NYC & Company Responds to Recession Concerns with Marketing to Encourage Residents to Go Local'

NYC & COMPANY RESPONDS TO INCREASED RECESSION CONCERNS ADDING TAXI CAB COMMERCIALS AND GRASSROOTS MARKETING TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO �GO LOCAL�

Targeted Initiatives Aim to Help NYC Residents Explore One of the World�s Top Travel Destinations During Economic DownturnWeekend of August 8: Highlights Across the Five Boroughs Include Alvin Ailey Block Party, Island Hopping and Nickelodeon Slime Across America 2008 Tour

New York City (August 7, 2008) As rising gas prices and increased economic concerns continue to dominate news headlines, NYC & Company, New York City�s marketing, tourism and partnership organization, today announced the addition of two new initiatives to the �Go Local� campaign, recently announced by Mayor Bloomberg. NYC & Company will be further calling on residents to explore their own backyard via targeted commercials which will appear on the touch screen monitors in the back of New York City taxi cabs, as well as branded �Go Local� promotional materials including beach balls and Frisbees which will be distributed at locations across the City such as New York City parks and beaches advertising the NYC & Company dedicated site nycgo.com/golocal where residents can access weekly itineraries on the top activities taking place across the five boroughs. Additional campaign elements designed to encourage local residents to discover the City�s five boroughs this summer include print advertising, up-to-the-minute online information at and street teams armed with weekly five borough itineraries, �Go Local� stickers and temporary tattoos, deployed at nine locations throughout the City including Grand Central Terminal, Union Square and the Bedford Avenue subway stop in Brooklyn. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will present an all-day outdoor block party on Saturday, August 9 on W. 55th Street in Manhattan. The free event will include free food, dance and drumming classes, as well as free performances from the acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Additional highlights throughout the five boroughs are as follows:ManhattanSummer Fridays provide the perfect opportunity to visit the City�s museums often overlooked by residents. Currently displaying The Horse exhibition, theAmerican Museum of Natural History allows visitors to discover the 50 million-year history of the equine. On Saturday, August 9 from 11am�5pm the 2008 International Yo-Yo Convention which is free to the public, draws yo-yo masters from all over the world to South Street Seaport. BrooklynEvery Saturday the Brooklyn Brewery offers free tours every hour on the hour from noon�5pm, and New Yorkers should take the chance to explore the Williamsburg area before or after learning about the brewery's history and tricks of the trade. In Coney Island on Friday, August 8, at the New York Aquarium, Ira Flatow, host of NPR�s Talk of the Nation: Science Fridays, will present a wacky Coney Island edition of TalkingScience Cabaret followed by fireworks from the Oceanic Deck starting at 9:20pm. The program takes place at the Aquatheater from 7pm�8:30pm and tickets purchased in advance cost $8 or $10 at the door.QueensRenowned as New York City�s most culturally diverse borough, Queens offers a variety of music and dance activities from around the world. On Saturday, August 9 at 2pm, free belly dancing classes will take place with Shoshana, an artist of Middle Eastern dance, along with students from the Shoshana Dance Theater, at Hollis Library, 202-05 Hillside Avenue. Also on Saturday, at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center from 3pm-9pm contemporary, liquid-like dance beats will be played by Mungolian Jet Set featuring DJ Strange Fruit. Staten IslandChildren will especially enjoy the Nickelodeon Slime Across America tour taking place at Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Saturday, August 9 from 2pm. Those with a sense of adventure wishing to stay overnight in Staten Island should consider Family Camping on Saturday, August 9, from 7pm where there will be the opportunity to pitch a tent, build a campfire, and go on a night hike to meet the nocturnal residents of High Rock Park. The BronxOn Sunday, August 10 from 11am, New Yorkers can enjoy Island Hopping from Orchard Beach Nature Center and explore the waters surrounding Pelham Bay Park which are dotted with tiny islands. Wave Hill also offers the chance to enjoy being outdoors while discovering the plant life that covers the borough�s dry surfaces with a Garden Walk: Water-wise Garden Plants on Saturday, August 9 starting at Perkins Visitor Center at 11am.For more information about staying in NYC this summer go to: nycgo.com.

About NYC & CompanyNYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide.

Contacts
Kimberly Spell
NYC & Company
tel 212 484 1270
kspell@nycgo.com