Looking Ahead

Now that the summer is smoothly rolling past us we are able to start getting prepared for the busy school year.  The company is currently coming up with ideas in order to boost our business once people come back to Arizona for school or from vacation.  Some of these include coming up with ideas for club nights such as a Maxim back to school party and pool event as well as some huge fashion events.  We are also in the works of finishing up our “Summer of Love” pool party event that has lasted all summer.

            Currently I am working on permits and finalizing ideas for our W account as well as some campus events.  I am in charge of getting everything cleared for our Labor Day weekend event at the W hotel.  For this event we plan to have live music outside by the pool area.  In a similar manner we are also planning the Sweet Dreams charity event for the Phoenix Suns.  For this event we also need to get a permit to have live entertainment out doors as well as I will be creating a letter to send out to the neighbors for any concerns or complaints they may have.

            One of the main priorities of the company is to do things the correct way and stay out of trouble.  We always want to be considerate of not only our clients, but our guests as well.  Through each of the events that we put together I have learned that there is a lot more than what you see on the outside.  We need to get every detail cleared with the city, staff, and clients in order to even begin creating our picture of how we think the event should go.  Through this experience I have been able to learn a lot about networking and who you need to talk to in order to get things accomplished.  I am continuing to meet great people who I hope I can work with and help them in the future.

Final Weeks

            So within our final weeks until the Desert Duel tournament I am getting into the fine details.  Our tentative schedule so far is:

SUNDAY (JULY 26, 2009) MONDAY/TUESDAY (JULY 27 - 28, 2009)

CHECK-IN (3:00 PM - 6:00 PM) TOURNAMENT PLAY

Location: Schedule:

Best Western Dobson Ranch Inn Monday: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM

1666 S. Dobson Road Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM 

Mesa, AZ 85202-5699 (the Championship Game begins at 9:00 PM)

Tel: (480) 831-7000

•  Check-in

•  Registration

 TEAM WELCOME EVENING (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)

Location:

Mesquite High School

500 S. McQueen Rd.

Gilbert, AZ 85233

  • Tournament Video Presentation

  • Keynote Speaker:  To Be Announced

  • Dinner

We also had to create the brackets and decide which team was playing and what there time slots are.  For this event, as I stated before, I am also coming up with lists of media contacts and I was a big help in creating the media and press release.  This is what our final media release includes and will be sent out across the country on Monday July 20^th;

 

PHOENIX TO SHOWCASE BEST IN HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL FROM ACROSS NATION

First Annual Desert Duel Charity Basketball Tournament

Gilbert, Ariz. – On July 27, 2009, the next generation of basketball stars will land in the Valley of the Sun. For the first time ever, high school students from around the country will go head-to-head to compete in the inaugural Desert Duel basketball tournament at Mesquite High School located at 500 S. McQueen Road in Gilbert, AZ. The tournament will last through Tuesday, July 28, 2009.

Participating teams have been handpicked by Tom Crawford’s Leadership Children’s Foundation (TCLCF), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping youth across the nation. This NCAA sanctioned tournament is expected to draw more than 5,000 fans, while college basketball recruiters from across the nation turn out to see who will lead the pack of high school boys basketball stars.

“Desert Duel is strategically poised to follow the Las Vegas invitational, promising to attract the country’s top college coaches, recruiters, and talent scouts to watch the elite prep players in the world showcase their talent,” said Justin Peterson, a tournament organizer. “It will be an honor and a thrill to watch.”

Funds raised at the Desert Duel will support TCLCF, which funds children's causes that help preserve childhood and improve the quality of life for young people. From child abuse prevention and treatment in the fight against childhood diseases, TCLCF has directed over two million dollars to global organizations dedicated to helping children.  TCLCF is a 501(c)(3) foundation co-founded by Thomas K. and Tammy Crawford. Thomas K. Crawford passed away in July 2006.  Tournament organizers have created the Desert Duel Memorial Tournament in honor of Tom’s legacy by highlighting the stars of tomorrow, while raising funds for less fortunate children. 

 “We really want to give these young athletes a chance to showcase their talents but also offer them an opportunity to give back to kids that are not as fortunate,” said Tammy Crawford. “We hope it inspires them to pay it forward by continuing to help others.”

Tickets are $10 and available for purchase at the door. Entry is free for all teams as fees have been waived thanks to generous donations by tournament sponsors.

For more information about Desert Duel 2008, visit www.desertduelmemorial.com

These are just some ideas of what I am working on and all of the finalized paperwork I have to make sure gets out to as many people as possible before the tournament in two weeks.

                     

Desert Duel

This week I am really working hard on an upcoming event.  The event is called Desert Duels and will be taking place July 26^th-28^th. This exciting, invitation-only tournament will highlight the superstars of tomorrow while raising money for children.  This tournament brings high school students from across the country along with college scouts in order to raise money and give these kids an opportunity for the future.  Arizona is very lucky to be able to hold this tournament in Gilbert because of the large national recognition it will receive.

            The tournament is put on in honor of Tom Crawford and has been going on for two years.  This year I am coming on board in order to help get the finalized product complete.  This week we had a meeting with the Phoenix suns, a very big sponsor, and discussed what things we needed to finalize.  I am now in charge of finding local media for each of the teams hometowns.  This job requires me to research where each of the teams is from and who the best people to work with are.

            Another position that I am in charge of is creating entertainment and specialty guests for the event.  I have already locked down involving the Phoenix Suns Gorilla and the Mercury Hip Hop Squad.  Currently I am trying to involve the ASU pom squad in the event as well.  In the next two weeks we are going to be focusing on working with all venues of media including TV, Newspaper, and Radio.  Hopefully this will be a success and everyone will hear about this amazing event.  This event is not only a huge 3 day production, but is also going for a great cause.  I hope that the final event goes well and we can continue this experience in the future.  

4th of July

4^th of July at my office is complete chaos although it is also a learning experience.  We are planning an Independence day party at the W Hotel lasting four days.  For this event we had to start about a month ago applying for firework permits.  The idea for this is to have the largest rooftop firework show in the valley.  After we got the permit the office staff had to start brainstorming entertainment for the weekend.  We came up with some great DJ’s and live entertainment and then my boss put in offers to get them here.

            Next I was in charge of coming up with ideas to make our 4^th of July party better than every other one in the valley.  We decided that we would create gift baskets/ survival bags for every room that booked all three nights at the hotel.  I brainstormed ideas such as; Evian mister bottles, sunscreen, Chap Stick, tank tops, and W printed pool bags.  I got the go ahead from the boss and we began to order the supplies and create the bags.  Now that we are only a couple days away the countdown has started, and finalizing rooms and flights is becoming more stressful.  It seems like everyday we are rebooking rooms and changing names on reservations.  We are also booking new décor such as exotic birds and tiki torches.

            I think that in the end this event is going to be a great success and be above and beyond all other events in the valley.  I have learned to be very open to change through this whole experience.  I have also learned to make sure everything that I do is documented and completed in order to make everyone’s work fit together.  I am very excited for the weekend to start Thursday night and I am really hoping we can all enjoy the event instead of being stressed all weekend. 

*If you are interested call my office 480-284-6033 and I can get you special discount rates for the weekend!!