The campaign's slogan is:  "Discover the Seven Wonders of Westchester."  The advertising and printed materials showcase the world-class arts, cultural and historic tourist destinations of Westchester County.

The new cooperative marketing effort, which was announced at a news briefing held at the Neuberger Museum of Art here today, is made possible with the help of a $100,000 contribution from AT&T.

The seven participants in the AT&T Westchester Arts Network attract nearly one million visitors annually.  The members are:  the Neuberger; Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah; Historic Hudson Valley; The Hudson River Museum in Yonkers; Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah; Lyndhurst in Tarrytown; and The Performing Arts Center in Purchase.

"We're very pleased to be supporting this important cultural endeavor,  as Westchester possesses a wealth of world-class arts and historic resources," said AT&T Public Relations Vice President Robin Flowers.  "We hope to enlighten Westchester residents about cultural riches they have in their own backyards, and that visitors from throughout the region and beyond will come in even greater numbers to discover the tremendous tourist destinations the county offers."

Mr. Flowers said that AT&T's commitment to provide the financial underpinning for the campaign was intended to serve as just a beginning.  "Our goal has been to be the catalyst in getting a high-quality marketing campaign up and running.  We hope that others will see the value in what we've started and agree to lend their financial support to further the campaign."

The AT&T Westchester Arts Network was formed four years ago in an effort to collectively promote their sites and programs.  Earlier efforts included publication of an arts calendar and other printed materials, as well as creation of a Website.

The new initiative is a far bolder step, with the seven members promoting their collective strength as tourism destinations in addition to their individual programs.  The new initiative is unusual considering that arts-related organizations tend to be highly competitive.

When officials from the seven institutions began meeting to discuss general marketing issues," observed Susanne Pandich, Director of Lyndhurst.  "We realized that, collectively, we are reaching nearly one million visitors annually and with very little overlap.  We decided that if we worked together, there was tremendous potential to reach more people both here in Westchester and outside the county, and that if that happened, it would benefit all of us."

Christopher Beach, Director of The Performing Arts Center, said that "with the generous support of AT&T, the Arts Network has been able to organize a sophisticated marketing campaign that promotes tourism in Westchester in general and at our individual organizations.  This unified approach is a first for us and as well as for Westchester.  We are very hopeful that what we are doing will inspire involvement from others who recognize the importance of tourism in the county's economy.  We decided it was time to take a bold step, and with AT&T's backing, we are able to get the program off the ground."

Susan Edwards, Executive Director of the Katonah Museum of Arts, said that "we want to create a strong 'brand' identity for Westchester's tourism.  We felt that the best way to accomplish this was for the leading cultural organizations to join together in a promotional effort."   

The campaign consists of 10 different print advertisements promoting Westchester tourism and the individual member organizations.  They will be published in newspapers beginning this month.  A television commercial has also been developed and will be aired on selected cable TV networks, including A&E and CNN.

The AT&T Westchester Arts Network has also produced a new 10-page full-color brochure featuring detailed information on each of the participants and a map showing their locations.  The free brochure will be promoted in the ads and will be distributed at each of their sites.  It can also be ordered by calling 914-251-6160.

The Network has also established a Website – www.artsnetwork.org – which provides full information about the program and also has links to the Websites of the individual members. 

The campaign was developed for the AT&T Westchester Arts Network by Thompson & Bender Inc., an advertising, marketing and public relations agency based in Briarcliff Manor, NY.

The seven Network members are Westchester's largest arts and tourism organizations.  In 1999, their combined operating budgets totaled $21.8 million.  The Westchester Convention and Visitors Bureau recently reported that the county generated about $1.1 billion in sales and tax revenues from tourism in the year ended March 31,1999, up 9% from the previous year.