Visitors now have something else to “love” about Caesars Virginia.
On Wednesday, the casino resort dedicated its new sign, which is situated between the Three Sisters, the iconic smokestacks that remain on the property of what was once the Schoolfield Mill for Dan River Inc.
With the commonwealth’s tourism tagline of “Virginia is for lovers,” the network of larger letters lures travelers to seek out the so-called Loveworks creations. In doing so, they not only snap a selfie, but they also visit a new destination.
Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, said there’s a Facebook network of about 15,000 people to traverse the state to see the more than 370 creations.
It’s billed as one of the top conferences for the tourism and hospitality industry in Virginia.
“It’s all about love today,” Chris Albrecht, senior vice president and general manager of Caesars Virginia, said, standing in front of the sign.
“When I first came here and we were working on our project and constantly meeting with the city to go over our vision, our project, it kinda kept getting loosely mentioned to me that maybe you might want to add a love sign to your project.”
Albrecht kept it in the back of his mind. After they worked through the process of opening the casino and conference center, he circled back to the idea.
“We have this iconic view now with the Three Sisters and our hotel tower; they are truly the skyline you see coming from all areas to get here,” he said of the sights visible throughout the city.
The gold letters are covered in simulated grass, giving a nod to the landscape as a backdrop. At 8 feet, the “L” stands the tallest of all four letters. The sign measures 25 feet across.
The “O” was the perfect spot for the Caesars logo, with a head of the famous Roman emperor with a laurel wreath on his head.
“We really put this in place as a symbol of our deep commitment to tourism in the region,” Sean Logue, vice president of marketing for Caesars Virginia, said Wednesday.
“Love really represents more than a word,” he continued. “It reflects our partnership and passion that really make this a destination for visitors near and far.”
After the official ribbon-cutting tribute, the sign became a quick backdrop for those attending to stand either beside or in front of to have a photo snapped.
That’s exactly what people like Lisa Meriwether, tourism manager with the Danville Office of Economic Development & Tourism, are hoping.
It was 30 months ago that the Visit SoSi regional tourism brand launched a week ahead of the opening of a temporary casino housed in a gigantic tent-like structure while the full resort was under construction.
“Seems like just yesterday,” Meriwether said of the brand that’s a play on words, “so much to do, so much to see” and Southside.
The casino is expected to bring up to 2 million visitors to the region each year. As an example, 500 were arriving on Wednesday for the three-day conference.
“They will be spilling out into our restaurants, our retail shops, enjoying the many great assets here at Casears Virginia,” she said, warning residents that if they see an increase in traffic, that’s why.
Last year, the Danville and Pittsylvania County region earned the designation of being the state’s fastest-growing destination for tourism in the commonwealth.
“The spirit of the Lovework is all about connecting people, doing the things they love with the people they love,” McClenny said. “And repeating it and sharing it.”
Read the original article here (Charles Wilborn, Danville Register & Bee)