 25-person snow-carving team...
  72. ↑ HUGHLEY, MARTY (September 28, 2003). "NO SUNBLOCK NEEDED FOR THIS JAZZ FESTIVAL". p. D04.
  73. ↑ "A SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THE JAZZ FESTIVAL". The Oregonian. August 3, 2001. p. 04.
  74. ↑ GRAGG, RANDY (March 3, 2002). "HISTORIC DEMOLITION". The Oregonian. p. D02.
  75. ↑ Haight, Abby (January 14, 2003). "PORTLAND BIDS FOR TRANSPLANT GAMES". The Oregonian. p. E02.
  76. ↑ BOONE, JERRY F. (June 19, 2003). "WHEELS TURNING ON CART RACE". The Oregonian. p. C01.
  77. ↑ Harley-Davidson event:
    • "ROLL OUT RED ASPHALT FOR HARLEY". The Oregonian. June 19, 2003. p. D08.
    • NKRUMAH, WADE (July 4, 2003). "CITY TO HEAR APPEALS OF MOTORCYCLE EVENT". The Oregonian. p. D02.
    • NKRUMAH, WADE (July 10, 2003). "HARLEY EVENT GOOD TO GO IN SOUTH PARK BLOCKS". The Oregonian. p. D03.
  78. ↑ Row, D.K. (May 12, 2003). "ART REVIEW TAKING PORTLAND TO THE CUTTING EDGE". The Oregonian. p. C01.
  79. ↑ U.S. Figure Skating Championships:
    • HAIGHT, ABBY (November 8, 2001). "ROSE GARDEN GETS 2005 U.S. FIGURE SKATING EVENT". The Oregonian. p. C03. This time, the city won behind a strong partnership that included the Oregon Skating Council, the Portland Oregon Sports Authority, the Oregon Arena Corporation, the City of Portland and the Portland Oregon Visitors Association.
    • ROGOWAY, MIKE (January 8, 2005). "PORTLAND WELCOMES SKATING'S FIGURE: $". The Oregonian. p. A01. Portland's winning bid for the skating championship cost $250,000, paid to U.S. Figure Skating, the sport's governing body. The city contributed $100,000 in public funds, with the rest coming from the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, the sports authority and skating clubs.
  80. ↑ HUNSBERGER, BRENT (February 9, 2008). "Handmade --and going fast". The Oregonian. p. D01.
  81. ↑ BRINCKMAN, JONATHAN (March 14, 2008). "City's gold standard for green meetings". The Oregonian. p. D01.
  82. 1 2 Mendoza, Lori (May 26, 2005). "CITY TO GAYS: CLUBS, CULTURE ARE FRIENDLY". The Oregonian. p. 22.
  83. ↑ MULLEN, RUTH (June 16, 2003). "A STRIDE WITH PRIDE". The Oregonian. p. B01.
  84. ↑ "Meet Portland's Mascot in Japan: Mr. Dude". Willamette Week. 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  85. ↑ "Meet Mr. Dude! Portland's mascot in Japan with an awesome song". KGW. 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  86. ↑ "PDX Trending in Japan". 1859 Oregon's Magazine . 2016-12-06. OCLC   489252235. Archived from the original on 2024-06-22. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  87. 1 2 3 4 5 Acker, Lizzy (September 27, 2016). "In Japan, Portland has a mascot named Mr. Dude and he has an awesome theme song". The Oregonian. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  88. 1 2 3 4 "Travel Portland uses Mr. Dude to increase tourism". KOIN. September 27, 2016. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  89. ↑ "The Dream of Portland Is Alive in Japan". Willamette Week. 2023-01-08. Archived from the original on 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  90. ↑ Acker, Lizzy (2017-05-04). "Oregon mascots, ranked". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-08-31. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  91. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (2018-03-13). "Watch: Travel Oregon Spot Conjures an Anime Fantasy in the PNW". Animation Magazine . ISSN   1041-617X. OCLC   46842821. Archived from the original on 2024-11-17. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  92. ↑ Miller, Briana (2018-09-22). "Art at the airport: Sculptures, photos, fiber art and more offer travelers a visual break". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-08-16. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  93. 1 2 Vondersmith, Jason (2024-01-25). "Viaduct murals ready to see under Hawthorne Bridge". Portland Tribune. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  94. ↑ Acker, Lizzy (2023-10-10). "New murals in Portland's inner core hope to inspire a little old-fashioned civic pride". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2024-05-17. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
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