The Dwight Stuff

In late 2006, Michele Dempsey of Scranton, PA, read an article about fans of the cult film Napoleon Dynamite flocking to Preston, ID, where the movie was shot. If Preston could become a tourist destination, she mused, why not her hometown, setting of the Emmy-winning sitcom The Office? The core planning committee -- Dempsey plus her friends Tim Holmes of Times-Shamrock Communications (a local media company) and Sara Hailstone of the mayor's office -- quickly signed on local partners. In May, when cast members Brian Baumgartner (Kevin) Angela Kinsey (Angela) happened to do a publicity appearance at the Scranton shopping mall, Dempsey used the occasion to announce the upcoming convention and test out which types of events and fan interactions worked best.