The survey feedback resulted from a poll of 150 senior managers of major U.S. companies the firm just completed on behalf of AEDC, DeRocker told listeners at the luncheon.

A significant finding from the survey is that while the managers surveyed had no strong positive or negative opinions about Anchorage or Alaska, they seemed open to learning more, he said.

DCI, which specializes in working with communities and states on economic development, plans to help Anchorage leaders fashion a promotional theme that will attract new investment.

DeRocker said the company hopes to duplicate success it has had in bringing technology companies to Tacoma, Wash., which was suffering from its reputation as a city of declining heavy industry, and Maui, Hawaii, which was well-known as a vacation spot but not thought of as a business location.

"When people thought of Memphis, Tenn., they thought of it as a center of music," DeRocker said. DCI helped solidify and expand Memphis' reputation as a logistics center, building on the presence of Federal Express with its air cargo hub, he said.

Similarly, Puerto Rico became better known, with DCI's help, as a place with a major pharmaceutical industry.

Anchorage is already getting some notice as a result of AEDC's initiatives. DeRocker showed the audience a business travel column from the July 28 New York Times headlined "In Alaska, Friendly Atmosphere and Fresh Seafood," which resulted from AEDC working with reporters at the Times, he said.

Surveys by DCI show that top business managers mold opinions about places where they may invest primarily through newspaper and magazine articles, followed closely by dialogue with business and industry peers.

"That illustrates the importance of your 'ambassadors' program," DeRocker told the audience, referring to a program in which AEDC preps local business leaders so they can promote Anchorage when they go on business trips.

DeRocker said a third, and surprising, way senior corporate managers form opinions of communities is the quality of their local business travel experience and how travelers are received.

"This shows how important the gateway to your community is, but it's just not the airport," DeRocker said. "It's the quality of taxicabs and drivers and hotel clerks. These people make important first impressions," he said.

"Some communities have training programs for cab drivers and hotel clerks," DeRocker told the audience.

Public relations outreach is just one of AEDC's initiatives, according to Larry Crawford, the corporation's executive director. Another is a program aimed at retaining the city's existing businesses.

"We work with local businesses to help them find opportunities to expand or to discover where there are constraints," said Crawford.

A long-standing effort involves selling Anchorage as a global logistics center, building on the capabilities of international air cargo firms that operate hubs at Ted Stevens International Airport, he said.

Crawford said his group is now working with two large international freight forwarders who are interested in using Anchorage. "If this goes through, there could be additional freight handling facilities built at the airport," he said.