Back in 2007, I had garnered the contract for the Newport BayClub and they made me Sales Director. They wanted us to compete with my old employers at Wyndham for "Off Property Contacts". If you've been on vacation in a resort town, these are people who promise Disney passes and the like if you'll just go visit the timeshare.

There was only one problem. They wouldn't give me a budget to attract people. One day while jogging, I ran into a woman, almost literally, who was painting. That gave me an idea. Fans of art never get to see art produced. So I developed Arts on the Plaza.

Artists came in and created. People stopped by and watched the artists. While watching, I could talk about the timeshare opportunities. Sometimes the artist even sold something.

Fast forward a decade. Here in Utica, we had the whole Nano project go upside down. City leaders asked if I could develop an attraction for tourists that would not cost the city any money.

Reaching into my memory. I took Arts on the Plaza and now it is Art on Utica. You can watch it develop at ArtonUtica.wordpress.com - if you click the Memories tab, you'll see some old pictures from the Newport, RI experience.

You never know when an old marketing plan will come in handy again.