Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Deirdra L. Picou (212) 788-2971
"I'm pleased to join you today for the opening luncheon of the 55th Annual Conference of the National Association For Membership Development," said Mayor Giuliani. "You come from cities and towns all over America. But no matter what size your home town is, I think you're going to feel right at home in New York. Because New York is really a City of many small towns we call neighborhoods. Each of our neighborhoods is different and unique. Each has its own traditions, culture, customs and character. We are home to over 200 different national and ethnic groups."
The Mayor continued, "And many of our neighborhoods have their own chambers of commerce. As members on the NAMD, you know from personal experience the local chambers and visitors bureaus are vitally important in shaping the image of a town or city. Our own New York Visitors and Convention Bureau does a wonderful job promoting New York City."
"However, we still hear outdated perceptions about New York City," the Mayor added. "So let me set the record straight by saying that today New York is just about the safest big city in America. Over the past two and a half years, we have experienced historic drops in crime. In fact, compared with 1993, serious crime in New York is down 36 percent. Our subways, our streets, our parks and neighborhoods are the safest they've been in a generation. This sense of security has sparked a new spirit and a new vitality among New Yorkers and visitors."
"Combined with lower taxes, the drop in crime has had a dramatic effect on our business community," the Mayor continued. "More companies are staying here and moving here -- preserving almost 47,000 jobs and creating almost 100,000 new jobs. Visitors are coming to New York in record numbers and we work hard to welcome them. We reduced the hotel occupancy tax, which used to be the highest in the nation, and visitors are responding. Last year over 25 million visitors came to New York City."
"Those of you who work for a Chamber of Commerce will appreciate the fact that last year visitors to New York City spent over $12 billion here --with a total economic impact of $16 billion. And this year looks even brighter. So by holding your annual conference in New York City, you are in very good company," the Mayor concluded.
The NAMD Conference is designed to provide educational programs on the latest technologies. The Conference's goal is to explore new opportunities, revitalize and build skills to improve sales management and techniques, goal setting, customer relations and use of volunteers. This conference will draw over 500 delegates from across the nation.