In browsing photos for use with an article in this issue, I came across a series of shots taken at a boxing match. One athlete was getting pounded mercilessly by his opponent but each shot showed him fighting his way upright and charging back toward the center of the ring. It was an action that in every way, mirrors our experiences. In the last 12 months, we have been dealt an unprecedented, and certainly unexpected, number of blows. We’ve seen a hurricane that devastated one coast, a bombing that shocked us all, tornadoes, fires, shootings and so much more. But in each case, the community that had been hit, and the country as a whole, kept staggering to its feet, battered but ready to fight back. Sports events are a way we express our strength and our solidarity. Our industry regains its feet and keeps fighting. It’s how we can all win in the face of adversity.
Anyone who has ever run an event knows that getting the media to show up is just about the most difficult challenge that you can face. Most of the time as meeting planners and sports events rights owners, your plate of things-to-do is spilling over the sides and there’s no room for another task. Why create more work for yourself when it comes to PR and media relations? more....