POPCORN AT 11 AM >>>

UPDATE: The video is posted below.

This morning I had the pleasure of joining a small theater full of folks at the Grand Cinema to see the debut of the new "Tacoma + Pierce County Destination Video," which will soon be coming to a trade show near you thanks to the Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau - with plenty of help from JayRay Ads, Bellingham's Hand Crank Films and others. The short (2-3 minute) commercial for Tacoma and Pierce County is designed to help the Tacoma Regional Convention + Visitor Bureau  sell our region to potential travelers and event planners, created, according to an official press release, to be used, "on social media, in presentations to clients, for media purposes and shared with global audiences."

(I assume studies have shown potential visitors prefer the plus sign to the actual word "and.")

So who and what gets featured in the video? Obviously, Tacoma's many museums come up big. There's the obligatory cupcake shot from hello, cupcake. Terry's Berries makes an appearance, as does the Hotel Murano, Bite Restaurant and superstar bell captain Dale Rush. Crystal Mountain gets some face time. And Chambers Creek makes John Ladenburg proud.

The video ends with one of the prominent actors offering, "See you tomorrow." In all, while not exactly as real as something like this, it's sharp packaging of the marketable amenities and natural wonder Tacoma and Pierce County residents experience every day.

Local singer songwriter Heidi Vladyka opened the event, doling out acoustic versions of Bush's "Glycerine," Dido's "Thank You," and even a surprisingly-great rendition of the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling." The pairing makes sense, as Vladyka's still photography was included in the video.

Because building hype is the name of the game, the video won't officially drop until Aug. 31. When it does it will be available at traveltacoma.com.