Weaving the Balloon Fiesta® Web

It was a privilege to serve the world's largest ballooning event as its primary advisor for online presentation, promotion and communications from 1995 through 2001. In November 2001, the event announced the loss of its title sponsor of 10 years. By 2002 several other sponsors had backed out or significantly lowered their level of sponsorship.

While my company had already been contracted to produce the first edition of the 2002 Fiesta web site, Fiesta officials expressed interest in additional services and asked me for ideas on how to increase revenues through their online presence. Out of the 23 solutions I proposed, the Fiesta contracted my company to implement and manage an innovative online hotel reservation program. We solicited the services of Mantos Consulting to program the various applications required. We were also forced to terminate our web development services to concentrate on fulfilling the scope of the new program.

After weighing the costs against benefits gained through managing the 2002 online reservation program, I made a strategic decision that resulted in backing away from the project proposed for 2003, essentially marking my "retirement" from official involvement with the event. I continue to pass along the extensitve insight gained in working with the world's largest ballooning event through Westward Connections, by offering event marketing consulting services to current and prospective Fiesta sponsors as well as other sports marketing organizations.