The Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of D-Day, Virginia Beach, VA
Special Event

Date:


Brickell & Partners

Research-

Based on several informal research programs, the Virginia Beach Department of Convention and Visitor Development (CVD) and is public relations firm, Brickell & Partners (B&P), made the decision to execute a major event to commemorate the Normandy invasion. Research revealed:

The DOD scheduled events worldwide showed that the re-enactment recommended for the City of Virginia Beach had the potential to be the largest in the world.

A large percentage of tourists to the resort area--as well as residents--are former members of the military.

The first wave of battle at Normandy--with the most casualties--was led by the Army's 29th Division, made up mostly of Virginians.

The tourism infrastructure in Virginia Beach is very pro-military and receptive of military.

Virginia Beach is within a day's drive to most major population centers.

Virginia Beach is a major center of military operations still today.

Planning:

Goals and Objectives:

to create a meaningful and memorable event for the veterans of D-Day

to create local, regional, national and international publicity for the event and Virginia Beach

to increase the number of tourists to the resort city during the D-day Commemorative weekend

Targets:

local, regional, national and international media

potential visitors to the city, focusing on World War II veterans and their families

In short, the objective were to let the World War II veterans know that Virginia Beach recognized their sacrifice, encourage the media to come to the city and report the re-enactment as being broadcast from Virginia beach, and entice more visitors to the city. Œ

Strategy:

The public relations strategy was very simple. Using news releases sent by phone, electronic distribution and fax, and making followup phone calls, B&P was charged with informing as many local, national and international media as possible. Once confirmed, B&P would coordinate media interviews with World War II veterans and their families, military, re-enactors, volunteers and city officials. The budget for public relations was non-existent, as the time incurred was wrapped into the agency's retainer. The budget for materials did not exceed $10,000 as most everything was contributed.

Execution and Cost-effectiveness--Tactics:

Before the event, standard publicity techniques were utilized to inform the media of the opportunity.

A general news release was issued in March 1994 to 760 travel, military and lifestyle writers.

Followup news kits were sent out a week later.

Followup phone calls to select media were made a week after the release of the news kit.

A commemorative poster, "Back the Attack," was sent via Federal Express to targeted media, such as national radio talk show host G. Gordon Liddy.

The most immediate media response came from the first release, the list of authentic World War II equipment in the news kit, and the "Back the Attack" poster.

Highlights and possible difficulties:

D-Day was sponsored by a variety of participants--The War Memorial Museum of Virginia, the Kidney Foundation of Virginia, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the city of Virginia Beach.. A committee of approximately 50, consisting of military representatives, World War II veterans, re-enactors, city officials, volunteers, and B&P staff members met a year prior to June 4 for planning purposes. Because of the mechanics of the weekend, the actual role of overseeing D-Day eventually fell on the shoulders of the Virginia Beach Department of Convention &Visitor Development and Brickell & Partners Public Relations. In addition to coordinating the publicity--which the city was originally charged with--CVD and B&P were also involved with the following:

accommodating the World War II veterans. This encompassed everything from arranging for easy wheelchair access to the beach and comfortable seating at the re-enactment, to receiving a veteran's discount at the resort area hotels.

fielding and answering thousands of local and national calls

acquiring funding for various supplies, including airplane fuel and bleachers

acquiring off-duty police and medical attendants, coordinating traffic and provided buses

housing the re-enactors at a local military base

reassuring environmentalists that everything was environmentally safe, tackling such issues as guaranteeing that explosives charged in the water would not disturb the sea turtles' breeding grounds and that the large number of attendees-and the

explosions--at Fort Story would not destroy the sand dunes on the beach.

making sure residents were informed and received detailed fliers about the noise levels, danger levels, beach access and

other pertinent issues.

staffing a complex, portable news center on the re-enactment site.

The most challenging opportunity, from a public relations standpoint, was handling 125 worldwide members of the media at the command center. Press passes were issued by mail to media who responded to the event and special clearance was made for them Because the beach at Fort Story was wired with more than two miles of explosives, there were limited locations for event coverage. At the command center, each member of the media was assigned a particular post, and was required to remain at the post until the event was over. Organization at the media command center was crucial, and the CVD staff, B&P staff, military police, and public affairs officers at Fort Story, Fort Eustis and Camp Pendleton kept things under control.

Evaluation--

By successfully cooperating with diverse publics and through the utilization of established public relations techniques, the City of

Virginia Beach Department of Convention and Visitor Development and Brickell & Partners Public Relations accomplished theplanning, coordination and implementation of a major media event. Approximately $9000,000 in print and broadcast media coverage (advertising value) was acquired locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Virginia Beach was featured or mentioned in such publications as the Washington Post, USA Today, Life Magazine, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the New York Daily News, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Atlanta Journal, USA Today International, the Baltimore Sun, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Iowa Antique Trader, the Lexington Herald-Leader and the Shreveport Times. The event was covered by such broadcast media as NBC and ABC National News, National Public Radio, CBN, WJLA (DC), and French, German, Japanese and Russian television. Typically, the total number of inquiries received by the city through its public relations and advertising efforts is about 3000,000 annually. During the three-month media relations program for D-Day, inquiries through the city's 1-800 number increased about three percent. Approximately 15.000 people attended the event, which was limited by the space available at Fort Story.

# # #

By Brickell & Partners