Close Encounters of the MLE Kind

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)----LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau today announced the installation of ten (10) "see my LA" poster boards in five of the Metro Red Line subway stations throughout Los Angeles. The new boards show off the images and quotes of celebrities who promote their favorite aspect of Los Angeles. The program is an initiative designed to welcome tourists to the City while encouraging them to use Metro public transportation to access the many things to see and do when they visit the nation's second largest city. LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau is also promoting the city's new, official visitor information website on all the boards, www.seemyla.com.

"No city on earth is home to so many celebrities," said Mark Liberman, president & CEO of LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This is a distinction that speaks volumes about our community. We are so grateful to all those who have allowed us to use their image and ideas on behalf of each of us who live and work in LA. We have integrated the "see my LA" message in all of our domestic and international marketing channels. Now we are able to extend this message to promote public transportation as a reliable and fun way for visitor to access our great city."

The new "see my LA" boards will hang in five of the stations until the end of the summer: (1) Union Station/Gateway Transit Center; (2) Civic Center; (3) 7th Street/Metro Center.; (4) Hollywood/Highland; and (5) Universal City. Each station contains two (2) boards that are strategically placed for maximum visibility.

"Visitors are often surprised to discover that they can get from Downtown to Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley via subway," said Warren Morse, Deputy Executive Officer of Communications for Metro. "This new marketing initiative with LA INC. allows us to promote many of the interesting aspects of Los Angeles and encourages visitors to go Metro during their visit."

LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau has employed the help of over thirty-five (35) celebrities and icons from the film, television, sports, culinary and cultural arenas as part of the "see my LA" campaign in order to promote Los Angeles as a premier visitor destination.

LA INC. has promoted Metro in its messaging to visitors with a particular emphasis on the $3 Metro Day Pass, which allows visitors to access all public transportation across the city for one low daily price.

Many of LA's most popular sights of interest can be accessed by the Metro Red Line, including Union Station, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the Music Center (including Walt Disney Concert Hall), MOCA, the Pantages Theater, Hollywood & Highland, the Kodak(R) Theater, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios Hollywood, and the NoHo Arts District. Metro Local and Rapid service and Metro Rail also connect travelers to every corner of Los Angeles County, making it easy to get around without a car.

The "see my LA" campaign was originally launched with the help of now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now includes the faces and quotes of popular celebrities and LA icons such as Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Diane Keaton, Jamie Lee Curtis, LeAnn Rimes, Oscar De La Hoya, Melissa Etheridge, Nancy O'Dell, Wolfgang Puck and many more. Celebrities have donated the use of their image on a pro-bono basis as a way to stimulate the tourism industry and give back to the city they call home.

LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau is a private, not-for-profit business association dedicated to marketing the city of Los Angeles as the premier destination for meetings, conventions and leisure travel. Though not part of city government, LA INC. is recognized as the city's official tourism marketing organization.

For more information, please visit www.seemyla.com.

LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau Chris Heywood, (213) 236-2366 cheywood@lainc.us