Lee Sentell
State takes themed approach to tourism
By Kym Klass
October 9, 2007 – Montgomery Advertiser
The more Lee Sentell can educate the 4.5 million people who live in Alabama about sites worth visiting, the better ambassadors they will be for their own state.
His push as the state's tourism director is to make sure Alabamians know enough about the state outside of their immediate area.
While Sentell considers the Gulf Shores the southern anchor for the state and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center as a northern anchor, he focuses much of his campaigns on themes: arts, food, the outdoors. And in 2008, not only is the focus on sports, but the state is branding itself with a high-profile phrase -- Sweet Home Alabama.
The themed approach has helped the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel receive the Southeast Tourism Society's award for best state tourism for three of the past four years.
The recognition is impressive, but not as impressive as the results. The honors have come as tourism and travel to the state have increased by 34 percent. That increase, during the past four years, comes to an average of 8.5 percent per year. State tourism officials estimate that 24.5 million people will visit the state this year, spending more than $9 billion.
"We have the smallest, or the next to the smallest, advertising budget in the South," Sentell said. "So we don't have enough money to simultaneously run image advertising plus advertising of specific destinations.
"So we just go for specifics, such as our beaches, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, destination hotels and then the more local venues such as food, art and soon-to-be sports destinations."
In the tourism industry for more than two decades, Sentell's vision coming in as the state's tourism director was to try to provide some continuity and give people specific reasons to visit Alabama.
He said that when you go to Texas, you know that Texans are fiercely supportive of their home state, and he hopes Alabamians are becoming the same way.
His retail background gives his strategies to popularize sites in the state a sharper focus. The annual themes he uses to promote the state have two targets: Alabamians and other residents of the Southeast -- the neighboring states that Sentell said provide the bulk of Alabama's visitors.
"These themes that we have been doing in recent years -- like focusing on food, the outdoors, the arts, and next year on sports -- are designed to educate people that what is in their own backyard is valid as a means of attracting tourists," he said.
The approach has brought attention to art galleries and individual artists, including folk art sculptor Charlie Lucas and Dothan artist Dale Kennington. It also has showcased restaurants with the state's list of "100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die."
"When we came up with our lists of themes several years ago, the list was greatly influenced by topics that newspapers cover," said Sentell, who wrote the book "The Best of Alabama: A Guide to Attractions, Lodgings, Restaurants & Events."
"One subject people identify with our state is sports, especially football. And I think the fact that my first job was at a daily newspaper in northern Alabama made me feel that local papers and travel writers would support our campaigns."
When the state produced the "100 Dishes," it prompted most newspapers in the state to run features on the restaurants, and tell their readers that Alabama believes the restaurants and dishes are important.
"This is a fundamental shift in the way that state tourism offices operate," Sentell said. "I'm not going to say that we have invented something others haven't done, but the fact that we have won regional and national awards makes me think we have just done it better."
And the ideas, and different ways of doing things, continue.
The state will tag its television commercials with Sweet Home Alabama. It will be used as an informal nickname for the state. The logo will be used in magazine ads, and for the first time, the state will sell merchandise with caps and T-shirts and other apparel at the Capitol and the governor's mansion gift shops.
"I think branding the state with a high profile phrase, such as Sweet Home Alabama, is going to raise the visibility of our state simply because that song is everywhere," Sentell said. "We spent a couple of years thinking of this phrase.
" 'American Idol,' and the 2002 movie 'Sweet Home Alabama' really have moved the awareness of this song and phrase to a much higher level. For 'American Idol,' two winners (Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks) and a runner-up (Bo Bice) are from here. Bo Bice made that his anthem."
In 2009, the state is partnering with the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Department of Archives and History to celebrate the year of Alabama history to promote state and local museums and festivals.
SENTELL: A LOOK BACKBetween 1991 to 2002, he served as director of tourism for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau in north Alabama
Served for 10 years as director of marketing for the U.S. Space & Rocket Center where he directed a staff of 30 and a marketing budget of $3 million. He also established the marketing programs for the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Space Camp-Florida near Kennedy Space Center and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
Was the first paid tourism staff member ever hired by the Decatur Chamber of Commerce
Worked for 12 years as a reporter, business editor and city editor at The Decatur Daily, a family-owned newspaper in north Alabama
Was inducted into the Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame in 2000 and has past service as president of the Alabama Travel Council and as chairman of the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel Advisory Board
Graduated from Auburn University where he studied communications and served as managing editor of the campus newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman
WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT SENTELLGov. Bob Riley: "What (Sentell) has done for Alabama tourism is truly remarkable. I don't know of anybody that has done more to help the economy of Alabama. When you are considered the best in the nation, we need to celebrate that. When you win the Southeastern award as the best tourism department for the last three of four years in all the Southern states ... we're saying thank you."
Frances Smiley, Alabama's Welcome Center coordinator, who has worked in the tourism office for 30 years:
"Lee has taken us to a whole new level, and we have passed into markets that we never thought were really even possible. Our campaigns have embraced the whole state. I think many people thought of Alabama as a state that they would pass through. We're no longer a pass-through state. We are now a destination state. These campaigns we've had the last five years have certainly brought us to the forefront."
Ed Hall, state tourism director under Gov. George Wallace, who now lives and works in Manchester, N.Y.:
"I think all of us who live in Alabama know of its beauty, warmth and the hospitality of its people," he said. "Sometimes that message is not known outside our border, and I think (Sentell) has opened that door. He has given us a chance to tell our story on a national and international stage, and that's a great accomplishment."
(Editor's Comment: It certainly looks like Lee has been busy and has distinguished himself in his service to the state of Alabama. Way to go Lee!)