Springs & Co.

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Sep 18, 2006

DOWNTOWN HOTEL PLANNED

Although he's a few years away from building it, Missouri hotelier John Hammons apparently knows the flag that his downtown Colorado Springs hotel would carry.

Hammons' Web site -- www.jqh hotels.com -- lists Embassy Suites as the brand of a 225-room hotel he said he wants to build north of America the Beautiful Park, in an area of southwest downtown the City Council has designated as an urban-renewal site.

He also plans a 320-room, 10-story Renaissance Hotel on the

city's far-north side.

"WHAT HAPPENS HERE..."

Las Vegas-based R&R Partners said last week it will open at least one Colorado office. The advertising company, most noted for its "What happens here, stays here" Las Vegas advertising campaign, will open an office in Denver and possibly another in Colorado Springs, said Billy Vassiliadis, chief executive officer of R&R Partners.

The company became interested in coming to Colorado after working with Denver-based Phase Line Strategies to bid on the $10 million spring/summer advertising contract from the Colorado Tourism Office.

PRACO WINS AWARD

Praco Ltd. has snagged a marketing award for making Ent Federal Credit Union like Cher and Bono -- known by only its first name.

ReBrand 100 honored Colorado Springs-based Praco with its 2006 Notable Award for rebranding southern Colorado's largest financial institution. Ent hired Praco to transform its image from a military credit union to one open to all Springs-area residents.

Since Ent's advertising campaign last year that highlighted a new logo, a shortened name (Ent) and wide menu of financial services, new accounts have jumped 23 percent and total deposits have grown 8.1 percent.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rich Laden, Sarah Colwell and Wayne Heilman