NATCHEZ — The consultants hired to market the City of Natchez for its tricentennial celebration have spent the last few days in town getting a feel for how best to put out the city’s message to the world.

The city formally engaged Lou Hammond and Associates (LHA), a marketing and communications firm, in late July.

Natchez Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) Executive Director Kevin Kirby said LHA was chosen because of its ability to strategically position the city’s message with media companies around the country and world. LHA represents more than 20 cities.

“I looked at a variety of different public relations firms, at the work they produced and the clients as they had,” Kirby said. “We needed to make sure we had a firm that was unique and could speak the best for Natchez.

“We are really looking for a team to extend our team, and their firm has a wonderful network of connections from the standpoint of media on the national and international basis. They can open for us a whole new wave of options to how Natchez can tell its story.”

CVB officials spent the weekend showing LHA representatives around the city and having meetings with key players to strategize marketing moving forward.

“We (gave) them the cook’s tour, the broad scope of what Natchez has to offer,” Kirby said. “That includes meeting the people, see how hospitality is done as only Natchez can do it, to help them understand the history of 300 years.

One of the important aspects of the tour was letting the LHA representatives see Natchez as it is today, “with today’s eyes,” Kirby said.

“We are having a continued conversation in relation to where we are going, to see it, immerse yourself in it and really allows your mind to take the subect matter and churn out gerat ideas, great stories and use the connection to send that message out.”

LHA President Terry Gallagher said the perspective of those who aren’t always in the area is important to consider when forming a marketing plan.

“Having an outsider perspective, I can come and see it and see all the things it has to offer. I think a lot of times people, who are here all the time, don’t give the destination enough credit,” Gallagher said.

“These past few days we have been able to immerse ourselves and experience as much as possible, and in this city there is no shortage of storytellers and people who can talk about the different things to do, which I think speaks very well to it.”

LHA Chairman Lou Hammond said after touring the city and meeting its people, the team will develop a 90-day plan to take the city’s marketing efforts through the end of the year, including promoting the Fall Pilgrimage, the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race, the Natchez Antiques Form and Christmas in Natchez. From there, a wider plan in conjunction with the tricentennial celebration.

“We know that there are already real things going on (in the fall) that we can promote, and that helps us launch nicely into something else,” Hammond said.

Part of that strategy will be getting national media representation involved early, she said.

“We know that the national media drives the regional media, so we need to get the national press here as soon as possible,” Hammond said. “We also want to look and see who has been here before and what they have done.”

The marketing will also include a targeted approach to different audiences, including — among others — wedding, history and adventure media.

“These days, there is a lot of segmenting, and the destination has a lot to offer to a lot of different segments, and it seems like every little thing seems to have its niche publication these days,” Gallagher said.

Kirby said Monday he didn’t want to discuss the specifics of the contract with LHA, but it was “very realistic and allows fluidity and options,” and has a 90-day period in which the city can exit the agreement.