Northwest suburbs star in new promo video

Though aimed at business travelers, a new promotional video from the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau makes the Northwest suburbs look like a fun recreational destination where even residents might want to plan a vacation.

The humorous scenario in which the five-minute video takes place involves the anxious meeting planner "Cooper" under orders from his boss to find an ideal conference location quickly.

Returning to his desk, he finds a copy of the convention bureau's visitor guide in a drawer. Flipping through it, he finds "Page," a bureau employee in a photograph who steps right off the page to serve as his guide.

The video then features many locations familiar to area residents. Schaumburg's Medieval Times and Legoland Discovery Center, Arlington Heights' Arlington Park racetrack and Itasca's Eaglewood Resort and Spa are among the places that seem particularly appealing in the course of Cooper and Page's quick visits.

Because of the way marketing is changing, it was particularly important for the convention bureau to not just make a video but one that's eye-catching and memorable, President Dave Parulo said.

"Videos are becoming very, very important as a way of driving content," he said. "The initial idea for doing something that stands out came from feedback from our sales managers."

Some videos they'd seen from other convention bureaus at regional conferences just weren't that engaging, Parulo explained.

His bureau hired Rockit Projects Inc. - with studios in Chicago and Lombard - to realize and improve upon the initial concept. Local actors David Elliott and Kate Brown, who've performed at such venues as Metropolis in Arlington Heights, were hired to play Cooper and Page.

"We always strive to keep Illinois money in Illinois," he said of the importance of finding local talent on both sides of the camera.

The initial video is intended to be a general overview of the bureau's territory. But the adventures of Cooper and Page will continue in yet-to-come breakout videos that look specifically at dining options, attractions and meeting venues.

The video is at the bureau's website and on YouTube, and the hope is to get it in front of out-of-town meeting planners through DVDs distributed at industry conferences and in promotional packets, Parulo said.