FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:  Heather Allebaugh, (407) 246 - 3423

The City of Orlando and Downtown Development Board Partners with Orlando Magic and Cox Radio on Downtown Decorating
Contest for the NBA Finals

Orlando, FL – The City of Orlando and the Downtown Development Board (DDB) announced Tuesday, June 9th that they are partnering with the Orlando Magic and Cox Radio to further enhance the NBA Finals experience for local business establishments and the community at large. Downtown businesses are being encouraged to showcase their community spirit and pride for the hometown team through the following actions:

• Lighting: replace exterior and interior establishment lighting blue in honor of the Orlando Magic.
  • Businesses already committed to participating: Dynatech, The Vue, and OUC - Reliable Plaza
• Window Decoration: decorate establishment windows with messages of encouragement for the hometown team, team colors and artwork.
• Exterior/Interior Decoration: decorate establishments internally and externally in the most appropriate, unique fashion for your establishment.
• Chalk Art in Front of Main Entrance: Businesses are encouraged to decorate the sidewalks in front of their main entrance with unique artwork in Orlando Magic colors utilizing chalk. Please take pictures documenting this artwork and turn this into the Downtown Development Board via Amber Mundinger, amber.mundinger@downtownorlando.com
• Staff: Encouraging staff to wear Magic colors throughout the work day if appropriate.

Each business that participates will be entered into a drawing to win a suite for their business to attend one of next season’s regular season games. Cox Radio will assist in facilitation of overall promotion of the contest.

This is one of numerous efforts the DDB and has been working on in conjunction with the City of Orlando and the Orlando Magic to further showcase Downtown Orlando, the Orlando Magic and business establishments in the area to a national audience. “We are extremely proud of what this team has accomplished and how its strength has brought the community together. This is definitely about community spirit, but even more importantly it’s about economic impact to the businesses in the area, specifically the Downtown core, and the Orlando Magic have provided that to us through their excellence in this sport,” stated Thomas Chatmon, Executive Director of the Downtown Development Board.

Economic conditions now necessitate innovative, creative and effective marketing efforts to remain viable. The mission of the Orlando Downtown Development Board is to strengthen the role of Downtown Orlando as the economic, governmental and cultural center of Central Florida. The DDB is responsible for the planning, implementation and administration of the City's core area redevelopment and development program. For more information on the DDB please visit www.downtownorlando.com .

#######