Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) will be drumming up support for the new Lehigh Valley branding at Musikfest. 

At the largest free music festival in North America, LVEDC will promote the region’s quality of life at a booth on Aug. 3 and 10 in the south Bethlehem part of the festival. The booth, which will be open from noon to 9 p.m. those days, will feature a selfie station with a map where guests can point to their favorite Lehigh Valley destinations.

LVEDC will also distribute Lehigh Valley swag featuring a new logo launched last year in partnership with Discover Lehigh Valley®. Among the items distributed will be “Made in the Lehigh Valley” charms designed to fit on your Musikfest mugs but versatile enough to adorn purses and backpacks. The charms were designed and made by eQuality3D Printing based in Nazareth. There will also be Made in the Lehigh Valley temporary tattoos, and a limited number of cooling towels branded with Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.

Musikfest, presented by the nonprofit ArtsQuest, was started in 1984 to help with the revitalization of Bethlehem’s Main Street and today offers more than 500 music and art performances over 10 days each August. Last year, it attracted 1.33 million people from 46 states and 10 countries.

LVEDC’s booth at Musikfest is part of a larger initiative to raise brand awareness of the Lehigh Valley. The gist of the initiative is this: From Crayola crayons to Dorney Park, the region touts products and experiences known throughout the nation. No one municipality in the Lehigh Valley has all those things. But, collectively, the Lehigh Valley does. When all the things people love about the Lehigh Valley are connected to the Lehigh Valley, a rich quality of life emerges.

Quality of life is critical in marketing the region to attract the talent that businesses need to grow and thrive, making regional identity among the Lehigh Valley’s valuable assets.

LVEDC is looking to partner with other groups, businesses, and institutions to share the logo to amplify the Lehigh Valley brand to a broader audience. The branding guidelines, a video about the new logo, and examples of its usage can be found here.

Lehigh Valley leaders from various industries have touted the importance of regional identity for a special series of video testimonials.

• Muhlenberg College President Kathleen Harring said the college recruits students from all over the country, and brand awareness of the Lehigh Valley is important to the college’s vitality.
• Lehigh Valley IronPigs President and General Manager Kurt Landes talked about the power of regional branding to attract visitors to destinations like Coca-Cola Park, the stadium where the Phillies Triple-A affiliate plays.
• ADP's Vice President of Diversity and Talent Drew Lewis said it’s important that the collective message of the business community conveys the breadth of what the Lehigh Valley has to offer perspective talent.
• Ed Lozano, of Savant Beverages, which owns Weyerbacher Brewing, talks about the importance of regional branding for manufacturers and small businesses.

Some of the early adopters of the new logo include Weyerbacher Brewing, County Seat Spirits, Moravian University, and Five Maidens Cider Company.

(Photo courtesy of ArtsQuest)