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

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“This is the firsyt time that heads of stateof G-20 countrieas will be gathered outside the nation’es capital,” said Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, highlightiny the truncated time allotted for preparationh of this event, as compared with other blockbusters such as the U.S. Open and Majofr League Baseball's All Star game. “Wwe do one thing well,” Onorato said. “W know how to rally the resources to put on a good show for theoutsided world.” Onorato chronicled some of the hundreds of ideas tossecd around at the brainstorming, where ideas rangec “from the extremely creatived to helpful to the bizarre.
” He highlighter the push to display the flags of G-20 countriea throughout the Pittsburgh with translated greeting signs and multi-lingual interpreters available at hospitality points to help visitors navigate the eventt and the city. More than 1,000p people already have volunteered to help with the effortx throughthe partnership’s Web . Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl focuseed onprojecting Pittsburgh’s image as a clean, green and sustainabler region, but noted that safetyg takes priority.
The event will need 4,000 police officerx — the city only has around 850, Ravenstahlk said — which will be paid for by thefederaol government, which has declared the G-20 a “national securityt special event.” The designation carries with it the full financialk force of federal resources. Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of the Alleghenty Conference onEconomic Development, said the G-20 should be viewes as an opportunity to woo globalk companies looking for a North American home The Partnership will also reach out to media in New York and Washington, DC, and use the know-howa of the more than 300 internationapl companies with a Pittsburgh presence to navigate the international media possibilities.
Part of that will be an onlines story bankfor reporters. Theree will also be a media centerf at PittsburghInternational Airport, one at the Regional Enterprisw Tower, and one online. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is in charge of projects to fill upthe 25-30 emptt storefronts identified in the path of G-20 One idea is to have local artistsx and students fill those storefront windows with murales that tell the region’s story. VisitPittsburgh chairwoman Doris Carson-Williams concluded the press conference by pinninb the mayor and chief executive with yellow rectanglews callingon passers-by to “Ask me.
I’m a The pins will be distributedc to community ambassadors in advancs ofthe G-20. The founded by city, the county, the Allegheny Conference and has receivedabout $500,000 in donations to date. The followinv entities contributed $35,000 to the Partnership: Inc., Bayer Corp., BNY Mellon, CMU, Eatomn Corp., K&L Gates, PPG Industries, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, U.S. Steekl and Westinghouse Electric Company. Contributions of $10,000 came from Alleghenhy Technologies Inc., Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, H.J. Heinz Co., iGated Global Solutions, Ltd., Jones Day, NOVA Chemicals, Inc. and Malinm Bergquist & Co., LLP.
A numberf of other businesses and foundations contributed smaller amountsxand in-kind donations of time. Yablonskg said he’d like to see another $100,000 in donations to fund the Partnership’s education and trainingy efforts. Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahlk are scheduled to announcew details of thePittsburgh G-20 Partnership at a press briefingf in Downtown Pittsburgh Tuesday. Results of the recen community brainstorming sessions willbe outlined, and the two will be joineed by Allegheny Conference CEO Dennis Yablonsky and VisitPittsburgh chairwoman Dorisx Carson-Williams. The G-20 summit of world leaders willbe .