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.
No comments:
Post a Comment