A rosy proposition

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Rose Bowl courtship has begun.

Over the next few months, the alumni of college football’s crowning

universities will be the target of Rosalind Williams’ alluring arrows.

The president of Newport’s Conference and Visitors Bureau has been

sending a lot of gifts to the alumni associations of Pacific-10 and Big

10 universities lately -- red roses, poetry and enticing puzzle pieces

that will eventually “form a pictorial image of all things fabulous about

Newport.”

Williams hopes to entice the visiting alumni to make Newport their base

during their stay in Southern California for the Jan. 1, 2000 Rose Bowl

game, which will feature the champions of the Big 10 and PAC-10

conferences.

“It’s great business for Newport,” said Williams. “It comes at a time

when the hotels, restaurants and shops are empty. If we keep the hotels

busy, everyone in the town benefits.”

Over the past four years, Williams has strategized and laid the

groundwork to snare the alumni groups.

The bureau has twice been successful, Williams said triumphantly.

The University of Michigan and Northwestern University each have come to

Newport after winning the Big 10 title and a bid to play in the Rose

Bowl.

Last year, Newport missed out on the lucrative business because

University of Wisconsin alumni had long planned to stay in Los Angeles.

Wisconsin’s opponent was UCLA.

Every year, the bureau’s marketing campaign changes. This year, in

addition to roses and poetry, the bureau hired a plane to fly a banner

over last weekend’s critical Big 10 game between archrivals Michigan and

Michigan State. The message read: “Think Rose Bowl, think Newport.”

The bureau plans to repeat the flight this weekend over two equally

important Big 10 matchups: the Penn State-Ohio State game and the

Michigan State-Purdue game.

ROMANCING THE ROSE

A sample of the poetry sent to universities considered to be Rose Bowl

contenders by the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau:

o7 Our sunshine and central location,

Make Newport Beach the best destination.

The major attractions are within easy reach,

Disneyland, Knott’s, and of course, the beach!

The Rose Bowl is 56 miles up Highway 405

By bus or by car -- an easy drive.

Come for the game, but stay to vacation,

Take in all the sights and recreation.

Or simply relax -- get away from it all,

Whatever you choose, you’ll have a ball!

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