Vows to Stress Southland’s Global Appeal : Veteran Booster Heads L.A. Tourism Bureau

For Los Angeles’ latest official booster, the task is obvious: Faced with slight declines in tourism and convention business and a local image that needs some polishing, “the sizzle will be back in sales,” said Bill F. Miller, new executive vice president of the Greater Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Bureau.

That means change for the nonprofit organization, which receives about two-thirds of its funds from the City of Los Angeles. A restless membership, a city-ordered audit of the bureau and Miller’s arrival in July have led to an internal reorganization, a reallocation of financial resources to emphasize marketing and a winnowing of the board of directors from 125 to 45.

Unlike 10 years ago, “now members of bureaus and associations expect constant communication, good leadership and a good return on their membership investment,” said the 45-year-old Miller, a veteran of tourism and convention bureaus in Long Beach, Phoenix, Denver and Houston.

“The bureau had become fairly uncommunicative with its members,” composed of about 1,000 businesses in the tourism and convention industry, he said. “Businesses began asking questions.”

After reading the recommendations in the audit report, completed earlier this year, “I found them to be elementary,” said Miller, the organization’s top staff member. “I was surprised the bureau hadn’t looked at them in the past.”

Miller was named to his job in June, replacing James W. Hurst. Hurst could not be reached for comment.

Now that the internal reorganization under four new vice presidents has begun, Miller said the staff will focus on how best to market Los Angeles to the world, including developing a new advertising campaign along the lines of the wildly successful “I Love New York” campaign.

“The world has heard trickles of bad news about Los Angeles,” Miller said. “You have freeway shootings, gangs, smog and traffic . . . (but) I think the world still has a fascination with Los Angeles.

“This spring the world will see a new look, a new image for Los Angeles,” he said. “There are other areas more active in convention and tourism marketing and they’re chipping away at our growth.”

Tourism took a slight dip in Los Angeles County this year, according to bureau statistics. In the first eight months of the year, 33.9 million tourists visited the area, down from 35.6 million in the same period last year. Spending edged up to $9.38 billion from $9.26 billion.

Convention business slipped for the 12 months ended July 30. During fiscal 1987-88, Los Angeles attracted 860,400 convention delegates, down 6.4% from the previous fiscal year. The convention delegates spent an estimate $407 million, down 7.3%.

A bureau spokesperson said the downturn represented a slowdown in convention business nationwide that reflected economic and political concerns. For fiscal 1988-89, the bureau is projecting that attendance will increase to 882,100 and spending will rise to $418 million.