Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), the producers of The Philadelphia International Flower Show (The Flower Show), hired Cashman & Associates as Marketing Consultants for the 2011 Show. The Philadelphia International Flower Show is an annual event held in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in early March. The Show boasts fabulous floral and garden designs, live entertainment, culinary events, and extraordinary gardening how-to workshops and lectures by experts. It is the largest and oldest flower show in the world and attracts over 250,000 visitors each year.
With new youthful leadership taking over PHS, the organization was looking to enhance its overall programming and marketing initiatives. Although the show has been a great success in the past, the new leaders recognized that subtle changes and enhancements were necessary to take the Show to the next level, especially in these challenging economic times. Therefore, Cashman & Associates was retained to consult and lend expertise on several Flower Show programs including:
- Economic Impact Press Conference
- Preview Gala
- The Culinary Room
- Girls Night Out Event
- General Consultation
Economic Impact Press Conference
Cashman coordinated and produced the Economic Impact Press Conference of the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show. The press conference took place at The Rittenhouse Hotel on February 11, 2011 and served as a “kickoff” for The Flower Show selling efforts, announcing a recent KPMG study where it found that the Show has a $61 million impact on the region along with many more impactful economic qualities. Cashman was responsible for everything, from venue acquisition to food & entertainment to media outreach and procurement.
In producing the event portion of the press conference, Cashman assisted in partnering its client, The Rittenhouse Hotel, with PHS, which donated the space and the food & beverage for the event. Secondly, Cashman was responsible for all of the media outreach for the event which was covered by all of the local networks and the newspapers including a Sunday cover story in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Finally, Cashman was responsible for working with all of the speakers and creating talking points for Mayor Michael Nutter, PHS President Drew Becher, PNC President and title sponsor Bill Mills, and Chamber of Commerce President Rob Wunderling.
Preview Party
The Preview Party is the annual black tie gala that takes place the night before the Flower Show opens where PHS members, benefactors, philanthropists, and the like celebrate the official unveiling of the Show. Cashman was asked to assist in “raising the bar” on the experience and provide some new elements for guests. This included implementing a “Green Carpet” for guests to walk down taking their pictures in front of a Step & Repeat. The goal was to provide an “Oscars-like” environment for them. Cashman also was responsible for inviting the press, managing the 2,500 attendees and the media, and garnering post-event press.
The Culinary Room
The Culinary Room is an annual additional attraction at The Flower Show where restaurants and chefs perform demonstrations and tastings for guests of The Show. With Philadelphia becoming such a restaurant and chef-driven city, PHS was looking to raise the profile of the chefs and restaurants participating in The Culinary Room in an effort to expand the offerings of The Show and drive additional ticket revenue.
Cashman was asked to use its vast relationships in the restaurant arena to secure some of Philly’s Top Chefs. Additionally, Cashman was asked to use its Restaurant Public Relations experience to expand the coverage of The Culinary Room. Some of the participating chefs that Cashman secured included Chef Jean-Marie Lacroix of Max & Me, Chef Daniel Stern of R2L, Chef Jonathan Cichon of Lacroix at The Rittenhouse, and an array of Stephen Starr chefs. Finally, Cashman secured numerous media hits for the Culinary Room, including Michael Klein’s Table Talk in The Inquirer and a 6ABC broadcast.
Girls Night Out
2011 marked the inaugural year for the Girls Night Out event, a memorable VIP night filled with exclusive shopping and spring fashions, food and wine tastings, cutting-edge health and beauty offerings, free samples, and more. Cashman & Associates conceptualized and executed the entire event, from creating invitations to securing vendors and sponsors to garnering all pre- and post-event media coverage. Media alerts were distributed to all the major local Philadelphia new stations and top newspapers, including The Philadelphia Inquirer. Also, Cashman arranged for NBC’s The Feast to tour Girls Night Out and sent pictures from the event to publications like Philadelphia STYLE Magazine and AroundPhilly.com, among others.
Once again, Cashman utilized its extensive client base to make Girls Night Out a successful event. Cashman partnered Rue La La, one of the leaders in the online high-end private sale industry, with PHS as a way to appeal to the targeted female consumer. All tickets for Girls Night Out were sold on Rue La La’s website and actually sold out in one day. Furthermore, Cashman leveraged clients to obtain vendors for Girls Night Out, such as Giovanni & Pileggi, Irina Sigal, Catalyst Cleanse, 611 Lifestyle, and more. Finally, Cashman solidified celebrity Chef Michael Schulson from Sampan as the featured chef/restaurant. Guests thoroughly enjoyed getting their hair and makeup done, tasting delicious food and wine, and taking advantage of exclusive shopping specials.
General Consulting
Aside from executing specific events and initiatives for PHS and The Flower Show, Cashman & Associates served as general consultants lending expertise where needed. Cashman and Associates worked with the marketing and media buying teams for PHS in suggesting what advertising mediums would be appropriate for several of the specific initiatives. Additionally, Cashman created a partnership between client Philadelphia STYLE Magazine and PHS, which included a full-page ad in the magazine. Finally, Cashman assisted with sponsorship development. Cashman outreached to several contacts on PHS’ behalf and helped to create sponsorship elements and relationships for future partnerships.
