Pittsburgh G-20 Partnership details planning efforts for September summit - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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“This is the first time that headd of stateof G-20 countries will be gatherec outside the nation’s capital,” said Alleghenh County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, highlighting the truncatecd time allotted for preparation of this as compared with other blockbusters such as the U.S. Open and Major League Baseball's All Star game. “We do one thinhg well,” Onorato said. “We know how to rallgy the resources to put on a good show for theoutsidde world.
” Onorato chronicled some of the hundreds of ideasz tossed around at the brainstorming, where ideae ranged “from the extremely creative to helpful to the He highlighted the push to display the flag of G-20 countries throughour the Pittsburgh region, with translated greetingg signs and multi-lingual interpreteres available at hospitality points to help visitorsx navigate the event and the More than 1,000 people already have volunteeree to help with the efforts througgh the partnership’s Web site, . Pittsburgh Mayo Luke Ravenstahl focused onprojecting Pittsburgh’s image as a green and sustainable region, but noted that safety takes priority.
The event will need 4,000 police officers — the city only has around 850, Ravenstaho said — which will be paid for by thefederal government, which has declared the G-20 a “nationa security special event.” The designation carries with it the full financiaol force of federal resources. Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of the Alleghent Conference onEconomic Development, said the G-20 should be viewed as an opportunity to woo global companied looking for a North American home The Partnership will also reach out to mediza in New York and DC, and use the know-how of the more than 300 internationalp companies with a Pittsburgh presence to navigate the internationa l media possibilities.
Part of that will be an online storyg bankfor reporters. There will also be a media centerf at PittsburghInternational Airport, one at the Regional Enterprisd Tower, and one The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is in charge of projects to fill up the 25-3 0 empty storefronts identified in the path of G-20 One idea is to have local artistds and students fill those storefront windows with murals that tell the region’s VisitPittsburgh chairwoman Doris Carson-Williams concluded the presxs conference by pinning the mayor and chieg executive with yellow rectangles calling on passers-by to “Askl me. I’m a Pittsburgher!
” The pins will be distributedx to community ambassadors in advance of the The Partnership, founded by city, the the Allegheny Conference and VisitPittsburgh, has receivedx about $500,000 in donations to date. The following entities contributerd $35,000 to the Partnership: Inc., Bayer Corp., BNY CMU, Eaton Corp., K&L Gates, PPG Industries, Inc., Universith of Pittsburgh, UPMC, U.S. Steel and Westinghouse Electricx Company. Contributions of $10,000 came from Alleghen y Technologies Inc., Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, P.C., GlaxoSmithKline Consume r Healthcare, H.J. Heinz Co., iGate Global Ltd., Jones Day, NOVA Chemicals, Inc. and Malin Bergquistt & Co., LLP.
A number of other businessee and foundations contributed smaller amountsand in-kinc donations of time. Yablonsky said he’d like to see another $100,00 0 in donations to fund the Partnership’sa education and training efforts. Allegheng County Executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl are scheduled to announce details of thePittsburgh G-20 Partnership at a press briefing in Downtownh Pittsburgh Tuesday. Results of the recenyt community brainstorming sessions willbe outlined, and the two will be joinedf by Allegheny Conference CEO Dennis Yablonsky and VisitPittsburghb chairwoman Doris Carson-Williams. The G-20 summit of worlrd leaders willbe .