Past two weeks and father's day weekend

Week of 6/11-6/15 (24 hours)
During this week I worked with our marketing director very closely for advertisement designing. I also, with my boss, had a meeting with the local baseball team, Delmarva Shorebirds. It was there that we discussed opening ceremonies: event flow, goody bag contents, scripts, DJ, and much more. It’s definitely going to be the best opening ceremonies I have ever seen. I also had to research what teams and their family members thought of previous opening ceremonies. This will allow us to really get a grasp of what “the people” want.

Father's day weekend: BLAST AT THE BEACH (24 hours)
During Father’s day weekend (6/16 and 6/17) I worked a total of 24hous. Funny how I did that in two days and the same about the week before in four. That weekend was definitely long hours but a lot of fun. I liked this side of the fence for once and the responsibility as well. My favorite part of being a site director is figuring out the seeding for all the teams after the first day.

This past week 6/18-6/22
After such a long weekend my boss gave me off that Monday. Where I just got caught up on all the homework I needed to do since I didn’t have time to do it that weekend. There was a lot to do this week because my boss left for vacation on Wednesday. So everything was put into my hands. It definitely kept me busy as he really wanted me to organize our ad sales: who was definite and who is still in progress. Friday was a little different. I met with the Shorebirds by myself where we caught each other up on what each other has been doing and where we stand. I then spent the rest of the day organizing everything, making a couple more calls for I too am going on vacation. I then reported to my co-works on my status for they were going to help until my boss got back. My boyfriend is coming back from Iraq for 2 weeks and ill be with him most the time and then in Las Vegas the rest time for my bother’s 21^st birthday. During this week I worked 28 hours.

THIRD WEEK (22 hours)

This week my boss and I met with the Pepsi rep and discussed our partnership in the World Series tournament such as signs, water coolers, and cup donations. During this meeting we also discussed our joint idea for Pepsi to connect with our Exxon gas stations where Pepsi’s coupons are to bring customers to the Exxon station and that station only. I then was given one of my favorite tasks. TO SHOP!!! We are putting gift bags together for out opening ceremonies. I was given a budget and got to shop for what would be in them. I made a very detailed spreadsheet with all possible items sectioned off into different groups. It was great and everyone loved my ideas. I'll get to present my ideas to our opening ceremony partners next week. The next day was:
meetings meetings meetings!!!! We first met with our CVA (Convention Visitors Association) then headed out of the office to meet with a field director to discuss last little operations for our father's day weekend tournament. Concessions was next on our list. It was brief but as my boss always tells me that just checking up (calls or stopping by) is great for a sport marketer. And while we really didn't need to stop in keeping that relationship is absolutely pertinent!!! Our next step was to our community's Civic Center, we work closely with their departments as we are pretty much just another branch. We stopped by there to meet with the complex manager to discuss the father's day weekend tournament. Instead of talking about field maintenance like we did with our field director we talked about site director logistics, making sure we had enough man power for all the fields and complexes we would be using. Once we returned back to the office I solicited an ad from a major car dealer in town. As well as enlisted Potomac food groups (Golden Corral and Burger King) as a sponsor and I communicated their ad with our marketing department. Solicitating the ad was definitely a great accomplishment but making that contact and beginning a relationship will be great for my department in the future as well as myself. The week continued as we followed up and met with a partner, optimist club, to see how they were doing with their ads. I learned that we have a special deal with them where they actually get a return from all the ad money they bring in. For all their close involvement we are giving them 10% of all they bring in. A great incentive and it really doesn't cost us anything. I then branched off to my office and worked closely with our director of marketing and public relations to make sure everything was secure advertisement designs such as Burger King/ Golden Corral. Andy and I then discussed all the signage we are receiving from Pepsi. Since we get to instruct what the signs will have on them we needed to come up with what they will say. They consisted of everything from welcome signs, directions, park rules, and opening ceremony signs. Just another detail that is not always thought off but yet very important. We ended week with a in house faculty meeting where Andy, my boss, had me present to the rest of the gang just how well we’ve been doing as well as talk to them about other possible sponsors we might not have thought of. A special bonus came at the end of the meeting when they then asked me to come on board for our county’s wine festival. Meetings for that start very soon. They also talked about possibly sending me with my boss to Salem, Va ( a major event management and sport marketing area) – past host of DIII softball world series - to research and get new ideas. I was very honored.

JUNE BUG SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

FIRST WEEKEND TOURNAMENT (17 hours)

This weekend our office a long with the recreation and civic center hosted a USSSA Qualifying tournament called the June Bug tournament. There were two locations and I was placed at the main complex as an assistant to the site director. That weekend we worked hard on field maintenance, customer service with teams to keep them happy when there was an initial problem with one of the fields, had to take scores and properly seed them. The seeding is actually quite an intricate process especially for the USSSA organization. It was a great experience but the best was the next day when the rain came and cut our tournament short. With that we had to make decisions on playing time, when to stop playing and how to keep everyone happy considering it was a tournament where the top teams of each age bracket receive births to the World Series tournament we are hosting in July.

FIRST TWO WEEKS (41 hours)
This is where I have been working. It is actually our "rest stop" area but hosts offices for the county's tourism and sport marketing departments. I work 20-25 hours a week. During the past two weeks I taken on several tasks that not only include office "to dos" but also more in depth projects as dealing with several companies for advertising opportunities for this year's Softball World Series B tournament that is coming to town in July. So far I have done business with local companies as well as make contracts with bigger companies such as Pepsi, Domino's and Potomac Food Groups (burger king and golden corral). Working with my boss, I have learned quite a bit about sales. Not only do I feel like i know how to see a product much better but I feel more comfortable doing it. We have done phone calls and made stops to discuss all the possibilities this tournament could bring to the business we are talking with. During this advertisement process I also make several organizational update spreadsheets to keep my boss and his boss up to speed as to where we are exactly. In addition to that spread sheet compiling. I've also learned how to draw up invoices for the contracts (paid and unpaid).
The office has been really great to me just as my boss as they have me sit in on staff meetings and really embrace what I have to say as well as show me how to be really prepared for such meetings. I have also sat in meetings with our Recreation department and with Pepsi Co.
As advertising is dwindling although never ending our next project of Opening day ceremonies is starting.. The next couple of posts will continue to show the advertisement improvements and learnings as well as the new stuff with the opening ceremonies.