(July 21, 2016) Ivy Wells has a message for Pokémon Go fans: come to Berlin.
The Economic and Community Development Director said the town is promoting itself as an epicenter for catching pocket monsters while playing the ubiquitous app.
Wells began a social media push over the weekend, as signs went up around town on Monday encouraging visitors to “catch them all.”
“Everyone’s talking about it and on Main Street and downtown and everywhere – even at Burley Oak – I see people walking around with their phones and hunting Pokémon,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure that people knew Berlin is a hotspot – we’re a great hunting ground.”
Wells said reaction to the campaign has been slightly mixed on social media.
“Someone commented, ‘don’t encourage the idiots,’ but it’s all in good fun,” she said. “It encourages people to get out and walk around, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If it puts smiles on people’s faces, what could be so wrong?”
Along with encouraging people to visit the shops downtown, she said the phenomenon has drawn people to Berlin parks, many of whom had never been there before.
“A lot of people are going to Stephen Decatur Park and they never really knew the significance of the anchor there. Now they’re all going, and maybe it was Pokémon that lured them there. But guess what – they learned something too,” she said.
Wells is also promoting the town’s part in the statewide Buy Local Challenge. Anyone who visits a shop, restaurant or farmer’s market during the week of July 23-31 is encouraged to take a photo of a locally made or prepared product or agricultural item, then tag and upload it on the Berlin Buys Local Challenge Contest event on the Town of Berlin Facebook page.
Each photo counts as an entry for a drawing to win a basket of gift cards and locally made products.
“It’s a statewide initiative, and I decided to do it Berlin-style,” Wells said. “There are so many places downtown that offer things that are actually made here. There’s clothing and jewelry and art, and I believe that we have more local food markets than a lot of other small towns do.
“The state is trying to promote farmer’s markets, but I took it a step further and turned it into ‘buying local’ means anything made locally,” Wells added.
The winner will be announced on the last day of the challenge.
The Economic and Community Development Director said the town is promoting itself as an epicenter for catching pocket monsters while playing the ubiquitous app.
Wells began a social media push over the weekend, as signs went up around town on Monday encouraging visitors to “catch them all.”
“Everyone’s talking about it and on Main Street and downtown and everywhere – even at Burley Oak – I see people walking around with their phones and hunting Pokémon,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure that people knew Berlin is a hotspot – we’re a great hunting ground.”
Wells said reaction to the campaign has been slightly mixed on social media.
“Someone commented, ‘don’t encourage the idiots,’ but it’s all in good fun,” she said. “It encourages people to get out and walk around, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If it puts smiles on people’s faces, what could be so wrong?”
Along with encouraging people to visit the shops downtown, she said the phenomenon has drawn people to Berlin parks, many of whom had never been there before.
“A lot of people are going to Stephen Decatur Park and they never really knew the significance of the anchor there. Now they’re all going, and maybe it was Pokémon that lured them there. But guess what – they learned something too,” she said.
Wells is also promoting the town’s part in the statewide Buy Local Challenge. Anyone who visits a shop, restaurant or farmer’s market during the week of July 23-31 is encouraged to take a photo of a locally made or prepared product or agricultural item, then tag and upload it on the Berlin Buys Local Challenge Contest event on the Town of Berlin Facebook page.
Each photo counts as an entry for a drawing to win a basket of gift cards and locally made products.
“It’s a statewide initiative, and I decided to do it Berlin-style,” Wells said. “There are so many places downtown that offer things that are actually made here. There’s clothing and jewelry and art, and I believe that we have more local food markets than a lot of other small towns do.
“The state is trying to promote farmer’s markets, but I took it a step further and turned it into ‘buying local’ means anything made locally,” Wells added.
The winner will be announced on the last day of the challenge.