follow up: dive fatalities in Cayman

man dies, friend writes to say his children having problems bringing him home - see scuba chatroom item after my editorial

The Cayman Islands tourist board might have a PR problem on their hands. Last month a government press release announced the death of the 58-year old American tourist. The report, printed below briefly explained the diver had been found floating in the water after going missing from Divers Down.
A day later the scuba web site CDNN posted a news item critical of the island's dive industry, their safety standards and their safety standard enforcement. CDNN does not create its own news stories, they repost news stories from daily newspapers (after removing the paper's name and the identity of the reporter and using their own names). The website has also named Grand Cayman as one of the ten worst scuba destinations in the world.
The issue spilled over to Scuba blogs around the world. There is a dramatic postings by someone claiming to be on the fatal dive (and I believe her based on her many posts), indicate that the victim went to a depth of close to 400 ft on compressed before making an emergency ascent to the surface. The poster was very critcal of Divers Down.
I have not dove with Divers Down, but, I have taken dives with almost all other dive shop operators. I have found their safety standards extremely high, and their staff well trained and very vigilant. Because of the sheer volume of divers they take out it every year, the dive masters have seen it all ... and are well prepared to handle emergencies. Although if the postings are correct, Divers Down's Dive Master, could face legal problems.
I don't know all the details to the latest death (the 4th this year on Cayman)
There have been close to 1,015 posts as of May 13 (and growing) on Scubaboard http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/accidents-incidents/283416-divers-dying-cayman-9-last-year-4-year-print.html?pp=50 most of it created because a person who says she was on the dive when the American went missing, was quite frank in her description of the accident. Her postings are critical of the dive master, dive shop and the Cayman Islands. Judging by the comments left by tech and professional divers, it appears that once the American diver headed down to the bottom, there was virtually nothing the dive master could have done to save him (if he didn't have Tri-Mix or four or five fill tanks hanging on the shot line) -- which a moot point because no u/w search was conducted by said Dive Master.
The poster -fosterboxermom - says "Yes I was on the dive, he was not my dive buddy he was suppose to be with the DM! He somehow went to 346ft. according to his dive computer. I did not see him because I choose not to dive to a 100 ft which was the dive plan. I stayed at 60ft with his fiancee' because she and he were both new diver's and she did not want to dive to a 100ft either. That's about all I can tell you at this point."
The poster went on to say "all I can say is the the shop was unprofessional. We did not get briefed as to saftey, there was only one person on the boat and the was the DM. He NEVER checked any of us to see if we were OK. This person had only done his second check-out dive the day before and the DM was aware of how new to diving he was. Half way through the dive the DM knew he was missing and chose to continue the dive without looking for the missing diver. Now you tell me who is at fault here?"
"This DM was unprofessional from the start. Telling jokes, dancing, not doing a safety breifing. Knowing that he was a new diver (the victim is reported to have been on his second open-water dive). Not budding people up. Not do checks on air, No OK signs at all just taking off and leaving everyone to defend for themselves. One minor that hadn't had a dive in a year. We all told him of our experience. A DM's responsibility is to guide us on a dive point out cool stuff and make sure we are safe and get back to the boat, end of story and if you can't do that then you shouldn't be a DM either"
I do note the age of the dead man is reported to be 58-years old. The victim's friend (who was on the dive) feels that he reached a depth of almost 400 ft because of Nitrogen Narcosis. She reports that the cause of death was "was not asphzxiation, it was the depth and the fast ascent that killed him ... The man was in perfect health, no heart conditions, lung, liver, stomache, respitory, nada, he was in great health! Autopsy confirmed that."
So far the dive shop has NOT responded to the growing charges of negligence. Too bad. They are getting vilified in the online court of the community that use their services.
I have been collecting dive death stats for the past 15 years and there is a notable trend that has seen older divers dying in the water in ever increasing numbers because of pre-exsisting health problems -- which is if one accepts the postings of fosterboxermom, this was not the case here.
No longer is it the bends, burst lungs or inexperience that is killing divers, it is the health of the person BEFORE they enter the water. Heart Attacks, especially in divers over the age of 50, is the most common factor in diver fatalities.
On Grand Cayman, most of the divers hitting the reefs each morning, are cruise ship passengers. 10,000 to 20,000 cruise visitors arrive on the island each day during the winter and spring seasons.
Staying for only the day, visiting divers have to get from their cruise ship, to the dive shop, into the boats, onto the reefs and back again before their ship leaves the island. As a result, there is a certain amount of assembly line dive registration taking place - divers show their c-cards, sign waivers, answer photocopied quiz about their health, pay their money, get their gear, and meet their dive master and safety team as they march onto their boat.
Obese. The infirmed. People with recent scars on their chests. All can dive provided they have the proper credentials and have signed releases and medical forms that say they are fit to dive.
It is a problem for the Caymans, and it is a problem for the scuba industry. Should training agencies require certified divers to be recertified after passing milestone ages? Should dive charter companies be more selective on who they allow to dive? Should Cruise Ship medical personnel be more involved in evaluating the shore excursion choices of their passengers?

The Following Item Appeared Today on a popular Dive Scuba Board

Not sure where to post this but, "Lesson's Learned" seems like the proper forum...please let me know if I should cross post it since I am a total Newbie here!

We found out Sunday evening a good friend and my daughter in-laws Dad lost his life in a diving accident in Cayman. Personally, I find it pretty darn sad when a family learns more about their loved ones death on the Internet then personally from the local authorities.
Not only are these kids dealing with the sudden death of their Dad, who is single, who left no Will, insurance or assets (we are aware of now), but, they are getting no help or advise from anyone (local authorities, American Consulate, etc.).
If anyone has had experience or knows someone who has dealt with a diving death in Cayman that is willing to share their experience with us could you please PM me...I hope this site has a PM feature.
My intentions are not to bring up old wounds but, learning what these kids should expect and possibly what one would have done differently had they had the chance to do it all over again. All these kids want to do is bring their Dad home and have closure. Any help would be sincerely appreciated.
Susie in Colorado Springs

THESE ITEMS APPEARED IN THE PRESS

Police name dead diver
Published on Sunday, May 3, 2009

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has named 58-year-old Brendan Joseph Neilson, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, as the person who died while diving in the Cayman Islands on Sunday, 26 April.
Mr Neilson had been visiting Grand Cayman with his fiance`. The RCIPS sends its condolences to the family and friends of Mr Neilson.
According to police, the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call at approximately 1:55 pm from a vessel, which was taking part in the fishing tournament, reporting that they had found a diver floating in the water off Dolphin Pointe, West Bay.
Moments afterwards 911 received a call from a staff member of Divers Down reporting that a diver had gone missing while on an organised dive. The fishing boat informed operators that they were coming to shore and performing CPR on the victim.
Police and medics responded to the North West Point Dock where the patient was met and taken to hospital. Unfortunately, Mr Neilson was later pronounced dead. Detectives are currently investigating the death and a post mortem is due to be carried out.

Fishermen find diver’s body off Dolphin Pointe
Posted on Mon, 04/27/2009 - 10:11 in Headline News

(CNS): A visitor from the United States died during a diving trip yesterday (Sunday 26 April) and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) says it has begun an investigation into the circumstances of the 58-year-old man’s death. The 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call at approximately 1.55pm from a vessel which was taking part in the fishing tournament reporting that they had found a diver floating in the water off Dolphin Pointe, West Bay.
Moments afterwards 911 received a call from a staff member of Divers Down reporting that a diver had gone missing while on an organized dive. The fishing boat informed operators that they were coming to shore and performing CPR on the victim. Police and medics responded to the North West Point Dock where the patient was met and taken to hospital. Unfortunately, the victim was later pronounced dead. The man was on vacation in the Cayman Islands from Colorado, USA.
The RCIPS sends its condolences to the family and friends of the victim. Detectives from West Bay are investigating the death.

Scuba diving accident kills another Divers Down customer
by LUTHER MONROE @ CDNN - CYBER DIVER News Network

CAYMAN ISLANDS (27 Apr 2009) — An American tourist died while scuba diving with Divers Down off Grand Cayman.
Authorities said the scuba diving accident victim, whose name has not yet been released, was a 58-year-old man from Colorado Springs.
Witnesses told CDNN the man disappeared while scuba diving with four other divers off a dive boat owned and operated by Divers Down.
At about 1:55 pm, after the crew of the dive boat called for help, authorities received a call from a sport fishing boat reporting that they found the missing diver floating unconscious in the water off Dolphin Pointe, West Bay.
People aboard the fishing boat started CPR but apparently the victim never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead after paramedics took him to a hospital.
Divers Down declined to discuss the accident, which was third diving fatality in 2009.
There were nine diving-related deaths in 2008.

Unsustainable tourism

Once considered the best scuba diving holiday destination in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands have steadily declined in popularity over the past decade due to overpricing, overdevelopment, eco-unfriendly cruise ship tourism, marine wildlife harassment (Stingray City), coral reef degradation and increasing concerns that diving-related fatalities are linked to the failure of dive boat operators to comply with commonly accepted dive safety procedures.
Hoping to lure divers back to the Caymans, local tourism promoters announced last October that the government would adopt Florida's scheme to replace dying coral reefs with value-added scuba diving product comprised of scuttled U.S. Navy warships.
Promoters said they hope to sink the 77-meter, 2,290 tonne USS Kittiwake later this year.

Associated Press Story - Colorado Springs man dies in Cayman Islands

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Police in the Cayman Islands say an American tourist has died on an organized dive off Grand Cayman.
Police spokeswoman Deborah Denis says the 58-year-old man from Colorado Springs, Colorado, was diving with four other people when the outfitter reported that he had gone missing. His name has not been released.
Denis says a fishing vessel reported finding the body floating in the water Sunday afternoon moments before the company, Divers Down, alerted authorities. People on the fishing boat performed CPR on their way to shore before the victim was pronounced dead.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
Denis said Monday that police are investigating as is routine for all water-related deaths.
A man who answered the phone at Divers Down declined to comment.

Media Advisory - Scotiabank Caribana Kick-off April 21 at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum

Scotiabank Caribana
263 Davenport Rd, Toronto, ON. M5R 1J9
416-391-5608, 416-391-5693
info@caribanafestival.com/stephen@stephenweir.com

REVISED Media Alert

Kick-Off Press Conference
Launch of the Scotiabank Caribana Festival Calendar
April 21st 2009 10.30 a.m.- 11.30 p.m.
Royal Ontario Museum
Queens Park Rotunda
Bloor Street Entrance, Toronto

SCOTIABANK CARIBANA TUESDAY 10.30 ROM PRESS CONFERENCE REVISED!!!

On Tuesday morning the 42nd annual Scotiabank Caribana festival producers, the Festival Management Committee, will be announcing:

• Major sponsorship deal including new corporate and broadcast partners
• Release of the 42nd annual Scotiabank Caribana Festival Calendar
• Support from City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario

Scheduled to speak are:

• Deputy Tourism Minister Drew Fagan
• Councillor Joe Mihevc
• Scotiabank District Vice-President Christine Williams
• Royal Ontario Museum CEO William Thorsell
• Tourism Toronto CEO David Whitaker
• Scotiabank Caribana CEO Joe Halstead

Q&A to follow

For further information contact:

Stephen Weir
Stephen Weir & Associates | stephen@stephenweir.com
or sweir5492@rogers.com
2482 Yonge Street, Unit 45032, Toronto, ONT.
CANADA. M4P 3E3
Tel: 416-489-5868 | Fax: 416-488-6518
416-801-3101
www.stephenweir.com

Ping ... I am not a storker.

Using on-line tools to push product (even for public galleries)can give people like me a bad case of the twitters

I was asked by Shelley Falconer, the owner of the Toronto based art management firm, Cultural Asset Management Group, to speak at a University of Toronto Master's Level Museum Management this evening (March 22, 2009). The topic? Marketing the Museum and How New Media - twitter, facebook etc is changing the landscape.
I was to have spoken last week but a group of on-line journalists mildly storked me into coming out to a Fashion Week show by Jamaica's Carlton Brown (check out my photography page for one photo from the runaway http://www.stephenweir.com/gallery1/main.php?g2_itemId=547). There was a concerted effort to make sure that the event was standing-room-only, and, because there was no budget for this drive-to-put bums-in-seats excercise, it was all done by Facebook, Plaxo, email and Twitter.
It was a raucous 15-minute show of Brown's fashion line for men. I was suprised by how vocal some of the guests were when a mostly topless, mostly tat-covered male model hit the runway. I was being paid minor minor league money to cover the event and had I not been reminded a few times by Brown's loyal Canadian Twitsciples, I probably wouldn't have made the effort to register for the show. And, in hindsight, after getting beer (am I the only one left with a Visa card that still works?) for a couple of journalists, buying street meat and paying for parking, I once again lost money.
No worries, I still enjoyed the show. Was it successful? First glance would say yes: no empty seats, people standing in the aisle, members of the auidence hooting and hollering. But, after a serious study of the auidence I realized something. Not counting the media in the stands at the end of the catwalk I know about 20% of the auidence. I worked for Fashion Week a bit last year, but, I don't know anything about Fashion. And, if I don't know anything about Fashion (which you would know if you met me), probably most of the people I knew in the stands, don't know anything about Fashion too. And, if they know me, they probably got in free.
So yes they achieved the numbers, which covers their immediate marketing goal but what about the long term? These were not people that are going to place orders for their men's stores to stock Brown's fashion line. These aren't people that are going to consider becoming a sponsor of the next Fashion Week event, nor are they likely to write the government and insist they invest more money in the Fashion Industry. No, like me they probably were amused and entertained and maybe wondering (again) how they got sucked into responding to yet another twittergram.
So what do tattoos, fashaholics and beer parched journalists have to do with the art world? Lots.
Most days I live in the Noughties. I have to. Without text messaging, twittering, emails and the like, I wouldn't be able to survive. Why I'd be arriving at party just as the pattywagons were taking away the hosts. That is how it can be like in the museum world where many are still planning for the Millenium.
Most museums in North America take a very traditional approach to putting bums-in-seats. Shows are planned years out, regardless of what might be happening when they are finally launched. (Wouldn't it be great if ROM had an exhibition running right now about what Toronto was like during the Depression or the Smithsonian had an exhibition on the history of race in politics).
Advertisements are taken out in the daily newspapers. Banners are hung from lamp posts, and if there is budget, posters are put on billboards, the sides of street waste bins and in subways. Members of the media get press releases e-mailed to them, press kits might arrive at the front desk and a publicist might call to promote the show and beg them to attend a pre-show press conference.
The goal is to create enough of a buzz that the public will buy the puppy, and let word-of-mouth do its magic.
Trouble is that method isn't working so well these days. Newspapers are losing readers and cutting staff every day. Those journalists who are still standing are getting double the workload with half of the support. All those emails, press kits and calls are seen now as an annoyance rather than giving a journalist an important information package.
Television is suffering the same fate. Staff have been reduced, stations have been closed and chartable auidences have left for TiVo, web-based infotainment, play station and, well the list goes on from there. Getting a museum opening covered these days is a huge task, but, as the cliche goes, "at the end of the day" how many people actually watched the items, heard the story, read the review and actually retained information?
Radio is still retaining its audience, but, when was the last time that Mad Dog and Billy talked about the Gardner Museum?
No, to reach people who are still breathing, you have to use the tools that work ... this week.
Last year I assisted with the launch of a magazine which was held in the showroom of a Mississauga condo project. We had a great line-up of guests including Farley Flex, cabinet minister Margarett Best, world boxing champion Lennox Lewis and a bunch of singers and songwriters who were known by everyone but me.
The event started at 6pm. At 4.30pm the client was worried that the emails, calls and press kits hadn't done their job. Time for twitter. Using my media list we issued a brief note to key players ... free beer, free food, meet the celebs and be part of a happening. We had hoped for 150 people. The beer and rum ran out at 800. I headed out the backdoor when the walls began to bulge outwards.
This year I twittered for another event. It wasn't as successful. My audience wasn't as taken with the medium as it had only a few months ago. Twitter Burn-Out! And, about 10% of my audience had blocked my messages since the last time I had pressed send ... in their minds I am a storker, and it will be a long hard climb out of their Spam bin.
The creation of the Twitter hit list really makes or breaks the campaign. It is an excellent tool to preach to the converted, but, less successful when you contact people that have not actively requested to be on your list.
Twitter is the new black ... for now. But, as the bloom is off Emailed marketing and PR pushes, so too will Twitter fade. Don't even think about texting -- some people are downright hostile when they get an unwanted text. Flickr, YouTube, Blogs and websites are very much last hour ... but you are reading this blog aren't you?
In this era when such a large portion of a museum's potential customer base is no longer reachable by traditional media methods, the successful marketing campaign is not the campaign with the biggest budget but the one that understands how to hit the ball every time you swing.
The question was asked - if museums can't effectively advertise in mainstream medium and blanket advertising in niche media is too expensive, and since they have difficulty using emerging social media ... what will happen in the future? Major Media partnerships ... Galleries and Museums brought to you by Rogers, or CTV or Google, or Facebook. Partners who can deliver everything from advertisements to text messages. This approach comes with a price, both in terms of content and in terms of ethics ... both subjects for future postings.
Anyway, for those students in Shelley's class who are checking me out as I stumble around at the front of the classroom, this is what I want to talk to you about tonight. Please pass this along to your fellow classmates who are busy on facebook and not listening to a thing that I am saying (don't blame them either!).
AFTER POSTING THIS ON WEDNESDAY I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING BURST FROM PR IN CANADA (emailed PR newsletter)

Survey Says, 47% Of Canadians Use Twitter

Update: The survey results were conducted by polling over 10,000 Canadians including members of the Vancouver Board of Trade. 6S Marketing, a Vancouver-based Internet marketing firm conducted a survey to its database of over 10,000 people on their use of social media. Here’s some interesting data from 6S Marketing,
70% of Canadians say they use social media.
Facebook is the most popular social networking site with 70% of people surveyed currently having an account.
47% of Canadians use Twitter and the majority of users are 19 – 25 years of age.
Only 20% of people surveyed currently use MySpace.
YouTube & Flickr are the most popular social media sites with 38% & 29% (respectively) of people surveyed using the sites.
42% of Canadians do not blog, while 58% do blog.
74% of people who blog, do so for personal purposes, 57% blog for work and 35% blog for both.
9% of people surveyed have hired an employee online and 22% have received a job offer online. 69% have done neither.
61% of businesses said they track what people are saying about their brand online.

CUTLINE - Photographer Dave Tollington is assisting me with a travel feature about Florida. I gave him an open ended assignment ... take pictures of a cultural event. I was hoping for a museum opening or an art fair or even an antique road show. I should have been more specific ... Dave covered a south Florida pig race. He probably was responding to a twitter ... the results are shown above.

Event PR Has To Fight the "Same Old Same Old" Syndrome. Meanwhile Inflation Hits the Nigerian Scam

Same Old, Same Old For Your Event This Year? No Way! (As The Publicist Has To Say Each Spring) While Scam Artists Worry About the Same Old Same Old

When I am wearing my publicist hat and holding out my PR begging bowl to the media (please please please cover my event) I dread hearing these four words. Same Old. Same Old.
Reoccurring cultural events like ScotiaBank Caribana, Toronto's Pride Parade, Harbourfront's various weekend festivals and to a lesser extent Luminato, are Canadian summertime institutions. They have a winning formula that continues to catch the attention of both tourists and people living in Toronto. Combined the four events have an audience base approaching four million people. they are successful in part because they don't change much from year-to-year ... hence the fear of Same Old, Same Old.
With festivals that attract a million+ visitors there is never enough time or money to launch an effective advance marketing campaign. Ads should be placed in major cities across North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia months before the event takes place ( hit 'em when they are still making summer holiday travel decisions). But, budgets being what they are, organizers are lucky to get advertisements placed in local media outlets a few days before the big event.
In the absence of advertising, a public relations team can bring advance attention to an event provided. of course. there is "Something New" -- a hook to get the interest of the media. Calling a news desk to pitch a story that you pitch a variant of every March for the past ten years won't bring on the ink.
Finding a "positive" angle these days is a Herculean Task. Biggest question I am getting when I call is "How Bad Is It Going to Be This Year?", or "Who Has Been Let Go". As well, finding a media person to talk to is harder in 2009 than ever before. Reporters are being fired, radio stations are laying off, television stations are closing down and on-line news services are so over-burdened with work they demand a pitch with a maximum of 8 words and they count UHM as one word (don't even thinking of clearing your throat or coughing).
The temptation is to simply lie low, and keep your mouth shut till your event is a couple of away. Good strategy if you don't bill monthly and you have a client that doesn't expect results.
Luckily, for publicists there is always a silver lining, even if you have to make it up. For instance, this month I have been predicting that Caribana will attract more Americans to Toronto then have been seen in the past three summers?
Bold PR BS? No. After talking with a tourism expert we realized that a weekend in Toronto costs far less in 2009 than in 2008 and 2007. Hotels and restaurants have lowered their prices, gas is cheap once again and the all-mighty Canadian dollar isn't mighty anymore. What cost an American $10 last year will cost only about $7.50 this year.
Meanwhile, for the embattled American tourist, some of the traditional summer events held at other destinations have either been cancelled or scaled back. Prices at American destinations have sagged but not by 28% Compared to a trip to Disney, or New York City, or Trinidad, a drive to Toronto suddenly becomes attractive!
Will it work? Don't know, but, at least it isn't same old same old.
OF NOTE: Even creators of the Nigerian Scam fear the Same Old Same Old. I have noticed of late that the people sending out those badly spelled money pitches (you know ... we want to send you scads of money that no one knows is kept in a Nigerian bank) have started inflating the pot of gold they want to give you. In 2008 I was receiving offers from people wanting to send me anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million dollars.
Well the bar has been raised. Last week I was offered $8 million from a person dying from cancer. Another, a clerk at a Lagos bank, dangled $9 million in my inbox. A poor dying nun in Italy topped that this week by offering me a $1Billion. It didn't work but at least it isn't the same old, same old.
Cutline: Picture of Caribana dancer taken by Palm cell phone (by mistake)

Media Alert - Charles Taylor Prize - King Edward Hotel lunch time award Feb 9

,

The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction
Author Luncheon and Winner Announcement
Monday, February 9th

Media are invited to cover the 8th awarding of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction on Monday, February 9th at Le Meridien King Edward Hotel, Toronto.

The CTP Author Luncheon honours the 2009 finalists, and provides background on this year’s short listed books. The reception, luncheon and ceremony provide opportunities to hear from the authors and jurors, meet Prize trustees and talk with representatives from Canada’s publishing industry. The luncheon concludes with the announcement the 2009 Prize winner between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Finalists for the 2009 Charles Taylor Prize are Elizabeth Abbott for Sugar: A Bittersweet History; Tim Cook author of Shock Troops: Canadians Fighting the Great War, 1917-1918 Vol. II; and Ana Siljak, author Angel of Vengeance: The ‘Girl Assassin’, The Governor of St. Petersburg, and Russia’s Revolutionary World

This year’s jurors are past prize finalist Warren Cariou (Winnipeg), writer and journalist Jeffrey Simpson (Ottawa) and arts and culture expert Shirley Thomson (Ottawa).

Prize Chair, Noreen Taylor will present a specially comissioned crystal award and $25,000 in prize money on behalf of The Charles Taylor Prize Foundation. The two runners-up will each receive a $2,000 honorarium for being named finalists.

The Charles Taylor Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian writing. Among the most prestigious in the country, this national book award was established in 2000 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost essayists, the late Charles Taylor. Now in its 8th year, the Prize is presented annually to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception. The Prize is a driving force behind the growth of literary non-fiction and has been awarded annually since 2004.

The announcement will be carried live on CBC Radio One’s Ontario Today with Rita Celli and on the internet at www.cbc.ca/ontariotoday. For more information visit: www.thecharlestaylorprize.ca
-0-

Media are requested to confirm attendance, special requirements or interview requests with:
Stephen Weir & Associates:
Stephen Weir 416-489-5868 • cell: 416-801-3101 • stephen@stephenweir.com
Linda Crane: 905-257-6033 • cell: 416-727-0112 • cranepr@cogeco.ca

When to hold a Media Preview. Breaking all the rules this Thursday

THE BIG QUESTION - WHEN

As a publicist I am often asked the big question - When? - by clients. When should I have a press conference? When should I send out a news release? When is the best time not to be noticed?

Most clients want the most publicity possible for their projects, others want to release information at a time when that information isn't going to be noticed (i.e. poor earning reports). I have a few standard answers ... if your story is real news, it doesn't matter when you release the information to the media. However, if your news is "soft" - a book launch, an art opening, an entertainment act, a celeb that has already been interviewed, a press conference and so on - follow these rules:

Never spring a media event on the media .... give them 48 hours notice
Never on a Monday morning
Never on a Friday afternoon
Never on weekends
Never in the evenings (unless it is an entertainment or society story)
Never after midnight
Never on a holiday
Never during the Toronto Film Festival
Never when there are other similiar events being released at other venues
Never during rush hour if you aren't downtown
Never when there are Oscar / Golden Globe / Walk of Fame events happening
Never when the budget is being announced
... and the newest rule I just learned the hard way ... Never when Obama is being sworn in.

Now if you don't want people to notice your information release, look at the above list and change never to always!

Of course over the years I have been involved in projects that had to, for one reason or another, break the rules. I assisted the Ministry of Tourism with an Isabel Bassett press conference that was held one New Years Day. I suggested that no one would turn out. I was wrong, even though media outlets were operating with skelton crews, ours was the only news event in town and we packed the press conference room.

On behalf of a family who lost a young son (he was murdered in school) I organized two press conferences for them. The first press conference I gave the media 3 hours notice, the next one 60 minutes. I was shocked that ALL of Toronto's news media made both events.

I help the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario with their publicity needs. Over the past 14 years we have made a point of holding individual media previews for each new exhibition. Last year we had two exhibitions opening within days of each other. I suggested that it would be better to hold two media events rather than one. For budget/manpower reasons we held one large preview rather than two ... I was wrong, it was a big success. So this Thursday we are doing it again ... this time three major shows being presented to the media at once. All media are invited to help us break the rules by attending this important Canadian Cultural Event!




MEDIA ALERT


Meet Canadian War Artists at the McMichael premiere of a significant exhibition organized by the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in partnership with the Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence.

When: Thursday, January 29, 2009, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg (just north of the Major Mackenzie Drive, Islington Avenue intersection)
Why: The McMichael Canadian Art Collection kicks off 2009 with three new, must-see exhibitions: A Brush with War: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan; Yousuf Karsh: Industrial Images; and “Karshed”: Yousuf Karsh Selected Portraits. A Brush with War: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan is an exhibition of extraordinary war art, premiering at the McMichael before it tours throughout Canada. Also, opening on January 31, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of iconic Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh, McMichael visitors will have the opportunity to view two exhibitions that showcase a selection of Karsh’s industrial works and an exclusive collection of thirty of his rare, limited-edition portraits.
Who: Meet curators and artists involved in the creation of these exhibitions; meet McMichael Executive Director and CEO, Tom Smart.
Artists representing A Brush with War: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan will be Bill MacDonald, Scott Waters, Erin Riley, Sharon McKay, and Ken Steacy.

What: Three exhibitions: Yousuf Karsh: Industrial Images, January 31 – June 28, 2009
“Karshed”: Yousuf Karsh Selected Portraits, January 31 – June 28, 2009
A Brush with War: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan,
January 17 – June 14, 2009

About the Gallery
The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Culture. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of more than 5,500 artworks, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, First Nations, and Inuit artists.

The gallery is located on Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students and $30 for families. There is a $5 fee for parking. For more information about the gallery visit www.mcmichael.com.

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To RSVP, for further information, or to receive high resolution photographs, contact:

Stephen Weir, Publicist
Gallery: 905.893.1121 ext. 2529
Toronto Office: 416.489.5868
Cell: 416.801.3101
sweir@mcmichael.com

Post Script to McMichael Media Preview of Three Art Exhibitions

So, after reading about how the McMichael Canadian Art Collection went against traditional PR practises and staged not one but three art exhibition media previews at the very same time on the very same day, you must be wondering how it played out? Very well -- although the very unstructed nature of the event(s) called for flexibility that even I found difficult to provide.
This is what happened. The National Post did not respond to the Media Alert. Instead, a reporter from the Ottawa Citizen called the gallery and conducted a phone interview about the Brush with War exhibition. His story appeared 10 days before the media event and was picked up by a number of Canwest papers. A few days before the Media Preview, the National Post called the gallery and requested pictures from the War exhibition. Three days before the Preview, the National Post ran a two-page expanded version of the Citizen story.
The Toronto Star called to say they wanted to see the two Karsh shows. "But", they told me, "We can't wait to Thursday. We have to come out Tuesday or we won't be able to come at all." Their reporter did visit the gallery and did get to see the Karsh exhibitions ... sorta. Not all of the pictures had been framed yet and nothing was hung ... we leaned the Karsh masterpieces against the freshly painted walls at floor level to give the reporter an idea of what the show will look like by the time the Media Preview rolls around.
The Vaughan Weekly came out a half-hour early on press preview day, and left just as the event began. The Vaughan Citizen, Rogers TV, a Chinese Daily Newspaper, Beach Digital and the Globe and Mail came out on Thursday at 11 and got to meet six war artists who saw action while covering Canada's involvement in peace keeping assignments and in war time. They also got to interview the three curators of the exhibitions and take pictures of the people installing the art. And, for the first time in years we had coffee and tea thanks to he Canadian Forces.
After the Media Preview ended a TV crew from Bravo came and did a story on all three shows (we asked the curators and artists to stay for the taping). At the very end of the day North Magazine came by to take photographs of the McMichael's CEO and the gallery's new head curator.
Great turnout for the McMichael even if they went, as usual, against Weir's rules for when to hold a press event.