At the ripe age of 19 I found myself working on the Marketing and Communications team for the largest multi-day event of the summer, the Tall Ships Festival 2009.
The ships were the main attraction, and it was our job on the event management committee to provide onshore entertainment for our guests from around the world and the general public to enjoy.
Halifax’s two most prominent radio stations broadcasted live from the Waterfront during the five days the ships were in town. One of my many duties was to ensure that both radio stations constantly had people from the event to interview during their on air spots.
I had thoroughly crafted a plan prior to their arrival on who would be available when. As luck would have it, on the second day my 8:15am spot for the breakfast club didn’t show. There I was, standing on the platform in front of the “big wave” on the Halifax boardwalk about to explain to Peter, Adam and Moya, that there was no one to interview. I was about to let down the radio announcers I spent my entire childhood listening to…this was not an option.
I carefully explained the situation to Peter Harrison and told him I was actively looking to find a replacement interviewee. Peter looked in my eyes and said, “Katie, I don’t care who it is, just have someone here in the next 20 minutes that I can put the mic in front of.”
I was off and running.
To my advantage the ship perched nearest to the C100 tent was the American Bounty, commonly known as the celebrity ship among our visiting fleet. The Bounty is famous for its appearances in movies, Pirates of the Caribbean and Mutiny on the Bounty, directed by Marlin Brando.
There I stood, in front of one of the most famous ships in the world, phone in hand trying desperately to get a hold of the Bounty’s ship liaison contact, who conveniently was nowhere to be found.
Out of the fog appeared a young boy sweeping the deck of the ship. I had no other choice but to call out to him and ask if I could come aboard, (you never step foot on the deck of a ship without permission).
The young boy approached me on walking plank to get onto the ship listened to my situation. I had previously had conversations with the live-in chef of the Bounty (another story for another time), and told the boy I would like to bring his Chef to an interview just across the way, pointing to the blue tent with the three radio announcers happily providing HRM it’s favorite music.
To my delight, the boy took me into the belly of the ship, the kitchen. I was offered coffee and pancakes, which I respectfully declined due to time restraints and began preaching about needing someone to come do a radio interview and thought the Chef would be a great person. When I finally stopped talking, one man, wearing a ratty t-shirt and ripped jeans piped up and said, “well Chef is busy at the moment cooking our crew breakfast but I’ve sailed on this ship for 20 years and would be delighted to do the interview.”
I jumped on his offer, took his name and practically dragged him behind me all the way to the C100 booth. When we approached the tent I explained to Peter this man was from the ship the Bounty and is willing to answer some questions.
It was not until mid-interview I found out that the man was actually the Captain of the Bounty and had personally worked with Marlon Brando and Johnny Deep themselves! He was a wonderful spokesperson and conducted the interview beautifully, so much so that C100 invited him back a few more times throughout the festival for more on air spots.
I was thanked ever so kindly for coordinating the interview, and had my direct phone line placed on sticky notes in front of each announcers work station so they could call me at any time to assist with production of the radio shows, (and did they call me!)
What I am most proud of, is that I didn’t take any time to stop and think about what I was doing I just did. On any normal day yelling from the docks of the waterfront to a boy two stories above me would not be the norm for media relations protocol, but in times of haste, I do whatever I have to do to get the job done!
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