Local company makes 3-year proposal to promote Yorkville
By Steve Lord slord@stmedianetwork.com August 30, 2012 6:26PM
Updated: September 12, 2012 6:51PM
YORKVILLE — A local company says it can promote Yorkville’s attractions at a much lower price than the city now pays for publicity.
The city is considering a proposed five-year extension of its present agreement with the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Yorkville has been a member of the Aurora program since 1987, and sends about $45,000 a year it raises from a tax on hotel and motel rooms to the bureau for promotion of events and attractions.
This week, the owner of a small media company based in Yorkville told the City Council he could do a better job for about 90 percent of that price.
Jason Pesola, owner of the Yorkville-based Pesola Media Group, said between the largest water park in the state (Raging Waves), the nationally recognized whitewater course along the Fox River — which he referred to as “insanely cool” — and other downtown improvements, Yorkville has much to promote.
“If we drive this right, we could become one of the largest destination sites in the western suburbs,” he said.
Pesola said his company can give the city more “Yorkville-centered” public relations, using an interactive website and more social media sites like Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.
Online and mobile communications are becoming more important, he said, noting that many people now use handheld devices to quickly search for a destination.
“We’re trying to take this more electronic,” he said. “We need to think about the future, the way people work now.”
Pesola proposed a three-year contract, two less than the city’s proposed five-year re-up with the tourism bureau. Aldermen already told Chris Hamilton, Aurora tourism bureau director, that they are unlikely to sign up for another five years.
The Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau represents Aurora, Batavia, Big Rock, Hinckley, Montgomery, North Aurora, Plano, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Yorkville.
