Sacramento Visitor's Bureau Ad Campaign Targets LGBT Community
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Crews have shut down several blocks around the state capitol to prepare for the 31st Annual Sacramento Pride Festival.
The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau says the LGBT community in general has a spending capacity of almost $800 billion. So to get a piece of that for Sacramento would be great. And it's already seeing some success with its new ad campaign.
RELATED: Sacramento LGBT Pride Festival Guide
It's a photo that's making its way into magazines and online showing a lesbian couple with their kids in Sacramento.
The message: This is a city with open arms.
"Sacramento welcomes everyone!" said Sonya Bradley, a Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau spokesperson.
It's just part of the bureau's new ad campaign that's targeting members of the LGBT community.
"As more and more states pass same sex-marriage laws, certainly more people feel comfortable traveling more with their families. And that's a big part of the LGBT market, the feeling of welcoming," said Bradley.
And family-friendly events including Sacramento Pride, which takes place Saturday, provide another opportunity to showcase to visitors what the capital city has to offer.
It's not just restaurants like Il Fornaio on Capitol Mall that are excited about the crowds.
"We're expecting a lot of people here, a lot of people having fun. We're expecting a lot of people coming in for refreshments," said Il Fornaio's Assistant General Manager Dan Raymond.
People who live here say Pride Fest is a chance to show off pride for their city. And the more visitors, the better.
Crews set up for tomorrow's @SacPride on Capitol Mall. @CBSSacramento will have more on what to expect. #Pride pic.twitter.com/EeCQFejE78
— Denise Wong (@denisewongtv) June 5, 2015
"It's opening up the doors for Sacramento to grow and be more noticed," said Chris Hedding, a Sacramento resident.
The convention and visitors bureau is focusing the new LGBT-focused ads on the Bay Area market since it's within driving distance. It says the ads have already produced a surge in interest.
Since that ad campaign launched in April, the convention and visitors bureau says it has seen a spike in its online traffic on the LGBT portion of its website. Traffic has gone up there 25 percent.