Allow us to introduce ourselves
Welcome to the website of Bagnato Pflipsen Communications LLC, a full-service communications consulting firm.
The company is new. The idea is not.
After writing the successful bid for Arizona’s 2016 College Football National Championship Game last fall, we both felt a sense of closure. We had seen the Fiesta Bowl organization through its crisis and needed a new challenge.
Within days of leaving the bowl last spring, we landed our first client, authoring Phoenix’s bid for the NCAA Men’s Final Four. Given the city’s sparkling reputation as a major sports event destination, it is almost impossible to believe that Phoenix has never hosted a Final Four. But a diverse group of community partners is working fervently to bring the event to the Valley in 2017, 2019 or 2020. A decision is expected in November.
Major sporting events are vital to Arizona’s tourism-driven economy. As a longtime national college football writer for the Chicago Tribune, I generated plenty of economic impact – in the form of hotel nights, meals and bar tabs – while covering various Fiesta Bowls and BCS National Championship Games in the Phoenix area. Now that I’m on the other side of the press box, I understand the amount of work that goes into making these events memorable for the participating teams, fans and media.
There’s even more work to win these signature events in an increasingly competitive arena. Years ago, Phoenix mainly relied on its abundant sunshine and tourist-friendly economy to attract big events. No longer. The advent of domed stadiums in the Snow Belt has changed the playing field, so to speak, and Phoenix has had to keep pace.
At a time when municipal and state budgets are tight, it’s critical to show the value of major sports events to local leaders. Strategic communications play a key role in priming the support of municipalities and tourism bureaus. That’s one of our strongest suits. Working on the Phoenix Final Four bid has given us an opportunity to expand our reach and work within both the sports and tourism industries.
But while we work on events that generate hundreds of millions in economic impact, we also excel at more modest jobs. If you want to learn more about Bagnato Pflipsen Communications, drop us a line at info@abkpcommunications.com. In the meantime, keep an eye on this space for commentary our take on the latest trends in sports, media and public relations.
-ARB
