COMMUNITY TOURISM CONFERENCE SET THURSDAY

The Southeast Missouri State University College of Health and Human Services and the Tourism Advisory Council of Southeast Missouri are co-sponsoring Show Me the Money, a community tourism conference, on Thursday at Osage Community Centre.

The conference will feature speakers from around the nation who are experts in the area of heritage tourism. The program will emphasize how Cape Girardeau can benefit from heritage tourism.

Heritage tourism involves historic sites and cultural attractions.

After a half-hour registration period at 8:30 a.m., Jacqueline Evans of QUIE Consultants Inc. will deliver "This Is Cultural Heritage Tourism." The presentation will focus on the economic benefits of cultural heritage tourism.

At 10 a.m., Dr. Darrel Bigham, director of Historic Southern Indiana, will deliver "A Regional Perspective: An Approach to Cultural Heritage Tourism Development." The presentation will focus on the benefits of a regional tourism center.

At 11 a.m., Dan Kidd, Heritage and Cultural Tourism coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Travel, will deliver "Marketing Cultural Diversity." Kidd will draw on experiences and insights from the Kentucky tourism campaign.

At noon there will be a one-hour lunch break, followed by "Tourism At Its Best--This is Missouri Tourism."

Glenn Weaver, director of Missouri University's Tourism Research and Development Center. Weaver will provide insight into Missouri's tourism industry, including programs available and in use by local communities.

At 1:45 p.m., Ray Bryant, director of the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Center, will deliver "Rural Initiatives."

The presentation will address the mission and initiatives of the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Center and tourism development of small, rural communities of the Mississippi Delta.

At 2:15 p.m., Evans will present "Putting It All Together," a wrap-up and breakout session to discuss the potential of cultural heritage tourism developed in the Southeast Missouri region.

Persons wishing to attend should send their name, address and the name of their organization, along with a $10 registration fee, to the Tourism Advisory Council of Southeast Missouri, 1021 Kingsway Suite 6, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701.

For more information, contact Gregory Williams, executive director for the Regional Commerce and Growth Association, at 1-800-837-7242.