Agency that promoted Reno seen getting Henderson work
The Henderson City Council will vote Tuesday on a contract that could pay nearly $2 million to the marketing agency that gave Reno a glistening “Next Silicon Valley” image.
With the four-year agreement with the Reno-based Abbi Agency, city officials hope to attract industries and highlight the city’s positive qualities.
“In Reno, the Abbi Agency was part of the team that helped to change the conversation around the city and its offerings and that is what they will bring to this economic development campaign,” Henderson spokesman David Cherry said in an email. “They have also worked on tourism issues, which remain a key area of focus for the city, and they bring a high level of creativity and enthusiasm coupled with a strategic approach when it comes to creating marketing campaigns that are designed to deliver results.”
The City Council is expected to approve the agreement with the Abbi Agency, which beat out nine other firms. Abbi Whitaker, co-founder and president of the agency, called the partnership a great match, due to the agency’s “innovative approach.”
“The Abbi Agency has created multiple mirco-campaigns for destinations in the past and believes that this approach will be important in meeting the goals of the city,” Whitaker said in an email.
Whitaker added that she will work with city staff, elected officials and the community to research what differentiates Henderson from other cities, specifically regional competitors like Southern California, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Denver, Cherry said.
The contract expires Dec. 31, 2021, although the city can extend it up to four years.
“We see our job as working with the city and community members to not change what Henderson is, but dive deep and determine the attributes and messages that meet target audiences and companies,” Whitaker said.
The city of Reno, the Reno-sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, the University of Nevada, Reno and the Regional Transportation Commission combined to pay $110,000 to the Abbi Agency, the Reno Gazette-journal reported in July.
Henderson’s planned partnership with the Abbi Agency comes on the heels of its firing of a marketing information officer, public relations coordinator and public information officer to reduce costs, Cherry said. Those positions cost the city at least $333,000 in combined annual salary.
The city has a public affairs department of 29 people, but Cherry said most of the employees have no role in marketing.
Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@ reviewjournal.com or 702-3834686. Follow @Journalismsandy on Twitter.
But in Southern Nevada, the flu is spreading at a low to moderate pace compared with the rest of the nation, said Joe Iser, the health district’s chief health officer.
“Every year is just a little bit different,” he said.
Once temperatures start to drop, people start spending more time indoors with the windows closed, which can lead to higher rates of sickness.
The flu vaccine can help mitigate the spread of illness. Once administered, the shot takes about two weeks to become effective, Iser said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone older than 6 months get the shot. Adults older than 65, children younger than 5, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk of suffering complications because of the flu.
“It’s never too late (to get vaccinated), honestly,” Iser said, “But certainly up through February, it’s still OK.”
He recommended that people cover their faces when they cough or sneeze and wash their hands frequently.
“Just try to be careful of what you touch and when you touch it,” Iser said.
And if you’re sick, stay home, he added.
It’s still too early to tell whether this season’s flu vaccine will be effective. Usually, it will reduce the risk of getting sick by 40 to 60 percent, the CDC reports, but efficacy varies year to year.
Peak flu season varies depending on where in the country one resides. In Southern Nevada, it’s usually between January and February.