Published: September 11, 2008 08:53 pm      

State to be featured in US Airways Magazine

FAIRMONT — US Airways passengers who flip through the airline’s in-flight magazine will soon get a closer look at West Virginia and what it has to offer.

The state will be featured in the November 2008 issue of US Airways Magazine, which Pace Communications publishes monthly. Pace Communications is primarily known for its in-flight magazines and produces about 25 different publications.

Carsten Morgan, northeast regional sales director for Pace Communications, said US Airways Magazine is on board all of the airline’s flights globally. The publication has more than 2.8 million readers per month.

US Airways flies an average of 6.8 million people every month. In November, which is the busiest travel month of the year, that number will fluctuate upward to close to 8 million, he said.

The story on West Virginia is part of the magazine’s promotional business series.

“It’s a relatively new segment of our publication in response to a change in our demographic,” Morgan said.

He said the 20- to 30-page article will focus on commerce, economic development, health care, higher education and quality of life in West Virginia. The feature will highlight what’s going on at West Virginia University, Marshall University and other higher-education institutions, as well as companies in the state that make an impact.

“A good chunk of our article will also be focusing on emerging science and green energy,” Morgan said.

The story will explore why people settle in West Virginia and will dispel “a lot of the myths associated with the state,” he said.

“Typically we will focus our attention on regions that have a negative stigma,” Morgan said. “We focus attention toward communities that are ignored nationally.”

He said these types of communities make for the most interesting and most read articles.

“West Virginia, as we see it, is about to go through an economic upswing, much more so than the rest of the union,” Morgan said.

About two years ago, Charleston was profiled in US Airways Magazine. The story provided an economic look into the city and focused on the lifestyle content and where to eat, stay and visit.

After the 2006 Charleston feature, the West Virginia Department of Commerce was eager to work with Pace Communications again.

“We were really impressed working with them,” Kim Harbour, director of marketing for the Department of Commerce, said. “Everybody was very pleased with the Charleston profile.”

She said the Department of Commerce is helping Pace Communications make connections and get the word out about advertising opportunities.

“We’ll assist them in any way they need,” Harbour said.

Kelley Goes, secretary of commerce, wrote a letter of introduction, and the department also prepared a list of story ideas for Pace Communications to take into consideration. But Pace Communications and the author ultimately make the decision on the stories, Harbour said.

“I think it’s wonderful timing being in the high-volume, high-traffic holiday season,” she said. “It’s a chance for us to change people’s perceptions about the state and the opportunities here.”

This issue of US Airways Magazine will reach West Virginia as well as national and international audiences, she said.

“US Airways is the perfect vendor ... because of the amount of air traffic,” Harbour said. “US Air is the market leader in West Virginia for air travel.”

People who aren’t flying during the month of November can find the magazine online at usairwaysmag.com. Morgan said he will also release the rights to the state for its own marketing purposes.

“We’re really hoping that it will be a great opportunity to spotlight the state,” Harbour said. “We’re looking forward to a nice feature.”

E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.