Vindication

A number of my Facebook friends took issue with my post mortem on the Quiksilver Pro. I stand vindicated by today's Long Beach Herald.

Quote #1: Quiksilver's vice president of marketing, Mike Matey, told the Herald that dealing with the city had its challenges - and that the company had contingency plans to hold the event elsewhere - but that Quiksilver wanted to make it work in Long Beach and ultimately pulled together with the city...

Quiksilver itself says the court is still out as to whether the Pro event will return to Long Beach next year. Who can blame them? They've seen our city for the amateurs we are. Thank God for the great surf - it may be the saving grace that could bring the Pro back in 2012.

Quote #2: [LB City Manager Charles] Theofan noted those challenges as well. 'I would say that there were some disagreements from the administration's point of view about the festival itself, and there were many things that changed from what [Quiksilver] originally announced in their press release..."

Hence, the reason for retaining an experienced event planning consultant with big-brand credentials to represent the city's interest.

Other Aha! Moments

Theofan said that the city granted Quiksilver an event permit for the competition and surf site - including its merchandise tent... if the Quik Pro N.Y. returns, the city and Quiksilver would most likely have a contract outlining the details of the event.

OMG. It's worse than I thought. Only the most naive of city administrations would allow an event of the magnitude originally permitted to proceed without a contract and without negotiating in the city's best interest.What in the world were they thinking??!!

It has yet to be determined how much the city will be reimbursed for the event.

Ditto the above. For additional commentary, see all of my previous posts on this subject.

Could somebody please talk some sense into our city leadership and persuade them that the investment in an experienced counselor will more than pay for itself in risk mitigation, revenue potential and all-around resident satisfaction? I, for one, would be very willing to offer some names for consideration. It is a wise man who recognizes his own limitations and is confident enough to surround himself with others smarter than he.

Post Mortem

There is an awful lot of residual rancor about the recently concluded Quiksilver Pro. If you believe the gossip, the breakdown is between Quiksilver and the city. And if you believe the media, it's between the residents and the city.
 
Um, is there a common denominator here? Does it start with C?

The dissent need not be water under the bridge. It can serve as a lesson for how we can do this sort of thing bigger and better next time, with clearly defined benefits to the taxpayers.

I believe the success of the entire event was undermined from the start by the appointment of Lenny Remo as the city's chief liaison with Quiksilver. Remo, a professional restaurateur and former City Council member, has served as the city's secretary of labor relations since January. How this qualifies him to negotiate with a global brand highly experienced in large-scale events the world over I cannot begin to imagine. Good intentions aside, Remo was out of his league from the get-go. He didn't stand a chance of realistically envisioning the myriad details, the potential impacts on the city or the ways in which Quiksilver would seek to manipulate logistics to its own advantage. This was no partnership; it was a business contract. And playing David to Quiksilver's Goliath without appropriate ammunition was a naive miscalculation of incredible magnitude.

Rather than relying on local leadership (term used loosely), the city should have retained the services of a qualified special events consultant experienced in big-brand sponsorship to represent our interest. The consultant would have helped us evaluate the opportunity, audit past QS events for purposes of comparison, talk with former host cities, develop a goals statement, itemize desired deliverables, articulate non-negotiables, and facilitate negotiations. The outcome would have been a business plan covering everything from music to BMX demonstrations to liquor sales  -- just some of the items of bickering and dissension. There would have been few if any surprises, as a game plan covering all possible contingencies -- including weather -- would have been in place.

Most important, an experienced consultant would have helped make sure that LB derived more than simple  glory from the event. Increased revenue to local businesses would not have been left to chance, but rather planned for and facilitated through such means as free east-west bus service; an LB visitor card, with embedded coupons to restaurants and retail stores; or other vehicles. In addition, a defined benefit to taxpayers, such as a stipend for repaving our winter/flood-ravaged streets, upgrading the boardwalk or repairing Magnolia Playground, could have been included as a key part of the event design.

There was no need for the last minute waffling about whether and how to proceed following Hurricane Irene, or for the protest march staged by Unsound and other event advocates. A professionally executed, comprehensive event plan would have obviated these completely avoidable circumstances.

A citizens' advisory board would have been another asset to mitigate taxpayer backlash and create buy-in before specific decisions were carved in stone.

There is talk on the street that Quiksilver is now soured on Long Beach and will certainly not return next year. I hope this is not the case. There is still tremendous potential for the 2012 Pro event to be a rousing success both for QS and for LB, if only the proper management steps are taken in advance.

Let LB do the unprecedented: admit to its shortcomings this year, commit to doing better next year, and submit to a new-and-improved management plan to bring home the gold with Quiksilver in 2012.

Forever Starts Tomorrow

No parent should ever have to bury a child. Tomorrow is going to be a black day for Marie and Al Doerbecker. My heart bleeds for them.