The Presidents Cup

I was fortunate to have been able to attend two days of The Presidents Cup last week here in San Francisco. For those who are not familiar with the golf event, it is a bi-annual golf event that is held usually on the east coast of the US or an international location and is a team event. Some of the best US golfers and International players (with the exeception of European players) go head to head for 4 days at differnt types of golf games to win points and ultimately the Cup. This event is differnt than a regular golf tournament as it has a team focus where a regular tournament has more of a individual focus and aspect.

On Wednesday, I attended a full day of practice rounds on the Harding Park course on Lake Merced and the Opening Ceremonies. With a heavy security detail and rules stating no cell phones all week and a ban on cameras from Thursday to Sunday, Wednesday was a great day to take some candid photos. Practice is very relaxed, but still serious as players were focusing on shots, angles, strategy, and swings of course.

The PGA worked with numerous groups, agencies, and people to make this event a reality for not only the world, but The City of San Francisco, fans, and the local economy. Plenty of grandstands were setup across the course along with hospitality suites for sponsors, corporate partners, media, and more. The vantage points for fans to view the action of the matches were excellent and well thought out. Large video screens were also placed in areas for easy viewing and score updates along with concessions and restrooms at strategic locations. From the event planning and coordination standpoint, it seemed very well thought out and executed. Great flows of traffic, security, direction, free shuttle services, usage of public transportation, and instruction. Other things of note that made it easy for spectators were huge directional signage, daily printed programs with times, maps, and locations of ammenities and more, a real time/hand held video device sponsored by Citi that allowed visitors to view the game play and also track scores and see their locations.

I was fortunate to also return to the tournament on Saturday during the actual game play and was impressed as well by the flow of the event. With numerous volunteers from all across the world assisting with various jobs and aspects of the tournament, the PGA and Harding Park put on a great event. It was fun to not only be there from a fan point of view, but also from a planners view to see how a large scale production of such magnitude could be coordinated and accomplished. Photos of the practice round on Wednesday can be seen here. As always, please follow us on Twitter and you can find us on Facebook too.

Special Events - The SF Giants Way

As a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, I am fortunate to be able to participate or attend the various festivals, events, and activities that the area has to offer. Being part of the event world in planning, producing, and coordinating events myself, it is fun to observe how the events are flowing, what works and doesn't work, new tips and tricks, and what could possibly work for my projects.

Last night I attended an event produced by the San Francisco Giants baseball team as part of their promotions and events for the season. As many professional sports teams do, they create and produce events to attract fans and help sell more tickets. Most promotions and events include an item or giveaway item as a draw, others are fundraiser or attraction events. Last night was the Oktoberfest event hosted by the ball club that included a stein (mug) in the shape of a baseball cleat, live music, a free beverage, and food all outside in the great weather. A large tent was errected in a parking lot near the ballpark for seating. Fans lined up to claim their free mug with the special ticket they had purchased and then spread out over the area to enjoy the music, food vendor tents that were spread out in the area, and more.

Of course, an organization such as a baseball team might have the resources and finances to produce and execute such a large scale event, but that does not mean you as an event organizer or planner are not able to do this as well. With good planning, a great location, pre and post event promotions and advertising, you can accomplish this too.

Inline Connection can help you with your events and any additional needs such as banners and promotional items to make a successful event. Visit Inline Connection today and see how we can help you , Enhance Your Results.