Orlando Jokes; Vegas Doesn't

Apparently, in Las Vegas they don't like anyone messing with their brand.

The more than 5,000 attendees who descended upon Sin City May 31-June 4 for the travel industry show Intl. Pow Wow may have seen an interesting billboard on their way back to the airport when the event was over.

The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau decided to have a little fun with the famous Las Vegas slogan, “What Happens Here, Stays Here,” with its own tweaked version, “What Happens in Orlando, Stays With You Forever,” displayed during the five-day meeting. The Pow Wow's scheduled for Orlando in 2010.

Gary Sain, the Orlando bureau's president and CEO, said, “We have great respect for Las Vegas. They are probably the premier destination in many ways, and they have terrific marketing. (The billboard) was done in respectful fun.” Orlando's version of the slogan, he added, was entirely different from the Las Vegas one and, from a legal standpoint, the wording was completely different.

Sain said he even spoke to Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority officials. “We agreed it was done with mutual respect in mind, and that's really the bottom line of all,” he added.

Fun or not, the LVCVA didn't seem to be laughing when contacted by Tradeshow Week. The bureau sent a written response: “It's not the first time someone has tried to capitalize on our famous brand campaign, 'What Happens Here, Stays Here.' We were aware of the Orlando billboard and issued a cease-and-desist letter to protect our mark. Orlando officials understand our position and have been responsive to our request.”

Las Vegas may seem overzealous, but they have a reason to be protective. The LVCVA went through a stage where it attempted to market the city as family friendly. Very few bought it, especially after the travel market collapsed post-Sept. 11.

In 2003, the LVCVA's ad agency, R&R Partners, came to the rescue by taking the city back to its risque roots with the “What Happens Here ...” campaign that's been wildly popular in the ensuing years. The leisure and business travel sectors have both benefited, hence most likely the reason Las Vegas would like others to keep their hands off its brand.

Orlando, on the other hand, wasn't planning on using the altered slogan on anything but the billboard during the Pow Wow, Sain said, and there were no plans to use it afterwards either. In fact, the bureau recently rolled out a new campaign of its own, “Orlando, Where Creative Minds Meet.”

Sain told TSW at the time: “As more cities expand their meetings business, Orlando cannot rest on its laurels. The one thing Orlando can deliver better than any other destination is creativity.”

Somehow, “Las Vegas, Where Creative Minds Meet” doesn't have the same ring to it.