This is good news! I don't have a sub so I can't post the article.

Downtown OKC to hire guides | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2014/11/06/downtown-okc-to-hire-guides-general-news/)

From the Downtown OKC website....

Downtown Guides | DowntownOKC (http://www.downtownokc.com/about/downtown/guides)


I guess I always assumed this would be a role of the Ambassador program.

This is good news! I don't have a sub so I can't post the article.

Downtown OKC to hire guides | The Journal Record (http://journalrecord.com/2014/11/06/downtown-okc-to-hire-guides-general-news/)

Boom! Here you go...

Downtown OKC to hire guides

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record November 6, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – When 8,000 Future Farmers of America students descend upon downtown in the spring, finding the best place open for lunch at 2 p.m. or a good souvenir shop can be a daunting task. Downtown OKC Inc. wants to help find those needles in the haystack with its new Downtown Guides program.

Downtown OKC Marketing and Community Relations Director Jill Brown DeLozier said the entity came up with the idea during its annual staff retreat. She said although the program is different than the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Ambassadors community assistance service, they will work in conjunction.

“(A downtown guide) will be a friendly face that can provide more of an interesting view of downtown,” DeLozier said. “We’re looking for someone with some historical knowledge, and knows what there’s to see or do.”

Downtown is one of the city’s Business Improvement Districts, so some of the money from that initiative will be used to pay wages for three guides. They will earn $12 per hour. They can expect to work 10 to 20 hours per week, including weekends. They will be needed during the week when big events such as conventions or NBA playoff games are downtown.

The Ambassador program is funded by a law enforcement block grant. The ambassadors greet visitors and provide information on points of interest. They also function as the eyes and ears of the police department, but they do not engage in law enforcement action, according to the city’s website.

DeLozier said the ambassadors help with security and safety, but the downtown guides will be more for tourists.

“They’re going to have fun uniforms,” she said. “They’ll be seeking out people on the street and offering information.”

The downtown guide positions have not been filled, but DeLozier said Downtown OKC Inc. would like to have them in place by the holidays because of the tourist influx. She said Oklahomans who visit other cities will find similar programs, with some cities having ambassadorlike programs and others using street-cleaning teams as an information crews, as well.

“It’s a perfect time to launch a program like this,” she said.

Awesome!

Ambassadors are more "clean and safe" service and while they are a friendly face, they're not knowledgeable or personable as tour guides.

Honestly, when I was managing an ambassador grant in the past, all I needed was a body to throw out there in a t-shirt...

Ambassadors are more "clean and safe" service and while they are a friendly face, they're not knowledgeable or personable as tour guides.

Honestly, when I was managing an ambassador grant in the past, all I needed was a body to throw out there in a t-shirt...

I see, so part of the job qualification is that you can't be knowledgeable or personable? :wink:

Ambassadors are more "clean and safe" service and while they are a friendly face, they're not knowledgeable or personable as tour guides.

Honestly, when I was managing an ambassador grant in the past, all I needed was a body to throw out there in a t-shirt...

Why not merge the two? Seems confusing. "Yah, don't ask that guy in the Ambassador shirt, he's just there to talk to the other guy in the Ambassador shirt."