HAUPPAUGE, NY- (April 25, 2016)- The Long Island Convention &Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission (LICVB&SC) is capitalizing on the popularity of the hit AMC TV series Turn by airing TV commercials during the programming that point visitors to visit Long Island, where the true events of this fascinating tale took place.
The tourism bureau commercial starts with a reference to ‘America’s First Spy Ring’ (AKA the Culper Spy Ring), which operated on the north shore of Long Island. The commercial leads into other places you can visit to ‘make your own history’ on Long Island.
View the commercial at: https://youtu.be/WdMXzdekeaE
The commercial was created under the direction of the LICVB&SC, in partnership with Suffolk County Economic Development Office of Cultural Affairs.
Airing a tourism commercial during programming that specifically references Long Island makes sense as the LICVB&SC markets to an audience that has a built-in affinity for these events and where they took place. It is building on the good will of the programming and educating the viewer about the ‘real’ places they are seeing and can actually visit.
The effort is supported by social media and a website landing page with a map of a ‘spy trail’ at: www.discoverlongisland.com/spytrail
Among the sites to visit are Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay, site of the British quarters and where Robert Townsend became part of the Washington Spy Ring. The Stony Brook/Setauket area was the epicenter of spy activity, and it is where the small group of friends and Patriots (Tallmadge, Woodhull, Strong and Brewster) got together and became America’s ‘first spy ring.’
Visit the Arsenal in Huntington, where Job Sammis hid stores of gun powder in his attic during the onset of the British occupation; and the Conklin House where Sybil Conklin lived and worked here while her husband, David was held prisoner by the British during the Revolutionary War.
Explore the Brewster House in Stony Brook where American Patriot Caleb Brewster spied on British soldiers, transporting ‘secret’ messages across the Long Island Sound at great risk.
See statues of Benjamin Tallmadge and Richard Woodhull at Setauket Elementary School on Main St., East Setauket. Visit the Thompson House where Dr. Thompson’s ledger shows he treated some of the spies.
Walk where the British had a garrison quartered where the Battle of Setauket was fought near the Setauket Presbyterian Church on Caroline Ave., Setauket. Nearby on Dyke Rd is the Woodhull Home marker, and venture down Strong’s Neck Rd., where Anna Smith Strong and Abraham Woodhull lived.
Make sure to visit the Three Village Historical Society to see exhibits on the ‘Spy Ring’ and to find out about special events and tours. Tri-Spy Tours does kayak tours in the area where the spy ring launched their boats to ferry information across the Sound to Washington's headquarters.
And the Stony Brook University Office of Special Collections and University Archives is in possession of a letter from General Washington to one of his secret spies on Long Island. By appointment.
The Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission (LICVB&SC) was established in 1979 as the official tourism promotion agency for the destination’s travel and tourism industry. Based on Long Island in Hauppauge, NY, the LICVB&SC contributes to the economic development and quality of life on Long Island by promoting the region as a world-class destination for tourism, meetings and conventions, trade shows, sporting events, and related activities. For more information about Long Island, please contact the Long Island Convention & Visitors Bureau and Sports Commission by calling 1-877-386-6654 or visit www.discoverlongisland.com.
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