Richmond.com Press Release

June 11, 2007

Coupon Program Evolves - My Richmond Region Rewards easy to love, easy to use

Richmond, VA - The My Richmond Region Rewards program, which promotes local attractions, shops, restaurants and hotels to the 5.5 million annual visitors to the Region who spend approximately $1.65 billion, has evolved from a card program into a more streamlined coupon program.

As part of the official Richmond Region Web site, www.visit.richmond.com, www.MyRichmondRegion.com offers a variety of options to potential visitors. While planning their trip online, visitors can save the Rewards coupons that interest them to their own personal account. Visitors can then print out their coupons and bring them to the Richmond Region. In addition, visitors who sign up for the program will receive promotional e-mails with customized offers and information that suits their profile.

“In the first phase of the program, we distributed nearly 200,000 rewards cards,” said Katherine O’Donnell, RMCVB director of marketing. “And in a recent RMCVB visitor conversion study, visitors gave the program high marks. So we know the interest is there.”

According to Forrester Research, by 2010 approximately 9 in 10 travelers will conduct their search and trip planning via the Internet.

“The switch over to coupons is making the program simpler for the merchants while continuing to offer visitors the value they desire,” O’Donnell said.

The offers are printed on the coupons, so frontline staff no longer has to memorize the offer. Merchants are provided with envelopes to mail in the coupons for processing, which will provide excellent tracking as well as eliminate the need for card readers.

In addition to increased exposure to potential visitors, merchants who participate in the program have a chance to win a free billboard. Each quarter the best performing merchant in the program will be recognized on a billboard located in the Richmond Region. To be considered for the award, merchants must keep their coupon offers current and return redeemed coupons in the provided envelope to Richmond.com who will then announce the quarterly winner. Merchants who post coupons will also be included on the Richmond.com coupon channel targeting residents, which receives an average of 18,000 page views per month.

Merchants interested in participating may contact Richmond.com at 355-4500 or sales@richmond.com.

The program is a partnership between the RMCVB, Richmond.com, Retail Merchants Association, the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and Lamar Advertising.