12.14.2010

Running with the big dogs: the Bay Colony Dog Show

I confess: I'm a media hound.

I love reading newspapers cover to cover. Freshly printed magazines. Skimming, skimming, skimming, DVR paused, watching TV shows of all kinds. Zipping through AM, FM and even XM radio stations in the car. I can go through media outlets faster than a fat kid chases an ice cream truck, and yet I still crave more. Kind of like really fresh chips and salsa.

Next year, I'll {hopefully} celebrate my 20th year promoting the Bay Colony Dog Show. I'm a dog person, having worked in a shelter as a teen, on the board of a shelter as a young adult, and for various animal organizations throughout my career... in addition to owning three hamsters, five cats, two dogs and various other critters.

But the dog show gives me more than an opportunity to see thousands of pedigreed pooches of all shapes and sizes (check out my mastiff friend Wilbur!): it feeds my hunger for the hat trick. In PR, especially special event PR, it's great fun to see if you can attract every single media outlet in the market... or at least the ones relevant to your client. I do this nearly every year with the dog show, and it's great fun to be able to work with the press for four days on something so positive, fun, highly visual, and educational. (Check out my shoestring show website: www.baycolonydogshow.com for more de-TAILS.)

Oh yea, for those of you who know me, I'm a word person. I love puns. Dogs + puns = great fun. I've come up with some great ones, but new ones bubble up every year. This year, credit goes to my intern Kari, who helped me walk around our Santa and observed, "You know, we should get a picture of Santa with all the toy breeds around him. Santa sure loves his toys." Brilliant!

Until next year, I'll keep hounding the press on behalf of other clients, but the dog show is close to my heart and I'm lucky to be able to marry my interests all in a four-day, 5,000 tail-wagging, special event.

Happy Howlidays, all!