Good morning and welcome to the 2002 Tourism Summit, Part 3. It is amazing to think that it was only 2 short years ago that we were all here listening to Tourism Consultant Alf Nucifora deliver the Strategic Master Plan for Tourism. On that day, he challenged us all to make this City even better than it is. He challenged us to take our dreams and make them soar. Today, you will learn about much that has happened during the last 24 months. We have been busy.

But first, just a little bit of history for those who are new to the Tourism Initiative. It was first in 1999 that we all gathered here… the opening of Exploration Place was on the horizon. We knew then Wichita was set for bigger and better things. At that first meeting, we challenged the Summit participants to brainstorm on what we can do to elevate this City's tourism reputation. We all had many ideas. But we needed action...and a direction.

It was then shortly after that Summit that we called on an amazing person who has now become a friend of Wichita, Alf Nucifora. His background in tourism was considerable. He was known for doing amazing things in cities that he's helped including his hometown, Atlanta. Alf was here as a hired gun, as one of our speakers at the original Summit. But it only took him a couple of days to fall in love with Wichita. He told us that we had something magical here. He was willing to help us find it. And so he created the Master Plan for Tourism that has now been adopted as a vision for this community.

This plan was no easy undertaking. Alf has seen every nook and cranny of this City and our outlying communities. He has been a guest in our city so much so that he is an honorary citizen of Wichita. While he was here, he interviewed hundreds of people about tourism. He encountered doubt, disbelief, excitement, enthusiasm, sarcasm and skepticism all during his study. He found we have mixed emotions about Wichita…that we love, hate and are sometimes embarrassed by our city. He sided with the believers and told us we could make this place a great tourism destination. We accepted the challenge and have been working on it ever since.

When he delivered the message contained in the Strategic Master Plan for Tourism, we were captivated by the tremendous possibilities. I think many of us – myself included, wanted things to happen overnight. But here we are today, 2 years later. I think you will agree that we have not been idle. Many of the projects outlined today have taken much time and effort to get to the point that you will see today. We will unveil five of the key initiatives that were identified as major priorities. If you are familiar with the plan, you know that there is still much more to do. However, these five initiatives will provide us with a strong foundation to continue our efforts and grow into the tourism destination that we want to be...that we can be...and certainly that we will be.

Before we get to the presentations, I would like to thank some key people who have elected to carry the responsibility for much of this plan on their shoulders. They have served as visionaries to guide us in the right direction. They have helped lead the charge you will see today. They are the Community Image Task Force.

We also created a team of professionals who are the energy and driving force of the Strategic Master Plan for Tourism. They have adopted many of the projects outlined in the plan as their own. This group was newly formed to assist in much of what you see today. They have not only added their bright ideas but also their talents and skills to make much of this plan a reality. They will continue to be active on this project to make sure it continues in its mission. They are the Vision 2020 Task Force. They are our future.

There are others that we need to thank as well. First and foremost are my fellow Councilmembers and our City Manager, Chris Cherches. They have supported much of this plan with their votes. They are to be credited for their forward-thinking vision.

I would also like to thank our County Commission and County Manager Bill Buchanan and Assistant County Manager Jerry Harrison. We have always said that for the tourism master plan to work, we needed a true partnership, and that's precisely what we have between the city and county.

There are many others involved. Our Arts Council, the Greater Wichita Convention & Visitors, REAP and the Wichita Festival Board of Directors have been key to our success as much of the plan's execution lies within their purview. I also want to thank our 21st Century Tourism Council. They were the originators, who helped our efforts when the Initiative was in its infancy. Would all of these individuals and groups stand to be recognized.

It truly is amazing to see how many people have been involved in this effort. Unfortunately I cannot thank everyone but I do know that everyone in this room is important to the future of tourism in our City. Thank YOU for being here today.

We often hear questions about this plan..."Why Tourism?" - they say? "Why Wichita?" Well, let me tell you why. I have long believed that if you want to see the true heart of America, there is no better place to visit than South Central Kansas. People who visit here are astonished by the beautiful natural resources and world-class attractions we live with everyday. But many people take these wonderful things for granted. We need to remind our community about what they have here...and let me tell you, it is truly something spectacular.

As for why tourism…tourism is one of the world's largest industries and is predicted to generate $9 trillion in economic activity worldwide by 2010. It is the world's largest service industry and America's largest employer. While September 11 may have affected this industry, we know that the effect is only temporary. Now more than ever, we believe people will want to return to the Heartland because we are the core of the American spirit. There are cities out there taking advantage of the tourism industry to drive their economies. There is no reason why Wichita shouldn't do the same.

Great cities become tourist destinations but there is much more to it than that. By being a great place to visit, you also become a great place to live. I know I speak on behalf of everyone in this room when I say that we want this City to prosper. In order to do that, we must keep our young people happy by giving them things to do. If they leave for college, we want them to come back. We want them to raise their families here. People who live here now and have made their homes here are the salt of the Earth. We want them to be just as happy here in their own back yard as they are visiting their relatives in neighboring cities. When they leave, we want them to say they can't wait to come back. And when they visit their family and friends in other cities, we want them to be proud they're from Wichita. We even want them to be proud to invite others to visit Wichita. So you see, this is all connected. For our city to be great, we must work together to make this Master Plan a reality.

Today you will learn how we plan to make this all a reality for Wichita and South Central Kansas. There are other things that we are working on that are not yet ready for us to unveil. I would like to tell you a little about those projects. I think we will be very excited about the changes happening at the airport. With the arrival of AirTran, low-fare air service has now come to Wichita.

Equally important are the aesthetic changes we will soon be making to Mid-Continent. At this time, we are in the design planning stages but we assure you that the forthcoming changes will be something to anticipate. We are working with our selection team to bring the Air Capital theme to our airport. Just as you can see and feel the orange groves when you arrive in Orlando, you will be able to see and feel "Air Capital" when you arrive in Wichita. The terminal will be also user-friendlier, creating more space to meet the new demand for security and we are also looking at ways to promote Wichita's many attractions and activities to arriving visitors. I addition to looking at the physical infrastructure, we are also reviewing the overall experience from the time you leave the airport terminal building and hit Kellogg. If all goes well with our application for Federal funding, we anticipate completion of the improvements I have just outlined within 18 months. It will be worth the wait.

Also, as many of you may already know, we are well on our way to replacing our aging bus system. By the end of this summer, 75% of our fleet will be replaced with new, clean-fuel-burning buses. This was a large undertaking. As Alf had suggested we needed to "fix our transportation system." With our new buses and trolleys, we have a more attractive look on our streets. Soon, you will see two large "wrap" buses highlighting our attractions that will serve as rolling billboards to excite citizens and visitors who will be traveling on our city roads. These beauties will be part of the new fleet that will hit the streets this summer.

Last but not least, I want to talk for just a moment about our Convention & Visitors Bureau. They have been intimately involved in this plan and have committed to take it to the next level. Today, you will hear their exciting plans for the future. I want you to know that I am genuinely excited about the Bureau's new direction. We have a new enthusiasm there that we have not seen in a long time. These are go-getters, willing to take the City by storm. With them at the helm, success is inevitable.

Later today you will hear of the five key components of the Strategic Master Plan for Tourism. They include the Internal Marketing Campaign, the Aviation Festival, Web Marketing Initiative, Unveiling of the New Convention & Visitors Bureau Projects and Improvements to our City. I think as you sit through these presentations, you will see that we have indeed been busy. We all know that ideas come a mile a minute. Seldom do we see something that actually takes off and becomes a reality. What you will see today is that Tourism truly has taken off for Wichita and South Central Kansas. There is no turning back now. We are ready to soar and we do not want to leave without you. I know you are as excited as I am to hear more. So I will turn this over to Alf Nucifora to get us started. Alf...