In case you missed the buzz around town earlier this month, more than 15,000 members of Lions Clubs International (LCI) convened in Seattle for its 94th International Convention, one of the world’s largest annual conventions of its kind. It was the first time the annual convention was held in the Pacific Northwest, and specific to Seattle, it was one of the largest conventions the city has hosted in more than 20 years, providing a significant economic boost to the city and region.
Lions Clubs International (LCI) selected Communiqué PR to help drive awareness of this high profile event among local and regional media. While the convention presented an opportunity to highlight its impact on the economy (while mitigating the traffic woes), it was also an opportunity to educate the broader community about LCI and change perceptions of it being a “good ol’ boys club.”
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization, with a network of 1.35 million men and women in more than 206 countries and geographical locations. Though well known for its successful initiatives in vision health, Lions service is as diverse as its members. Lions Clubs is no longer just for the older, male demographic anymore. Women continue to be the single fastest growing segment of Lions, in addition to providing youth with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering as part of its Leo Program.
Together, they collectively work toward their unified mission: to do whatever is needed to help their local and global communities. And they are making a genuine difference through unique programs that range from caring for the environment and providing aid to natural disaster victims, to feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled.
In the weeks leading up to the convention, we collaborated closely with LCI and Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau to identify the key messages and facts about the International Convention and Parade of Nations to weave throughout our media materials, and to ensure our outreach strategies were aligned to maximize media opportunities to the fullest potential. We also contacted several local LCI district governors to learn more about their initiatives in the Pacific Northwest, and uncovered some great programs such as Project New Hope.
As a result of our efforts, LCI garnered more than 50 media placements across all major television, radio, print and online media outlets in the greater Seattle market. While many outlets initially ran alerts about the convention and parade’s impact on downtown traffic in the days leading up to the event, coverage shifted to in-depth, feature stories highlighting LCI’s mission, their volunteer efforts and impact on our community, along with highlights of the International Convention and “the largest parade ever in Seattle.” Below are a few of the highlights:
- The Seattle Times, “‘Not your grandfather’s Lions Club,’ says president in Seattle for convention” – July 2, 2011
- KIRO FM/MYNorthwest.com, “Lions Club Looking to Attract New Members with Seattle Parade” – July 5, 2011
- KOMO News, “Thousands pack downtown for one of Seattle’s largest parades”- July 5, 2011
- The Seattle Times, “Lions Take to the Streets as Convention Starts” – July 6, 2011
Here is a video highlighting the Seattle Convention:
It was a pleasure working with Lions Clubs International to support them in their PR activities surrounding the convention, and to have had the opportunity to collaborate with David Blandford and his team at Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. We hope to have the opportunity to do so again in the future.