January Executive Director's Report

By Bill Fleming

Marketing Campaign Update
In the past seven years the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce invested $175,000 in our Pekin What A Pleasant Surprise marketing campaign. We promoted the assets that make Pekin a great place to live: our schools, our health care facilities, our parks and recreational opportunities, and the overall value of our community.

Our campaign used several marketing vehicles, including brochures, power point presentations and web pages. We developed these vehicles to deliver the message about Pekin to potential new residents and to the region.

Our media advertising campaigns made thousands of impressions in central Illinois, influencing local and regional residents and opinion leaders. We reached out to make presentations to Realtors, clubs and organizations, and local businesses. Thousands of visitors at area home shows saw our message. Visitors, and perhaps most important, and our own residents, were reminded daily of the Pekin’s great attributes through our visible street banners.


Our marketing committee and the board of directors believe the time is right to temporarily suspend our street banner program, which has been our largest funding mechanism. While it is important that we continue to promote our community, it might be time for a new slogan and a renewed marketing effort.

Until the new marketing plan unfolds, we will continue to promote Pekin’s assets to potential new residents through our website and direct mail response.

Hanna Drive Officially Opens
The Hanna Drive extension was officially opened on December 22nd as a large crowd of people gathered for a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The half-mile extension runs east from Riverway Business Park to South 5th Street. Mayor Rusty Dunn, Congressman Aaron Schock, and State Senator Dave Koehler all spoke about the significance of the road. A diverse group of chamber, business and community leaders joined with members of the Pekin City Council and city staff for the ribbon cutting. The economic potential of this half-mile extension is huge, as it provides access to an additional 230 acres in Riverway Business Park. This has been one of the many projects on the monthly agenda of the chamber’s transportation committee.

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