Grand Haven officials looking at video promotion

Thu, Nov 5, 2009    to del.icio.us

With the high-speed Internet connections reaching into many communities across the U.S., officials in Grand Haven hope to use the Web to give the city more exposure around the world.

City officials are looking at implementing a new Web-based promotional video system that has been used in other communities across the country.

"From what I have seen on other Web sites, it appears to be an excellent way to showcase any city," said Mayor Roger Bergman. "The benefit for Grand Haven would be giving visitors or potential citizens a better idea of what we have to offer."

City representatives and employees from CGI Communications Inc. — the company behind the videos — would work together to determine what the different clips would highlight, Bergman said.

Examples of what could be featured range from community events and features, education, the local economy and real estate. Other Michigan communities with similar programs include Bay City and Eastpointe.

"This is the only company that does this the way they do it — at no cost to the city," said City Manager Pat McGinnis.

Instead of charging the city for the service, the company will sell advertising spaces to local businesses using city letterhead. The links to ads from local businesses will be featured in the area surrounding the video.

The cost effectiveness of the video program is expected to be more beneficial if they worked with the CGI Communications than working alone, McGinnis said, adding prior to beginning work with the company, he checked to see if similar programs were offered locally.

And with a picture being worth 1,000 words, McGinnis said he sees the videos resonating more than with just still photographs of the town.

"I think a movie in pictures is worth 1,000 still pictures," he said.

The possibility of a video promotional feature on the city's Web site has others involved in the town's development equally excited.

"I think that the idea is a positive one because anything that we can do to promote the area is a positive thing," said Dana Kollewehr, Grand Haven Main Street Downtown Development Authority director.

Kollewehr is not stranger to video promotions for the community, as the DDA is also looking at rolling out video features to highlight local businesses within the DDA district.

"We would definitely like to implement it within the start of the next fiscal year," Kollewehr said of the DDA business videos.

Officials from the DDA have been looking into the video tour idea for the past several years.

With the city looking into implementing its own video tour of the town, Kollewehr was hopeful that there might be an opportunity for collaboration.

"The more information that we can put out there, the better," Kollewehr said.

A decision on entering a formal agreement with CGI Communications for the Web-based video tour is likely to come at the next City Council meeting, scheduled for Nov. 16.