Western Pennsylvania, bring it home

AP Wire | 04/12/2006 | News in brief from western Pennsylvania
AP - PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh-area leaders are supporting a campaign to bring more conferences, meetings and even family reunions to southwestern Pennsylvania in 2008.

The Reunion 2008 initiative promotes the campaign under the theme, 'Bring It Home to Pittsburgh.'

The campaign is part of the city's plans for its 250th anniversary celebrations in 2008.

'This is an opportunity to get creative and plan events that bring people back to Pittsburgh,' said James Rohr, chairman of the Pittsburgh 250 Commission and chief executive of PNC Financial Services Group.

The campaign offers a 'unique opportunity to reintroduce our region to the world,' said Andrew Masich, chief executive of the Sen. John Heinz Regional History Center.

A 'Bring it Home' campaign a few years ago generated the booking of 122 meetings in the city, according to the Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The bureau has created Reunion 2008 kits that contain reunion planning information.

Home -- Here is an idea. I think Pittsburgh could and should build a Time Share Building or Time Share Complex. Make them high rise apartments and sell them for week-long periods. I think that there are many people from around the world that would come to Pittsburgh for a week. I think that they'd be popular.

And, Michael Keaton might buy the first unit.