“San Diego 250” PR and Event Planning

When a City celebrates its 250th anniversary, it’s a big deal! And the year-long celebration needs a big deal communications campaign, including the Mayor launching events with a press conference covered by every major local TV station, as well as print and online media.

We coordinated the City, San Diego History Center, San Diego Tourism Authority and many other County and City establishments to plan and publicize events throughout the anniversary year. The Port of San Diego’s event marked the first seaborn contingent of Spanish settlers aboard the San Antonio, with pre-event media, press conference and media advisory. The new “San Diego 250” banner was unfurled on the City Administration Building during a press conference with a County Supervisor. The community, members of the Sycuab Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, and elected officials—including the Mayor, State Senate and Assembly members and the Vice Counsel of Spain—celebrated atop Presidio Park, an event that garnered millions of impressions through local TV coverage, and articles online and in print. Then there was the San Diego Bay Fireworks and Sandcastle Festival. And finally, the weekend-long Founders Day Festival, with entertainment, vendors and family activities.

The result is over 700,000,000 impressions in channels like USA TODAY’s Travel Go Escape Magazine, AAA San Diego Westways, Alaska Airlines, Forbes Travel, San Diego Union Tribune, in addition to local television, radio and print. And that doesn’t even include the impressions from the banner!