A tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary

Not many people get to meet their heroes. And even fewer get to really connect with them. Since the early 1990s, I have had an ongoing relationship with Sir Edmund Hillary and his wife, June. When the news alert of his death hit my computer screen yesterday afternoon, it sent my thoughts flying. Here is some of what came to mind.

Sir Edmund Hillary Tribute Note

There are few real heroes...and most are indeed ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Sir Edmund Hillary was one of those who dignified the term "hero." His passing leaves this earth a more lonely and troubled place. His focus, drive, intellect and humble view of man's achievements were something to marvel in this life.

He had long been my hero when I was fortunate to host him on a visit to Seattle in 1992. When we met, a gaggle of "Sir Edmund"s came out of my mouth. He very quickly and casually said, "Please, just call me Ed."
I worked with him over the ensuing years on a number of projects. He hosted me in his home several times. Tea in his sitting room was so comfortable you could put your feet up and truly enjoy the conversation and the moment. Absolutely no pretense.

I asked him to fire the starting cannon at a round-the-world sailing race that had stopped in Auckland in 1999. When I went to the appointed place to pick him up, he had come with his wife June in their dated car and sat on the corner stoop watching the traffic until I arrived. We then went to the New Zealand Navy ship where he fired the cannon. As we walked across the deck, everyone, sailors and VIPs alike, recognized him as if he were an old friend...no bowing and scraping. He engaged in conversations about the news of the day and what was going on around the town. How refreshing.

Just a few months ago, I asked him to be part of an advisory board for an upcoming Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Expedition. His response was that he appreciated the opportunity but he was unable to travel and now that he was 88, it was time for him to stop. As might be expected, he went on to say that "The project sounds so very worthwhile that we (he and June) both hope it is most successful and that the climbers have a great time in the process."

When I helped him with the promotion of his foundation and the 50th Anniversary of his Everest climb, Sir Edmund spoke very strongly about giving the mountain a rest...too much activity, too many people and too much waste. I'm trying to look at his death as a welcome peaceful rest for one of the world's most remarkable people. If we could all look at life the way he did, this world would be a more sane, rational and compassionate place.

I will miss you, Ed, very much.

Posted by Dan McConnell on January 14, 2008 8:23 AM Permalink

First Saturday in March is Susan Butcher Day

I am very proud that, under a bill just approved by the Alaska Legislature, the first day of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will honor my good friend, Susan Butcher, a four-time champion of the 1049-mile endurance race. Susan was the second woman to win the Iditarod but was and forever will be first in the hearts of Alaskans and all who knew her. She died in August 2006 of leukemia.

Alaska House Bill 37 establishes the first Saturday of every March as Susan Butcher Day. The State Senate on Monday approved the measure on a 14-2 vote. The Alaska House approved the measure unanimously in 2007, the first of the two-year session, but the bill languished in a Senate committee until recently. Gov. Sarah Palin says she will sign the bill and March 1 will officially be Susan Butcher Day in the State of Alaska.
Susan and I came together over 20 years ago, early in her career, and we saw a lot of the world together, along with some very cold days on the tundra between Anchorage and Nome. She was a remarkable woman. When she passed away, I wrote my reflections about her, which follow here. Neither man nor beast could best Susan Butcher. My life is better having known her.

Susan Butcher…one of a kind

This business of public relations occasionally presents us the opportunity to make a connection with individuals who are one of a kind. Susan Butcher was one of a kind…tough, talented, independent, focused and driven. These were just some of the adjectives that described an athlete who made an indelible mark on the world of sport in a truly unique endeavor…Alaska’s great race, the Iditarod.

When I met Susan for lunch here in Seattle just over 20 years ago, she had tongue-tied Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show the night before on national television and made him laugh hysterically. We were introduced by a mutual friend and had come together to talk about Susan’s future as a competitor in the grueling 1100-mile cross-country sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome. She told me that day that she was going to win the race many times and that she needed to make a more effective connection with the “Lower 48” as we are known to many Alaskans, in order to accomplish all that she wanted.

We forged a bond that day that led us down many trails over the past two decades. Susan won the race, just as she said she would, and she won it four times convincingly. Many times, we took her coast to coast where she fascinated major media, enamored sponsors from Purina to Allied Fibers and mesmerized numerous captains of industry with her inspiring presentations. We made a national public television documentary of her story that is still the definitive tale of that incredible race with Susan at the center of it. We went to Japan with a group of world-class adventurers including the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary, who lined up with everyone else to hear Susan’s tales of the Iditarod. She was married at her home north of Fairbanks on a beautiful sunny afternoon at this time of year in a special ceremony with her closest friends…her dogs…as ring bearers…and her native Alaskan soulmates who brought blessed salmon that they had caught the day before on the other side of the state for the evening meal.

As time progressed, she and her loving husband David decided to start a family. Even that didn’t alter their routine or the racing. They just made some alterations in roles and responsibilities and kept on mushing. However, there is no doubt that Susan’s children changed her life…for the first time there were rivals for her affection besides her dogs and those girls were the love of her life. She was a hero to her family and to everyone who met her and when she began her battle against cancer a few years ago, we all knew that the disease would never have a more worthy adversary.

On Saturday, Susan succumbed to the advances of an army of bad cells in her body that was simply too much for even her to handle but she fought with every ounce of strength she had and was a role model of determination and positive thinking every step of the way. Susan was one of those people who are truly bigger than life and when you find compassion, understanding and love there too, it’s almost hard to believe. But with Susan Butcher you got all that and more, because in a man’s world, she was every bit her own person and would stand down to no one.

She leaves a space in our hearts that cannot be filled. In the world of adventure, the term hero is often thrown around casually today but that is not the same as being one of a kind. I’m glad this business of public relations has a way of seeking out the people who are real…the people who are more than talk…more than “been there, done that”. And when you find that person who is truly one of a kind, the power of their being impacts us in an extraordinary way. Susan Butcher was one of a kind. She can never be replaced. She will live forever in those of us who knew her but, today, we send our love to her family and suffer terribly the void left from the passing of our friend. Good bye, Susan…keep on racing.

Posted by Dan McConnell on February 14, 2008 10:32 AM Permalink

5 Days in April

Five days of “His Holiness the Dalai Lama Live” is exhausting, even if you are NOT the Dalai Lama. The unprecedented Seeds of Compassion event brought His Holiness to Seattle for a singular purpose—to explore new and more effective ways to instill compassion in children everywhere. An amazing cadre of experts and thought leaders assembled to pursue this objective with the participation of over 100,000 on- site observers and millions more via the media. There is no doubt that minds and hearts were changed by this special gathering.

Public relations professionals and firms from all over town were tapped by uber-volunteer-organizer Pamela Eakes from the organizing committee to help get the word out during every step of this five-day journey. I was asked to take on some key responsibilities and, with me, I brought an experienced group of those I trusted most from DDB Public Relations and our client The Space Needle, along with some old and new friends who volunteered their expertise to our cause.

The whole experience surrounded each of us and, although our minds were distracted by the real world from time to time, Seeds of Compassion was a part of our lives each day. On the outside, it was an incredible string of workshops, forums and presentations that pleased the participants and awed the audiences every minute. On the inside, each day brought new opportunities and challenges to effectively communicate the magnificent happenings. Here are just a few of these indelible inside remembrances.

For me, it began with the assignment of helping make an opening statement that would set the tone for the entire event. It would be delivered by Lama Tenzin Dohnden, friend of the Dalai Lama since childhood and now his Personal Emissary of Peace. Drafting statements for Buddhist monks is seemingly no different than taking on that job for anyone. We all have our way of saying things and we found the right voice on this one.
Next we had to break a date for His Holiness with Ann Curry from the Today Show, who had come early to prepare for her exclusive interview. His Holiness made a 40 hour real time trip from India to Seattle and it was when he arrived that we all learned that he must have his 8 to 9 hours sleep each day. He was overdue for some sleep and his request was honored. So was the interview, the next morning, and NBC made use of it through the weekend and into Monday’s Today Show.

By the weekend, we were all getting used to working with the group of over 100 reporters and photographers who were assigned to this event. Experience pays dividends in these instances because each of us knew what the others job was and respected each other’s willingness to make it all work.
Saturday was “Public Day”. thousands of international participants, an amazing 11-year-old violin virtuoso and over 50,000 observers inside the Seahawks’ Qwest Field in the open, with no cover. The day before it rained and was 38 degrees. The day after it rained more and the temperature was about the same. On “Public Day”, it was sunny, clear and almost 70 degrees. I don’t know about you but I know who I want to thank for that.

It was while we were at Qwest Field that I got the call. We had all agreed that the five days belonged to Seeds of Compassion. Even though there was trouble between China and the Dalai Lama’s native country of Tibet, that subject was not on the table during Seeds. We wanted to protect the sanctity of the purpose. The call informed me that His Holiness and his countrymen on the national Tibetan council felt they could not avoid speaking about China and Tibet to this collection of media while he was here.

It was a tough decision to decide who would take on this responsibility. There were client conflicts all over the place. Because of my experience in both these countries, because I had been very transparent to my clients on both sides about my involvement with Seeds and His Holiness and, in spite of my work with upcoming Beijing Olympics, ultimately it was decided that I was the best choice to conduct this special news conference.

We chose early Sunday morning because it was the beginning of a quiet day and it fit His Holiness’s schedule. I don’t suppose I will ever send out another Media Alert where I sign it “Personal Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama”. But then the entire event was to become a personal highlight on so many levels.

We worked closely with the Secret Service, who protects foreign dignitaries as well as the President of the United States. I have worked with them in the past but, each time I do, I gain a new respect for this group of patriots who have an incredibly delicate job to do. This detail was no different as you will soon learn.
I gathered my crew of DDBers and Space Needle pros to help with this job. We staffed the room, got the media set in their places and waited. I had to give the media the rules and some hints about the Dalai Lama’s approach to interviews. Just remember not to stand up in his presence unless you’re called on.
When His Holiness entered the room with the Secret Service detail, I was to greet him. He walked straight to me and extended his hand. It was a warm two-handed handshake and he said very softly in my ear “Thank you for this.” Being touched by this is an understatement.

He took the stage, sat down in the overstuffed red chair that we were all getting used to by now, leaned forward, shook his head and said “I have nothing to say.” I immediately thought that this was going to be a very long moment in a very short morning. But, as you might guess, he went on to talk for over an hour, answering every question that was tossed up.

I was the moderator. Just me and him on the stage. If you ever want to feel small and insignificant then spend an hour and half on a stage with the Dalai Lama. Somehow I felt invisible. But it was about 40 minutes into the conference when we had an unexpected turn of events. With His Holiness in mid-answer, the room went totally dark. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. It was dark for no more than one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three. When the lights came back up, the two Secret Service agents who were sitting on either side of the room in folding chairs before were now standing next to each other at the ready in the center of the room in front of the Dalai Lama. I might have been scared enough but I could never have made that leap in less than three seconds.

When my heart stopped pounding, His Holiness was continuing his answer with his trademarked laugh. It was then we found out that one of the members of the security detail had unknowingly leaned against the light switch. He heard about that for the rest of the day, I’m sure.
Those 90 minutes that morning will be bottled in my mind forever. When he placed his matching cloth carrybag over his shoulder, I was told he would be ready to go, so I have gave him the sign that time was up and, suddenly, it was over. As we left the room, one of the media folks there said to me “You know the question I want to get the answer to that never gets asked? Does the Dalai Lama have a real life? Does he put on jeans and a t-shirt and go browsing at the video store or listening to music?” It would be interesting to know but somehow I can’t picture it.

From there, time seemed to become a blur. Sunday afternoon, I witnessed an “appreciation audience”. All the key volunteer leads gathered in one room organized together by our responsibilities. There must have been over 200 of us. With the event producer leading the way, the Dalai Lama and his Secret Service contingent passed by each group for a photo. At each stop, he would shake some hands. My wife Jane had her “Brush with Greatness” there because shorter people were in the front row and he reached her first. I looked at my watch when he entered the room. He gave a short “Thank You” to us after five minutes and in seven, he was gone. Though the contact was brief, we were all still touched by him.

His entourage led by Lama Tenzin had dinner at the Space Needle on Monday evening. After they were seated, I asked him if he would be having a vegetarian meal. He said, “No, I could use some meat.” In fact, more than half of the group had meat and they loved it!

The finale on Tuesday at the University of Washington was better than the best show-stopping Broadway number you can imagine. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu sitting next to each other on the stage with a group of spiritual luminaries for two hours. They laughed, they cried, they talked about their mothers. They both have infectious laughs and when the Archbishop punched His Holiness and said “You should act more like a Holy Man!” he made himself laugh so hard that it took a minute for him to gain control again. His Holiness watched in disbelief until the Archbishop had settled down and then said quietly, “Thank you so much.” They were like Hope and Crosby (that’s Bob and Bing for you twenty-somethings)—only better.

And all of a sudden this groundbreaking enclave was over. Seeds of Compassion immediately began to revel in its success and evaluate its potential for changing the world. Our group rushed outside and waved as His Holiness left for the airport. We received a hand-wave back through the car window as it sped by with the motorcade. He was headed for Ann Arbor and I had to race to catch a plane to Chicago for a client event that night. As I settled into a coach seat on my newly-inspected American Airlines MD80, I put in my white earbuds and, on “Shuffle”, up came Bob Dylan’s “You Gotta Serve Somebody”. No kidding! When my mind began to decompress, I wondered what playlist His Holiness has on his iPod…IF he has an iPod! Maybe we’ll find that out the next time. My world is so different now.

Posted by Dan McConnell on April 21, 2008 4:06 PM Permalink

3,000,000 miles on Company Time

A few days ago, I went to the far reaches of Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska to pick up some mountain climbers. The Alaska Airlines flight on that trip put me over the 3 million mile mark in air miles traveled since joining the DDB family 15 years ago this year. That’s a lot of time in the air in memory of Bill Bernbach and the boys.

3 million air miles can be expressed in a lot of ways.

It’s 120 trips around the world. It’s 6 trips to the moon and back. It’s 6000 hours, 36 weeks or 8 1/3 months in the air.

For me, it was 21 different airlines, including Comanche, Red Dog and Flying Moose Air. It was 8 real trips around the world, following sailboats; 20 trips to China; it was touching down on all seven continents and staying on 6 of them. It was crash-diving in a small twin-engine plane over Chicago to get the ice off the wings after take-off. It was landing on the semi-frozen Bering Sea with only one float working during the spring thaw. It was staring across the aisle at the dead guy with a blanket over his head all the way from New York to Chicago before they could remove the body. It was watching Jack Nicholson across the way do that eye-brow thing at the two ladies looking at him, then tipping up his sunglasses and saying, “Yeah, it’s me.” It was riding CAC from the middle of China to Tibet with several chickens and one small pig running loose on board. And more.

Since 9/11, flying has become a whole new ballgame and with that have come a whole new set of experiences. Having the TSA people know your name or at least recognize you can become sort of creepy. And then there is my now-famous “razor blade in the sport coat” encounter which got me almost arrested and permanently into Nordstrom’s company-wide tailoring guidelines. That even made for a whole column in the daily newspaper. Reader’s Digest was sort of the ultimate when they called me a “true frequent flyer” as the lead in a cover story about amassing airmiles and how they get used.

These are only miles that I can actually track over the past few years through frequent flyer records. My routes are so erratic that I can’t fly on just one or two airlines, although between Delta, American and United, I’m holding close to half a million right now. My annual miles increased with world travel since the 1990’s but I can’t remember a year that I haven’t done 100,000.

My personal record is fall 1994 to fall 1995 when I came in just shy of 300,000 miles. The quickest long trip was Seattle to London, London to New York (on the Concorde); New York to Las Vegas; Vegas to Nome; Nome to Chicago; Chicago to New York; New York to Seattle—in ten days.
I’ve traveled in every job I’ve ever had. My first boss handed me a ticket to St. Louis the day I started work and I was off to a meeting. You get to know the routine and the little tricks pretty well. There’s the friend who told me he discovered that simply leaving your car on the departures level at the airport when you’re in a rush costs you less to pay the towing on your return than the normal parking fees. I must admit I can’t talk myself into trying that one.

I’ve had every kind of food imaginable on board; much that was undistinguishable. Chinese and Russian national airlines take the cake—actually, there was nothing there that even tasted like cake. I have all the sleep booties, masks and collapsible toothbrushes I can ever use. And, I’ve found out the hard way that on-board duty-free purchases, with very few exceptions, are far from the best prices available.

What’s the best airline? I’m often asked. There used to be definable differences between major airlines. With deregulation and more of a focus on price, those differences have gone by the wayside. Some of the international airlines, like Thai and Swiss Air, do a great job on specific routes but overall I would have to say British Airways gets the top award in my book. Their coach section is called “World Traveler” and they make you feel like one. Even on their flights within England, you get white glove service.

Once, when I was traveling with a client, we both tried to upgrade to business class at the ticket counter. Due to a computer glitch, I thought he had made it and I had not. What really happened was that the entire plane, except for First Class, filled up with his request. First class opened just long enough to take my reservation then closed again. I rode from Seattle to London as the only first class passenger on British Air. What a way to go. The flight attendant greeted me with “Mr. McConnell, we’ll be traveling together to London. Please just let me know if there is anything you need.”

Do I like traveling? It has just become second nature. When it’s for business, all the airports, rental cars, taxis, hotels and meeting rooms begin to look the same. When it’s personal travel, it can be an adventure to a new place. But when it does get old, and it does get old, one thing gets me through it. Unless she’s traveling with me, my wife is always waiting here when I return. There is absolutely no place like home.

Posted by Dan McConnell on July 7, 2008 5:54 PM Permalink

A journey of 7000 years in just 25

"We left Narita (Tokyo) at 4:30 pm on CAAC, the Chinese national airline. The plane was a 707 but a very old one. Seats were broken and and the carpeting was threadbare...We arrived in Beijing at 7:30 (we gained a one-hour time change). It was still light out and the airport was huge. We were the only arrival. No other airplanes in sight...Lots of forms to fill out. All our luggage made it . Very thorough check including many questions about electronic equipment. By 9:00 pm, we loaded on the bus for downtown Beijing. It took about an hour to reach the hotel. As we travelled, there were crowds of people along the sides of the road, camping, working, sleeping, chatting, eating. It was very busy. They scurried like rats when we passed by. There was virtually no other motorized traffic...only bicycles...and us. Our hotel was a three-story concrete box. No frills, to say the least...dinner was scrambled eggs and noodle soup with beer and orange soda to drink. We headed for bed right away. It was very hot and a little smoggy but our room had a window air conditioner that worked intermittently. Tomorrow, we'll do some touring...the Great Wall, I think."

Beijing, China, August 8, 1984

This short excerpt from my travel journal in 1984 is an amazing coincidence as I start out for Beijing on 8.8.08. I know it will be a different experience this time. For one thing, my wife Jane will be with me, instead of a bunch of mountain climbers headed for Chomolungma, "Mother Goddess of the Earth", or, as some call it, Mt. Everest.

My trip to Beijing during these historic Olympic Games has been a long and interesting journey. Over the past 25 years, China has been a constant companion in my business travels. I am fascinated with the culture and the people and have come to understand how the roots of a civilization that is thousands of years old have grown in so many different directions.

This trip has happened because a long-time friend who is a native of Shanghai has constantly put me in front of the Chinese business and political communities over the years. We have made many interesting inroads together and now I find myself advising those sitting across the table, as well as the clients next to me.
I'm not here to see the Games. I may be fortunate to take in some competition. But mostly I'm here to try to explain the mindset of the Western news media to their hosts and to answer the "why" questions that the visitors may have. I'm like a doctor on call. I don't know for certain how or when I'll be called upon but I have a schedule for checking in and I'll follow it.

With more than 3000 hours of television coverage from NBC and its partners, you won't need me to tell you what's happening on the playing field. You will be able to witness the Games and the backstories in an unprecedented way, even live. But you might be interested in hearing about the old man with a black bag and a milkcase stool fixing people's teeth on the sidewalk next to the Forbidden City...or the pack of young kids diving fully clothed into the lake at the Summer Palace in a swimming competition of their own making.

For the next 10 days or so, I will comment, when I can, about what's going on here. This is sure to be one of the most talked about events for years to come. And I'll be there in the thick of it...with the estimated 7 million other visitors. My hope is that it is fair, competitive, exciting and above all safe. If the opening ceremonies are any indication, it's going to be a "doozie"!

Until the next time,
Dan Mc

Posted by Dan McConnell on August 8, 2008 11:23 AM Permalink

"Ni Hao" from Beijing

Comparing the major east coast cities of mainland China to their US equivalents has always been a clear analogy to me. Guangzhou in the south, just across the water from Hong Kong, is like LA, warm, sunny, glitzy and very entertainment centric. Shanghai is New York City, the business capitol and long established in the global trade scheme. Beijing has been Washington, DC, the seat of political power, lots of monuments and stuffy, grey government buildings with military troops all around.
But today, the millions and millions of dollars that have been put into Beijing for these Olympic Games have elevated this city to world, cosmopolitan status on a par with Paris, London and Geneva.
It was fortunate that through friends we got an apartment which helped our hosts get us a very quick visa for Jane, so we could have this experience together. For a time, they had stopped issuing visas altogether. Persistance and opportunity were on our side.
We came into the city from the airport on a new six-lane highway that was as flat and straight as could be. It was raining and fairly late at night and there was little traffic. We made the 15 to 20 mile trip in less than half an hour. As far as the cost of doing business there goes, the taxi fares are the buy of the century. It is hard to spend more than the equivalent of $1.50 to go anywhere in the city. The ride from the airport was less than $10.
We stayed in an upscale apartment complex near what you might call Embassy Row. The Canadian and Columbian embassies were right next door and the new US Embassy was just down the street.There were pockets of old Beijing all around us. Within a block and a half of our apartment was a Hutong area, where families live in small, very spartan dwellings around a courtyard. There were shops on the streetside for fresh vegetables, meat and hardware. A bicycle repairman sets up his stand on the sidewalk and can disassemble a bicycle and repair anything on the spot. However, bicycles are being banned from certain areas of the city and cars a taking over, which is a bit sad in my mind.
Speaking of cars, the odd-even driving days during the Games have alleviated much of the congestion on the roads, though with 3 million cars in the city and 1000 new ones being sold everyday, the situation is certainly not getting better.
The rain has cured most of the pollution concerns and, with an occasional thunderstorm blowing through, even the humidity is bearable. No one is complaining about the air quality for now. The sky is blue and sun is bright.
Our first full day was spent getting the lay of the land and the rhythm of the city. I like to be as local as possible anywhere I go. I'll never be mistaken for Chinese but I like to do things the way they do...eat on their schedule, at their places (except for McDonald's, of course) and walk and shop away from the congestion of tourist stops. There are supposed to be over seven million visitors to the city during the Games and, believe me, they are obvious.
There was a french bakery in our complex...not bad croissants and coffee, although Starbucks is everywhere too. We ate dumplings (steamed buns) and noodles for lunch, a Beijing favorite. Lunch for two with all the trimmings was less than $20 at a very nice restaurant. You can eat dumplings from the street vendors, and I do, for a couple of bucks.
All the venues for the Games are north of the downtown. Our apartment was in the northeast quadrant and close to Worker's Stadium, which has been their major outdoor stadium until now. Some events are being held there but most are using the new venues, completed in the past few months.
I had a conference each day with members of the Beijing Organizing Committee to discuss relevant public issues that were potentially in the eye of the world's media attending the Games. These issues changed daily. How the local organizers would react and how Western media and public opinion could be affected were the topics of discussion. After that, we tried to see some of the competition and the sights.
Every day was filled with non-stop activities. There was no time to take a breath. We were going from 6am to midnight...and it was exhilarating and incredibly awesome.
I plan to do four more of these reports...one about the people, one about the issues, one about the Games/Venues and one about our trip to the Today Show. I hope you find them interesting. The atmosphere in Beijing was very positive and hopeful. It felt like this effort could definitely be world-changing. For the better, if we're lucky.
Dan Mc
Posted by Dan McConnell on August 19, 2008 10:38 AM Permalink

Smile...the world is watching.

The first thing I noticed on our trip to the Beijing Olympics were the smiles on the faces of the Chinese people. In the past, a smile has been pretty hard to come by there. Oh, you could get a smile after awhile, if you worked at it, but it wasn't easy.
Now, you see that "Hello" (or "Ni Hao") and "Welcome" smile everywhere you look. On the faces of Games volunteers greeting the athletes and officials at the airport; taxi drivers and there are hundreds of them; shopkeepers; retail clerks; and even people on the street.
It's amazing what a smile will do for the disposition of a visitor to a new and strange place. I don't know how they got the hint but the Chinese people have the idea and it's working.
The 70,000 Games volunteers in their blue and white shirts are keeping things moving on the downtown streets, in stores, at tourist sites and at the venues. Some of them speak English but many don't. Even so, they do a great job of making you feel comfortable while they are moving you in the right direction. They go to many classes before they are awarded their blue and white shirts in a special ceremony. The volunteers are very proud of their status and they wear those shirts like a badge...and they do it with a smile.
Taxi drivers have to take a rigorous test to get their license and one of the requirements is to be able to say "hello", "goodbye", "thank you" and " this is how much" in English. They certainly get an "A" for effort, although you do hear a lot of "ha", "goobuh" and "fankoo". It's definitely better than trying to dive into the chinese language. They always win that game.
As long as I have been travelling to China, a shopkeeper's main tools are a pad of paper and a pencil. Once you've decided what you want, the price appears on that pad. If bargaining is in order then you cross out that price and write down a new one. This goes on until you get a nod and a smile. You've made your purchase. Although bargaining is diminishing in the big cities with the coming of the western retailers, it's still out there and still a lot of fun, if you're up to it.
The Night Market is another great place to find a smile. It's a three-block-long row of colorfully-lit food booths where you can sample anything from barbequed scorpion to deep-fried starfish-on-a-stick. Whether you dare to eat or just watch, it's a laugh-riot to see hordes of people, mostly Chinese and few brave foreigners, sampling monkey brains and snake-on-a-stick while drinking bubble tea. On this visit I decided to see just how spicy hot they could make a bowl of noodles. When I placed my order, a rather devious smile appeared on the face across the counter. The "chef" gathered his friends around and began to cook. "More spice?" his eyes said to me. When I said "yes", he laughed and kept pouring it on. When he thought he had hit my limit, I said "more". His friends gave me a cheer and he added a huge scoop of a steamy black spice. As he handed me the bowl, the onlookers folded their arms and just looked at me. Man, was it hot! But I ate every bit of it, right in front of them, as they smiled in amazement. I took their handshakes and pats on the back but as I walked on my way, I wondered just what was really going on in my stomach. Smiles all around.
It was in the official Olympic flagship merchandise store that I found my calling as an interpreter. And I received my payment in a smile for services rendered. Most of the clerks there spoke English but for some, that is like saying I speak Chinese...a little goes a long way. I was contemplating my next overpriced "official" trinket purchase when a young Chinese woman rushed up to me and said "Please help me!". "Uh-oh", I thought, "This could be trouble." She told me that there was a shopper on the phone and she couldn't understand the woman's English. Do I look like an American or what!? A bit reluctantly, I took the call. Well, first of all, the woman was Australian. I know that accent, Mate. Secondly, she was looking for a red keyfob with the Games logo. Now I don't know how old you have to be to know what a keyfob is, but I do. Together, we searched the store from one end to the other. At last, near the cellphone wriststraps, we found a keyring with a small leather patch attached and the logo stamped there in gold. I'd made a sale! And a friend. The young woman gave me a big hug and smile and the bag of junk I bought for twice its value, all of a sudden seemed worth it.
Finally, after we had gotten to know several bright, young Chinese people, who helped us get around the city, I thought I would ask them how their parents had chosen their western-sounding first names. They all spoke very good English, so Jessica, Isabella, Candy and Michael were all very happy to oblige. It seems that their parents did not select their first names. They did. When they go to university and begin to speak English, their professors ask them to select a western first name that has some particular meaning to them. Jessica loves pop music, so Jessica Simpson it is. Isabella loves Italy and Italian movies. Candy loves...well, you get the idea. Even I thought of Michael Jordan because Michael had told me he was a basketball nut.
Now, there are so many ways to engage the Chinese people. Most encounters, even passing people on the street or seeing them in restaurant windows, are pleasant and enjoyable. These Olympic Games have made the people of Beijing very proud of their city and the country. But more importantly, they have made Chinese people proud of themselves. And that's such a good thing, it makes me smile.
More later,Dan Mc
Posted by Dan McConnell on August 20, 2008 10:12 AM Permalink

...so what's the problem?

There is no doubt that the socio-political policies of the Chinese government have caused concern in many corners of the world. The Beijing Olympic Games are intended to allay some of those concerns and shine a new light on China and its position in the global economy. Although success has been achieved on many fronts with these Games, there are still questions to be answered and realities to be faced.
With almost 20,000 accredited journalists and photographers in Beijing for the festivities, it is clear that the actions and reactions of the host committee as well as the government are under intense scrutiny. That is why the host committee has sought out a cadre of experienced communications professionals to counsel them about the “western view” in key situations. My name was placed in consideration by a prominent Chinese friend and colleague in the early planning phases for the Games. I was asked to help because of my experience as a former journalist and long-time news media strategist. My voice was one in a crowd for this low-profile effort but each day of the Games a list of issues has been put forward for reaction and guidance on the responses to each of these issues. The work has been fascinating and sometimes frustrating but the exchange has seemed valuable nonetheless.
The range of issues that have been faced by the organizers since the beginning of the Olympic Games has been wide and far-reaching. Some have been quite serious, while others have seemed almost frivolous in comparison. Potential responses have been studied with care and reactions have been timely. For the most part, the Games and Beijing have avoided any major controversies or emergencies. Security in and around the capitol city has been paramount. The huge clampdown which started ahead of the Games has included checks at subway stations, restrictions on visas of foreigners and anti-aircraft missiles placed near sporting venues. Officials have said that about 150,000 police and other security personnel are on hand to safeguard the Games.
Still, there have been situations to deal with and here are a few that have ultimately been covered by the global media in some form.
The stabbing of the Minnesota couple and their guide at the Drum Tower is perhaps the most serious. The attacker was obviously deranged and took his own life. Sadly, one of the people who was attacked died as well. The question here was one of “proportional response”. How far do they go to avoid an incident like this. First, it is almost impossible to stop someone acting alone from performing their act. Already there are weapons checks going on at all major public venues. Here, it seemed that an overt action was necessary to underscore the safety of the citizenry and to make it obvious that there is a major effort in place. The Drum Tower was closed immediately. Additional security safeguards were put in place and then the facility was reopened with no further action.
The situation in Tibet was bound to raise its head during the Games and, of course, it did. The group of “Free Tibet” demonstrators made a public spectacle near one of the venues and caused the temporary closure of several important tourist locations including Tian’ an Men Square. This is a difficult cultural problem that will not end here. However, the Chinese Government has made their position on public demonstrations very clear. Previous incidents have resulted in the deportation of the activists. This one was no different. Controlling demonstrations is something municipalities around the world have to deal with. The subject matter is secondary to the public disruption that can result. If things are done in a peaceful manner, they are most often tolerated. The Tibet situation is just too volatile to handle at certain times. This was unfortunately one of them.
There was a related incident with a British journalist who was detained as a result of this demonstration. He cried foul for being manhandled and the BBC reported it. In this case, however, there was more to the story. First of all, the journalist was running inside the group of demonstrators with no visible credential. Secondly, it was reported that he was an active part of the demonstration, even holding up a “Free Tibet” t-shirt, before police intervened. And then when he was detained, he admittedly tried to escape. The suggestion was made that the journalist should be publicly questioned on his actions. When this happened, his story changed and he had little defense. It’s one thing to be a journalist covering an event but quite another to be a sympathetic demonstrator and then turn objective “journalist” when it is convenient.
Finally, a quick note from the other end of the spectrum. Not so serious was the situation when Nike tried an ambush marketing effort at several of the key Olympic venues. Adidas is the official sportswear sponsor of the Games. The organizing committee has been very protective of their sponsors exclusive positions and on a regular basis, commercial competitors have tried to intrude on the action. In this instance, Nike began to hand out “Just Do It” (their marketing slogan) t-shirts to spectators entering the stadiums, if they would put on the shirts before going in. The expected result was to be a sea of “Just Do It” shirts in the stands. Officials immediately turned the “Just Do It” wearers around saying that their tickets would not be honored unless they removed the shirts before coming into the venue. Frankly, this whole situation seemed ludicrous to me. Nike was having a tough time getting the shirts on people and the Games were having a somewhat tougher time getting them off. It was a disruption for everyone. Ultimately, the Games stopped screening the spectators and Nike stopped the campaign. The media barely covered the incident and I say let the outdoor boards and uniforms on the athletes speak for themselves. It’s a lot easier that way.
What encourages me most about this exercise is that all the parties are making a very conscious effort to have these Games be safe and fair for all the participants. At every Olympic Games, there is the discussion of world politics and commercialization playing key roles. In my mind, that can never be entirely avoided. China is making no bones about their effort to use these Games to elevate their position on the world stage. If they present their best face and play fairly both on and off the field then, I think, everyone wins. There are only a few days left in this spectacle and I trust that when it’s over, we all feel closer to and better about one another. I know the athletes will.
Until tomorrow,Dan Mc
Posted by Dan McConnell on August 21, 2008 9:06 AM Permalink

Do fries come with that?

There are two restaurants on the Olympic Green that surrounds the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube (now being called the Ice Cube by us westerners). They are both Scottish. They serve an incredibly American menu of burgers, fries and chicken nuggets. But they don’t serve chopsticks. That seems to frustrate the locals a bit but they have developed a unique solution to the problem. It’s amazing what you can pick up with two beverage straws. I’ve been awed by the Chinese ability to eat French fries with “straw” chopsticks. Yes, I tried it…but it didn’t work.
These two McDonald’s restaurants are open 24 hours and packed almost all the time with as many athletes as visitors. The only addition I have noticed to the menu is corn-on-the-cob, which is a Chinese breakfast and lunch staple. It is eaten cold after steaming or boiling. I ate some but, frankly, it didn’t seem to be a delicacy for me. It’s clear though that I am the exception here. The franchise is certainly alive and well in Beijing.
The city of Beijing, which stretches for 6500 square miles (compared to LA at 500) in all directions, has been completely been taken over by the Games. There is not a street without a banner; a home or business without a poster or flag; cars have stickers; even the entrance to the Temple of Heaven, which has become the icon for Beijing, has given over its long entrance walkway to pictogram sculptures of the athletic events of the Games.
There are 34 different venues for the competitions. Some brand new with 21st Century designs and others that were around during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960’s. The Bird’s Nest has become the symbol of the Beijing Olympics. It’s a remarkably designed stadium. And within a mile or so of it are 12 other venues for these Games that are fresh and new and exciting. The athletes village where they are housed is brand new with all the modern amenities you can imagine, including wi-fi everywhere. The accommodations are as good as any downtown hi-rise hotel! And I’m sure appreciated even more.
My closest association to the venues is with the Workers’ Stadium back closer to the center of town. Soccer is being played there today, just as it was15 years ago when I toured the facility with a client to evaluate it for concerts. It was old and tired then. Still, it was the "national" stadium with a seating capacity of 60,000 . Whitney Houston wouldn’t perform there because we couldn’t get enough seats on the field to meet her attendance expectations. The stadium has been completely renovated for the Games. Can Whitney say the same?
Almost 11,000 athletes are taking part in the competition and, from my observation, they are being well cared for. They are very visible in town, touring, shopping, eating in restaurants and the nationalism of their teams and followers is inspiring. We toured one day with the family and supporters of an American judo competitor. All they could talk about was the wonderful treatment they were receiving from their hosts. Special events, discount cards, help with travel and tour arrangements, even tickets to movies (they wanted to see “The Dark Knight), of course!) were readily available to them. The sister of the competitor introduced him to judo when he was six. And his mother said she didn’t need any more souvenirs because the night before her son had given her an Olympic locket with his picture inside. How cool is that!
The organizers even spent a healthy chunk of the estimated $40 billion budget on a special lane on the new highway for the exclusive use of the competitors and officials travelling between venues. The athletes are the center of this huge event. If anyone deserves special attention, it’s them. We’re hearing no complaints what-so-ever.
Event tickets are another issue. The question is being raised on a daily basis as to why the stands are half empty for many of the competitions. Like other large-scale attractions these days, selling tickets over the internet has changed the make-up of the spectator base dramatically. The largest group of event tickets offered on line were sold out in 18 minutes. Overall, the Beijing Games generated about nine million tickets, but a large chunk of those were set aside for the International Olympic Committee, sponsors, dignitaries and TV broadcasters — reducing the total available to the public to a reported 6.8 million Still watching the events on television continually showed many empty seats during the daily competitions. Those of us in the event business know that selling tickets does not mean that they get used. It’s an unfortunate reality, as witnessed by our recent Dalai Lama visit in Seattle when many of the “sold out” sessions had open seats. For the past few days, organizers have offered 5,000 free tickets daily to locals in order to fill in the stands at many of the events.
Because I was working for the host committee, we did not have regular credentials, nor were tickets set aside for us. When time allowed, we were given special credentials and could fill-in when certain venues were not full. We saw table tennis (like nothing I’ve ever seen) at the Peking University Gymnasium; wrestling at the Chinese Agricultural University Gymnasium; weight lifting at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium. I don’t think I’d ever heard of synchronized diving before but watching it at the Ice Cube was a truly thrilling experience. Every competition at an event like this takes on a heightened level of expectation and reality. Like nothing you can imagine without witnessing it.
As the Games race toward a conclusion, I am beginning to reflect on the true meaning of this edition of our world’s most famous sporting competition. Both China and the US have made their countries proud on the playing field. China has offered the rest of us at taste of their culture that is fresh and new. Whether there is more to all this or not, only the future can tell us.
What I do know is that the sight of the Bird’s Nest at midnight with the flame burning brightly and a full moon hanging low over the top still gives me chills. It is an indelible picture of this experience that will remain in my mind forever. We are so fortunate to have been witness to this momentous gathering and to feel the earth move just a teeny bit toward making us closer together.
We arrived on opening day and will be home again at the close. Like you, we saw the opening ceremony on television and will do the same for the closing. My final report on Monday will recount a very personal experience Jane and I had with one of America’s strongest links to this event, NBC’s Today Show. In some small manner, I hope these reports have offered you a part of this experience that you could not find elsewhere. I know writing them has for me.
Until Monday,Dan Mc
Posted by Dan McConnell on August 22, 2008 2:31 PM Permalink

Bye Bye Beijing

As the last fireworks faded into the night and athletes hugged each other at the closing ceremonies, my mind began to recount the past five months of this unbelievable adventure that has been the Beijing Olympics for me. It was a winding road but every turn has brought new horizons. The roots of this trip were in China’s most famous autonomous region, Tibet, when the Dali Lama came to Seattle for five days in April to talk about compassion. My involvement there formed the link that became a highlight of the visit to Beijing. Then we were off to Uruguay in May to celebrate with friends who were on the Olympic Committee there and who we would connect with in Beijing while they got the favored nation treatment as VIPs. And finally, my Chinese friend and colleague opened the last door in June that made the whole visit a reality.
When we flew into Beijing from our Tokyo stopover, I spotted NBC’s Ann Curry on our flight. She had not forgotten the help we had given her to get an exclusive interview with the Dali Lama in Seattle and she was still very appreciative. After chatting about the situation in Tibet, she said if we were near the Today Show set during the Games to let her know and she would love to see us again. I tucked that in the back of mind and got down to business after our arrival.
The time in Beijing literally flew by. We were up at 6am every morning and the day’s activities were non-stop until midnight. We then spent the next 6 hours trying to tell ourselves that we should be sleeping. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. But sleep deprivation was something worth dealing with for the experience we were having.
The international media center was on the north side of the Bird’s Nest and very near it was the outdoor set for NBC’s Today Show. NBC was America’s official broadcast partner for the Games. Unless you were watching Canadian television, NBC was your lifeline to Beijing. Much of their reporting was live in New York but most of the competitions were taped and edited before you saw them in the evenings. New York and Beijing are exactly 12 hours apart. So 7am in New York was 7pm in Beijing and essentially, the day was over. The Today Show did its broadcast live for New York from 7 to 10pm Beijing time each day throughout the Games.
If you’ve read any of my previous reports, you know something about the two weeks we had there. Almost every minute was spoken for but we hardly noticed because it was such an incredible experience. Near the end of last week as our time was winding down, we made an afternoon trip to the Hutongs with our guide and driver. These are the “old” Beijing neighborhoods where families live in very Spartan buildings around a courtyard. They eat together in one place; sleep in another and congregate and visit in the courtyard or “living room”. The Chinese people were very gracious to allow us into their homes for this experience.
When we came out, very near the Drum Tower, we had the opportunity to take a rickshaw ride around the neighborhood. It was fun but before we completed the tour, an horrendous thunderstorm came through that completely swamped the area in 8 to 10 inches of water. We were soaked to the skin so we decided to go back to the apartment and change into dry clothing. By that time, our choice was what to do for dinner. It was then we realized that if we were ever going to try to see Ann Curry and the Today Show, this was going to be our only shot before leaving for home.
We grabbed a taxi and the adventure began. The accepted means of directions for a taxi were to go to one of the many local volunteers who would write your destination in Chinese on a small card which you would give to the driver. (Seattle sportswriter Art Thiel evidently tried to do this at the media center before leaving for a restaurant but, from his article, it seems he wanted to make it as hard as possible, and he did! We never had a problem.) The key to reaching the Today Show set was to break through the layers of security that surrounded the Olympic Green and the Bird’s Nest.
Fortunately, our driver was tenacious. The city is laid out with ring roads that emanate from the Forbidden City. The second ring road is the closest to the downtown and therefore almost always the most crowded. Our apartment was between the 3rd and 4th ring roads and therefore not quite as busy. The Bird’s Nest is just outside the 6th ring road and security begins to get real tight after the 5th. We did circles for awhile until our driver stopped to find a security guard who could help us. Without a formal credential, my only piece of related communication was the email on my iPhone that Ann Curry had sent me after we arrived. Both the driver and I kept saying “NBC” and “Today Show” but we were getting little response.
We did finally make it through the 5th ring but now getting to the International Broadcast Center was the problem. We tried the bus lane that takes journalists to the venues. We made it into a couple of the media parking lots but weren’t allowed to get out of the car. Finally, in sight of the Bird’s Nest, we encountered a volunteer who had been educated in the US and he recognized all the pieces of the puzzle. He walked us into the Media Guest Center where I promptly showed my iPhone email and was directed to a young man holding a sign that said “Today Show”. After I told him my story, the doors began to open. We were given credentials and soon two runners showed up with a golf cart to drive us to the set. This was the “internship” of a lifetime for these two young women who were just out of college. And when they found out where we were from, their faces lit up and they told us that the other person they were working with was a brand new graduate of the University of Washington. A little bit of luck goes a long way in these situations.
After getting acquainted with the backstage folks, we were left near the stage in a place where we could see the set with the Bird’s Nest and the flame burning brightly in the background. It's fascinating to watch an experienced group of professionals do what they do best when they're 7000 miles from home in a strange country. They pull it off with such elan.
We stayed there, feeling very special, until Ann Curry spotted me at the break and came over to talk to us. She said she wanted to spend more time after the show but she would like us to come up and sit on the set. Two director’s chairs appeared and we were introduced to the whole gang. Many of their interviews were conducted about 4 feet from where we were sitting. Mary Lou Retton was on the show talking about gymnastics, as well as a young man who made the swimming team and then found out he had cancer. He still came and competed. It was a very inspiring story. As the camera pulled away from his segment, if you look very closely, you can see Jane and me perched on our director’s chair in the extreme left corner of the photo. Our two seconds of fame…still pretty cool!
Ann introduced us around after the show and we were offered a couple of the bugs from the Night Market that Al had sampled on the show. We spent as much time as she had talking about Tibet which is obviously a subject very near and dear to her, and about our individual hopes for the effect of these Games on our world. She is such a gentle and genuine person. It is easy to see how comfortable she can make the people around her as she does her job. We walked her to her car and said our goodbyes. Suddenly, there we were in front of the Bird’s Nest, the flame aglow and the full moon looking down on us. It was just before midnight and we were flying high as a kite! Could anything be much better than that? Certainly nothing we could think of right then.
The memory of the Today Show now joins the other remarkable experiences that were the Beijing Olympics for us. I am too close to China now to be completely objective but I think that the 2008 Olympics were an astounding achievement. There was so much to overcome for the hosts but they did it…and they did it in style. It was safe and the Games introduced the rest of the world to a China we had no idea existed. It ultimately comes down to the people and they could not have been more welcoming or inviting. I was so deeply touched by this experience that it is hard to express. I can only say that the world is different now for me and I hope that feeling rubs off on all of us.
My hat is in the ring for London in 2012. Our reservations are already made. Couple that with Vancouver and the Winter Games in 2010 where the agency has a committed piece of the action and the future continues to hold very exciting prospects. But there will never be another Beijing 2008. You’ve now heard what this experience has meant to my life. I wish you the same kind of adventures in yours.
It's good to be home,Dan Mc
“Ten thousand miles this autumn. I will always be a traveler.” Du Fu, Tang Dynasty, 618-907 A.D.
Posted by Dan McConnell on August 25, 2008 12:23 PM Permalink

Our Own Newman Award

Being a philanthropist made Paul Newman very proud and happy. You could tell it in his face when he saw the people who were affected by his programs relishing the experience. News of his passing last weekend felt closer to home because of the time he spent in Seattle with us a little more than a year ago. During that time, we helped him co-found and launch Camp Korey, a camp for seriously ill children where they can "hike, fish and raise a little hell."
We were asked to help with the project by our friends at Costco. As with the Dalai Lama’s visit, I gathered an experienced group of those I trusted most from DDB Public Relations and the amazing group of marketing pros from our client The Space Needle to handle the project.
I had a few brief encounters with Paul Newman in the course of planning the opening of the camp which is on the site of the historic Carnation Farm on the outskirts of our city. His legendary acting career and his passion for auto racing kept him going well past his 80th birthday and that pleased him too. He talked openly about his age and even made jokes about being the “old man” in the crowd and how people would try to help him move around. Honestly, when I first met him, he looked like Paul Newman’s grandfather but he still had charisma and those blue eyes that could speak more than words. He may have needed some help but he didn’t show it when he was touring the famous farm where kids who are facing some pretty bleak health issues can go now and just have fun.
Talking about his movies was something I tried to avoid, although I’ve seen every one several times, even revisiting Cool Hand Luke about twice a month. Having "a failure to communicate" always inspires me. I think I know his part by heart. He was the same age as my mother so we could talk about the times that they had lived through in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s…he loved the 60’s. He said when you got involved then, you made waves and things changed. If he said it once to me, he said it twenty times, “I’m just a lucky guy who had a pretty face.” We all know he was much more than that but his saying it is proof of the man that he was…gentle, courteous (he tipped his baseball cap to ladies), smart and a little bit shy. He loved a good joke. He and David Letterman, who I worked with when I was gaining some broadcast experience, shared a passion for race cars. He was a frequent guest on the Letterman show. When Letterman moved from NBC to CBS and into the Ed Sullivan Theater next to the long-running Broadway show “Cats”, Paul hid in the audience on opening night and suddenly stood up and interrupted the proceedings by yelling, “Hey! Where the hell are those singin' cats?!” His deadpan was perfect and it brought down the house.
Paul Newman really did want to be remembered for Newman’s Own, the company he started in his basement that has grown into a $250 million food enterprise…and every dollar made goes to charities like Camp Korey. He liked food and he liked recipes. Cooking moved his mind in a different direction, he told me. Sometimes is was necessary to be precise and other times, it was just a pinch of this and that. It was fun. We shared a love for sushi and talked a lot about different pieces of fish that we had tried. A Seattle friend introduced him to Toyoda Sushi on Lake City Way and it so happens that is one of my favorite places as well. We had some laughs talking about trying to stump the chef with fish organs we had read about.
Paul Newman was a man of substance. He brought his daughter Nell, who started the company with him, and her family to the launch of Camp Korey, now one of his Hole-In-The-Wall-Gang camps. He showed off the whole brood to us, as proud as a dad can be. I was able to get my friend Jean Enersen an exclusive interview with him while he was here and they made a solid connection talking about all aspects of his life and career. Now, Camp Korey is a part of his legacy that does more than make an impact. It changes lives. He seemed to love doing that in my mind…a very quiet-type of stewardship.
Awards did not seem important to him. He told me he was surprised about every one of his Oscar nominations and even more astounded by winning. “I was just doing a job that I loved,” he said. We won two awards for the agency with the work we did for him on Camp Korey. It was Paul Newman and his generosity that made it happen. I sent a note through his assistant telling him how honored we were to work with him and to win these awards on his behalf. His message back was “Congratulations. Now do something good for it.”
My cherished memories will live on in me. As time passes and we grow older, he will always be Butch and Cool Hand Luke in our minds. I will miss the gentleman who made us all take a hard look at what we can do with our lives.
Dan Mc
Posted by Dan McConnell on September 29, 2008 3:25 PM

Remember Beijing?

Remember Michael Phelps…he swims? The Bird Cage…the stadium, not the movie? Remember China…the largest country in the world that wanted to get our attention? It was but a few weeks ago we were immersed in China, Beijing and the Summer Olympics. That’s all over now and we’re mired down in a huge global financial crisis and a presidential election that we all hope will elect someone who can help us out of this mess. In our 24/7 instant news world, nothing remains a hot topic for very long. It’s really a shame that we couldn’t hold onto the Olympic Spirit that China stirred in us for more than just a couple of weeks in August. It was truly special.
Beijing and the Chinese Government tried very hard to make a statement about their capabilities to perform on the world stage. Personally, I was impressed. The Beijing Olympic Games were a marvel of modern event planning and production. From influencing the weather to creating world class venues and making it safe and fun for athletes, officials and spectators, the Chinese thought of everything. Having the opportunity to see the Games live and to experience the blossoming of Beijing was an awe-inspiring occurrence.
If you take away the politics and the ideological issues and just look at the world-shaking event that was the Olympics, it could not have been done much better. Only the extremely lame attempt to pay tribute to Great Britain and London as the host of the 2012 event during the closing ceremonies kept it from being flawless. Whoever thought that a singer and guitar player who most of the world didn’t recognize and David Beckham rising on a bogus lift to kick a soccer ball into the crowd would WOW a world audience should be banished to Wasilla, Alaska. Even my British friends were embarrassed. It was a joke! Oh, well…
The city of Beijing, which stretches for 6500 square miles (compared to LA at 500) in all directions, was neat as pin. The streets were clean. The grass was mowed. The flowers in the parks looked beautiful and well-cared for, as did the people. They were friendly and welcoming. The bright smiles on their faces were something not noticed in past trips. Even the smog that was such a topic in advance of the games never really became a factor. With half the autos being taken off the road each day, coal plants closing and cloud-seeding on a regular basis, there was less pollution to begin with and then it rained almost every day during the Games cleansing the air very efficiently.
There were 34 different venues for the competitions. Some brand new with 21st Century designs and others that were around during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960’s. The Bird’s Nest has become the symbol of the Beijing Olympics. It’s a remarkably designed stadium. And within a mile or so of it are 12 other venues for these Games that are fresh and new and exciting. The athlete’s village was brand new with all the modern amenities you can imagine, including Wi-Fi everywhere. The accommodations were as good as any downtown hi-rise hotel! And I’m sure appreciated even more.
Almost 11,000 athletes took part in the competition and, from my observation, they were well cared for. They were very visible in town, touring, shopping, eating in restaurants and the nationalism of their teams and followers was inspiring. We toured one day with the family and supporters of an American judo competitor. All they could talk about was the wonderful treatment they were receiving from their hosts. Special events, discount cards, help with travel and tour arrangements, even tickets to movies (they wanted to see “The Dark Knight”, of course!) were readily available to them. And his mother said she didn’t need any more souvenirs because the night before her son had given her an Olympic locket with his picture inside. How cool is that!
Because I was working for the host committee, we did not have regular credentials. When time allowed, we were given special access and could fill-in when certain venues were not full. We saw table tennis (like nothing you’ve seen in your basement) at the Peking University Gymnasium; wrestling at the Chinese Agricultural University Gymnasium; and weight lifting at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium. I don’t think I’d ever heard of synchronized diving before but watching it at the Water Cube was a truly thrilling experience. Every competition at the Games takes on a heightened level of expectation and reality. Like nothing you can imagine without witnessing it.
With passing time, I am beginning to reflect on the true meaning of this edition of our world’s most famous sporting competition. Both China and the US made their countries proud on the playing field. China offered the rest of us a taste of their culture that is fresh and new. Whether there is more to all this or not, only the future can tell us but, believe me, China will play an important role.
What I know for certain is that near the back door of the Forbidden City there is a small, cool, quiet grove of trees. In it are two cypresses whose branches have grown together. It is said that the last emperor and empress had their photo taken in front of the trees to show that “we wish to fly in heaven, two birds with one pair of wings, and to grow together on earth, two trees with branches interlaced.” That thought symbolizes the hope generated by the Beijing Olympic Games to me.
I am so fortunate to have been witness to such a momentous gathering and to feel the earth move just a teeny bit toward bringing us all closer together.
Dan Mc
“Don’t worry if others do not understand you. Worry if you do not understand them.”Confucius
Posted by Dan McConnell on November 3, 2008 10:17 AM Permalink

Seattle...such a place!

A few days ago, I was backstage at McCaw Hall after opening night of the Nutcracker ballet. We were there to toast the 25th anniversary of this production which is regarded by many as the quintessential ballet experience for everyone. In fact, this production is one of most stunning creative collaborations that has ever been brought to the stage at the holidays. Kent Stowell, choreographer and then co-artistic director with wife, Francia Russell, joined forces with famed illustrator and designer Maurice Sendak to a create a magnificent event that rivals the very best stage productions in the world. As we lifted our glasses, it made me think about the road we have come down in this community over the past 25 years and what a remarkable trip it’s been.
If it doesn’t show, please know that I am biased. In 1978, my wife Jane was invited to join the board of directors of Pacific Northwest Ballet, then a fledgling company that was an off-shoot of the Seattle Opera. And she’s given her volunteer life to the organization to this day. It was exciting back then to feel the energy growing as Kent and Francia shaped and formed the company. The dancers came ready for anything and would often join with us volunteers to give backstage tours, making it up as we went along. We even did an event in the rehearsal studio called “Ballet for Two Left Feet” where people like me actually danced with Kent and Francia’s instruction…I was best at bowing. When we did “Ballet for Four Left Feet” the next year, we novices danced with real dancers from the company. It was then that I found out just how light ballerinas are. Let’s just say my lifts were a bit too ambitious a couple of times…I may have scared them a little but no one was hurt.
Five years later, Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker debuted with eye-boggling sets and costumes by Maurice Sendak. This was a transitional and landmark event for Pacific Northwest Ballet. There are a handful of companies across the country that critics give credence to and then we were ready to become one of them. The toast that night was with plastic cups but it could not have been more fulfilling. Still there was the heart-stopping moment when the Christmas tree starts to grow…the journey up was far less dependable then than it is today. But that night, this company stepped into the spotlight on the world ballet stage and made their presence known. It seemed to me that the dancers even impressed themselves.
As the decades have passed, Seattle has blossomed and grown in so many ways. Then the Mariners were new and so was the Kingdome. The Seahawks were the talk of the town. But it was the arts that were carving out a more revered place in our community and the ballet was the new kid on the block. I drew my newest client Citicorp into the fray to help finance that first production. My young company even produced the first souvenir program, which we designed and wrote by committee on Kent and Francia’s living room floor. The private-public marriage with the performing arts in this community is a thing to behold. DDB, with the astute community vision of Ron Elgin, has always been there to lend a hand to the Ballet, as well as, to many other arts organizations…and we are not the exception, we’re the rule.
Today, Seattle and the Pacific Northwest Ballet are the envy of almost everyone outside of Manhattan. Our arts community shines in every corner and, as a place to live, our city is sumptuous. Opening night of this year’s Nutcracker brought the memories of the past quarter century flooding back. It was such a gala evening in such a magnificent hall. The dancers were so “on” that it gave you chills to watch them. Pacific Northwest Ballet says so much about Seattle. It’s like our personality. It’s like our life. We just know we can do it ourselves, whatever it is. We like being on the edge and we know how to live…even if we are “in the woods”. I'm so proud. What a place we live in!
Posted by Dan McConnell on December 11, 2008 4:48 PM Permalink

PR Awards

Awards in the business of marketing communications mean a lot to some and not so much to others. DDB has built its reputation on awards for creativity in solving client problems and what a reputation it is! Advertising has the prestigious, 40-year-old Effie awards, Ideas that Work - the great ideas that achieve real results and the strategy that goes into creating them. Effie winners represent client and agency teams who tackled a marketplace challenge with a big idea and knew exactly how to communicate their message to their customer. PR has awards too, on both a regional and national basis (Totems and Silver Anvils). DDB Public Relations always joins the fray and we've certainly won our share. The world of public relations is always scrambling to keep up with our brothers and sisters in advertising. And like so much of the time, we never seem to have the budget to match their productions. The awards for PR programs should be better judged and presented than they are. The professionals always complain about the selection and ceremony. However, these are the awards we have and our peers are judging us. This year, we won awards for improving national awareness of cancer research by sending a select group of mountain climbers off to climb an unclimbed mountain; aiding the Dalai Lama in an effort to discreetly comment on the problems in his homeland of Tibet, while being the focus of a global event to instill compassion in our world; bringing that compassion event onto the world stage with some of our colleagues; and making the coffee experience "unsnobby" at McDonald's. We're proud of these awards. The group that created the projects and made them happen are dedicated professionals and deserve the recognition. Even if we're patting ourselves on the back, we need to do that. Striving to be the best of the best is an important goal. Awards are the symbol of that effort and, no matter how lame the presentation, receiving the accolades makes us feel good about our work.