Running on Empty Will Fuel Internet Clicks

While staying in Orlando, Florida during the "Speedweeks" leading up to the Daytona 500 Experience, visitors can experience Central Florida and the "Space Coast" (Cape Kennedy and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration have tours and a space launch simulation that opened recently.)

Visitors to Cocoa Beach are just a short drive from Walt Disney World, Gatorland, SeaWorld and Universal Studios, brand names familiar to Americans and Europeans alike. But even the residents of Orange, Seminole and Volusa Counties that hold season passes to their favorite attractions (relatives from out of town are always visiting) are using the Internet to search for local cultural, ethnic, food and wine festivals because you can only to eat at the the big parks a few times a month before "same old" sets in.

The movie theaters have raised admission prices several times in the last few years as the movie makers are finally making films that families want to see, so that expense plus the price of gasoline constantly increasing have families using Internet searches for entertainments that the whole family can participate in on the weekends.

Traffic on the Internet starts picking up on Thursday afternoons as Americans start planning their weekends. This will become more important to local entertainment producers as they start using more Internet display ads to attract the "Moms" that do most of the weekend trip planning.

Planning shopping trips on the way to the local entertainment venues can save a considerable amount of gasoline, rather than driving around in a random fashion looking for back to school clothes for the kids. Searching for "TARGET weekly circular" pulls up a link to the complete advertising supplement (just like the one in the Sunday paper) so you can eliminate sitting in most of the weekend stop and go traffic (that's worse than what you experience driving to work!)

We recently noticed the the regional mall down the road (we live in an area where the "main street" is lined with several miles of malls on both sides of the street) had the parking lots packed on the weekend. The once empty retail store spaces are now cafes and restaurants with live entertainment areas. There are also several bookstores that hold book signings and poetry readings as Fashion Squares become Entertainment Rounds as more suburban residents seek out alternatives for dating entertainment besides the flicks at the multi plex.

The search for fresh entertainment creates opportunities for local entertainment organizers and producers as well as Internet marketing, and Search specialists and ACers that know their local area's geography and demographics as residents will welcome the opportunity to experience different food and wine. The correct placement of an Internet ad can successfully launch an new restaurant as foodies are always on the lookout to be the first to introduce new gourmet trends to their friends.

As the price of driving escalates getting the most fun per gallon will become more important than ever on America's weekends while the mall management companies come to realize that they can revitalize their real estate holdings by mixing in more entertainment options along with the traditional retailers and placing more Internet ads in clusters that can "drive the traffic on main street" as well as on line as more Americans will be ACing local entertainment and dining alternatives rather than driving around randomly looking for that boredom solution.

Most Fun Per Gallon Copyright 2008 Steve Lee
Entertainment Rounds Copyright 2008 Steve Lee
"How high is the price of gasoline Mama? Five dollars a gallon and rising." Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved
What's Next For the Internet Contest Entry for New York Internet Week
Written and submitted June 3, 2008