Super Bowl of Politics Comes to Boston

Do you care that the Democratic National Convention is coming to Boston in July 2004? You should. Boston is a vibrant city, rich in history and culture - and politics. As the Central Artery falls, the 'City on the Hill' rises. Regardless of your personal party affiliation, July 26 to 29 will be a time to show off, create discussion and build visibility.

As a political event that will attract worldwide attention, some 15,000 reporters and other media professionals - including 2,000 international reporters - will cover this event, putting Boston, its communities, personalities and businesses in the world spotlight. Approximately 35,000 opinion leaders and their families will convene to be informed and entertained. Political decision makers from around the country will be seeking to position themselves for the future.

For local, regional and national companies, institutions and organizations with a proactive and visionary agenda, this is a unique marketing opportunity. Any public relations, marketing department or agency worth its salt will be planning to take advantage of it. Intergovernmental relations offices and marketing departments should be collaborating to blend and maximize their budgets in order to achieve a communications objective or strengthen key relationships.

Communications professionals will either be creating a new message or refining a current message to be effectively transmitted to the general public, targeted press, nationwide opinion makers and political leaders. For example, when was the last time your executives visited with your congressional representative, even to just say hello?

The Host Committee (Boston '04), which is responsible for managing everything that takes place outside of the convention facility, is a public resource. A clearinghouse for many of the vendors, goods and services "approved" to serve needs related to the DNC, the committee also has its collective finger on the pulse of the city - knowing where specific delegations will be housed, which venues have not yet been reserved for DNC events and whether opportunities exist for like-minded organizations to collaborate.

Your organization probably has not yet tapped into its opportunities to provide goods and services, as well as host promotional events and entertain important clients, customers or employees. Political leaders will be available to socialize and be informed. Promotional items can be distributed to a targeted market. Sponsorships of various types and at various costs are available. Reporters and media personnel from news organizations important to you are accessible and looking for stories - some immediate and convention-related, others for future use, creating additional opportunities for creative media interaction with long-lasting benefits.

Before it's too late, stop to consider your company's potential to benefit. Thinking about event planning, event attendance, news angles and the like - and thinking about them now - can potentially keep you off the sidelines while the city is making the most of the DNC.

Political fortunes, as we have already witnessed in Iowa and New Hampshire, can rise and fall in an instant - and not just on the Democrats' side. Come July, the battle for the White House will be a prime time event. Don't miss out on this important chapter in American political history. What government does or does not do ultimately affects your bottom line.