Tri-Cities ‘Geek On’ video isn’t the usual way to attract tourists

How do you make science fun enough to attract tourists?

Add some music and catchy lyrics, then turn it into a music video.

“Come On Get Your Geek On,” is the latest brainchild at Visit Tri-Cities.

“Our goal is to broaden the appeal of STEM tourism making it accessible to all — as in, you don’t have to be a Brainiac to enjoy it,” said President and CEO Michael Novakovich.

The tourism agency’s funky song and video highlights several science attractions in a community built on scientific discovery that’s home to thousands of world-class researchers.

“Our science tourism assets provide unique experiences visitors cannot find in other destinations. These attractions blend our rich history with engineering marvels and the wonderment that Mother Nature provides,” said Novakovich, who wrote, recorded and performed the song.

And more visitors help the economy — “satisfying our mission and increasing quality of life of all residents of our region,” he said.

But the video is about more than just geeky places to visit.

“A focus on STEM tourism can help build the workforce of tomorrow as we plant seeds in the minds of young people that careers in STEM fields are worth pursuing,” said Novakovich.

He said they want to use the video as a way to link tourism to Tri-City science and engineering education and Tri-City jobs.

“Not only are we planting seeds with young people about career opportunities and pathways to achieve them right here in our community — we are also creating awareness among adults who are at different points in their careers that may see the Tri-Cities as their next career move,” he said.

Here’s how he sees it working.

When family members visit the Bechtel Planetarium on the Columbia Basin College campus in Pasco, they get an exciting look into the science of the universe.

But they also learn about STEM education opportunities at CBC and about Bechtel, a local employer and major contractor at the Hanford nuclear reservation.

Or someone touring the B Reactor as part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park will learn about Hanford’s nuclear legacy but also make a connection with educational opportunities at Washington State University Tri-Cities and companies such as Battelle.

Battelle employs about 4,000 in the Tri-Cities at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The band in the video includes Novakovich singing lead with digital marketing manager Bethany Lee and musicians Stephen Fields, Brittany Adams, Jon Enneking and Efrain Balbuena.

They make appearances at some of the Tri-Cities hot spots — Hanford’s B Reactor, USS Triton Sail Park submarine, LIGO gravitational wave observatory, CBC planetarium and the Reach museum.

They shot the video in October and showed it last month at their annual meeting. And it it quickly took off on social media.

Novakovich said it’s about having fun but also creating a common thread showing there are STEM educational opportunities as well as STEM job opportunities in the Tri-Cities.

And a music video can bring that to life more than any billboard, he said.