Session: Media Relations and Management

MEDIA RELATIONS AND MANAGEMENT – Nov. 15

Summary
We will discuss our experience engaging the media to enhance a Tall Ships event’s brand and value while reinforcing the key public messages before, during and after events.

Speakers: David Choate and Corinne Hitching

David Choate

David Choate:
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Conventures, Inc.

David oversees the day-to-day operations of Conventures Event Management, Public Relations, Sports Marketing, Destination Management and Business Development teams. David is an authority on media sponsorship and has managed procurement and fulfillment of sponsorship dollars for both not-for-profit and corporate clients with great success. David served as Director of Operations for Sail Boston 2000, Inc. and was the project manager for both Sail Detroit as part of the 300^th Anniversary of the City of Detroit and the US Navy’s Bicentennial of the USS Constitution.Currently, David serves as project manager for Sail Boston 2009.

Corinne Hitching

Corinne Hitching

Corinne has worked for Sail Training International since July 2004, following a career in journalism and public relations in Britain and Switzerland.

Session: Delivering Sail Training as Part of a Long Term Personal Development Program

DELIVERING SAIL TRAINING AS PART OF A LONG TERM PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM – Nov. 14

Summary
Based in 15 of the most disadvantaged areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Fairbridge supports young people aged 13-25 who are not in education, employment or training – giving them the motivation, confidence and skills they need to change their lives. 
Sailing on Spirit of Fairbridge, a 92’ Gaff Schooner, is just part of a tailored long-term programme for young people also including other mediums such as arts, drama, IT and the outdoors.
The presentation will focus on how Fairbridge provide a programme of personal development including the preparation of young people prior to sailing, delivery during a week onboard and how achievements are both measured and built upon beyond the sailing training experience. It will also look at how the principals used in this process can be applied to the wider sail training environment.

 Speakers: Craig Wilson and Peter Neill

Craig Wilson

Craig is manager of the Spirit of Fairbridge project. He has been a Sail Trainer for over 20 years, holds a BA in ‘Outdoor Education in the Community’, sits on a government working group developing MA Youthwork and is an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor & Examiner.

 

Peter Neill

Peter Neill

Peter Neill is Director of the World Ocean Observatory, a project founded in 2004 as a recommendation of the 1998 Independent World Commission on the Future of the Oceans. He has served 20 years (1985-2005) as President of the South Street Seaport Museum, New York; as past Director of Schooner, Inc., an environmental education organization for Long Island Sound (1979-1984); as past Director of the Connecticut Marine Science Consortium (1982-1984); and as past Director for Maritime Preservation for the National Trust for Historic Preservation (1984-1985).  Mr. Neill is the current Executive Director of the Ocean Classroom Foundation which owns and operates three sail training schooners: HARVEY GAMAGE, SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS and WESTWARD.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Iowa.

Peter is past President of the Council of American Maritime Museums and of the International Congress of Maritime Museums. He is a co-founder of The Sound School, New Haven, CT., and The Harbor School, New York, NY., two innovative public high schools that use maritime history and environment as a context for teaching and learning. He has appeared on numerous television documentaries on PBS, A&E, Discovery and National Geographic Society productions. His publications include three novels, several non-fiction books and anthologies, and numerous articles on maritime subjects.

 

 

 

 

 

Session: Ingredients of a Successful Tall Ships Event

INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL TALL SHIPS EVENT – Nov. 15

Summary
An outline for successful planning, staffing, managing, marketing and funding of a successful tall ship event will be presented by the organizer of Norfolk, Virginia’s waterfront events.  Based on a 26 year history, experiences will be shared from the early grass roots start up years to the most recent mega event productions.  Information will include planning for domestic, private owned vessels and government owned vessels

Speakers: Karen Scherberger and Judith Feather

Karen Scherberger
Ms. Scherberger has served 25 years as the founding Executive Director of Norfolk Festevents, Ltd, the event management and marketing agency responsible for producing for the City of Norfolk an annual city celebration program including concerts, festivals, tall ship visits and maritime events. 
Ms. Scherberger also manages Sail Norfolk, the maritime division of Norfolk Festevents which produced the $9 million OpSail 2000 Virginia project, and produced the 2007 Sail Virginia maritime celebration for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  A major East Coast in water boat show, international yacht racing, and frequent port visits by the international tall sailing ship fleet are part of the Sail Norfolk program.