Special Events

Dick Carlton has extensive experience in planning and implementing special events and grand openings for a variety of clients - including businesses and non-profits. These include campaigns which have won top international, national, regional and state awards. More importantly, they have met the objectives for the clients and in so doing have furthered the master plans for those organizations.

These campaigns have included:

A Grand New Hospital for Henrico Doctors':
* Carlton Communications was hired to create a theme and program for the December 2004 groundbreaking of the $26 million transformation of the Parham Campus of Henrico Doctors' Hospital. While a typical groundbreaking is usually of more importance to the sponsoring organization than it is to the target audiences, this event was planned with the goal of reaching a wide segment of the media as well as other groups key to the success of the project. Not only was the groundbreaking featured on all three local television stations - and was the lead story on one - it received special coverage in many print media. In addition, over 300 people were present for what turned out to be a lively, highly interesting event. A "home run" was the client's assessment.

The Inaugural Richmond Canal Gala:
* Carlton Communications assisted in the planning and promotion of the black-tie dinner dance for the opening of the Richmond Canal Walk. This benefit for Historic Richmond Foundation and the Richmond Historic Riverfront Foundation was a huge success-both financially and as a vehicle to increase awareness of the sponsoring organizations. Carlton was responsible specifically for invitations, corporate packets, programs, signage and publicity.

John Marshall 200:
* Carlton Communications worked with the John Marshall Foundation to plan and coordinate the 200th anniversary celebration of the appointment of John Marshall as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The celebration featured numerous educational aspects including a speakers' bureau, high school essay contest, grade school art contest and tours of the John Marshall House. Highlights of the very successful gala black-tie fund-raising dinner were video presentations, live historical interpretations and a speech by United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Carlton Communications was responsible for all public relations, educational coordination and event planning -- including working with caterers, security, staging specialists, audio-visual companies, valet parking, musicians and other talent and numerous additional groups.

The pre-openings, soft openings and grand openings of the three major downtown Richmond hotels. Each of these involved different strategies:

* The Richmond Marriott was the first new hotel in downtown Richmond since the opening of The John Marshall. Many different factors needed to be considered ranging from the safety of the area, cost expectations of government and business travelers, racial considerations, convention center participation and trade association needs.

* The Omni Richmond was part of the shifting of the business district to a new area. While there was little to distinguish the property from the amenities of the Marriott, a separate identity needed to be established which would entice business from many of the same target audiences. Also, since the hotel had not received as much publicity during the planning stages, local awareness needed to be developed in a dramatic fashion.

* The Jefferson presented a totally different set of problems and opportunities. Many Richmond residents were skeptical that a hotel that had been closed for a number of years could be renovated successfully. Questions of financial stability of the owners, overbuilding of hotel rooms and the recent past history of the hotel were considerations which had to be factored into the campaign.

The pre-openings and openings of a variety of up-scale retirement communities:
* Carlton Communications has worked with retirement facilities ranging from the Mayo Clinic Foundation's property in Rochester, Minnesota, to three Westminster-Canterbury communities in Virginia-Charlottesville, Irvington and Winchester. For most of these campaigns, we worked with the Boards of Trustees from the very initial planning stages through fund-raising activities, groundbreakings, soft openings, grand openings and expansion announcements.

Special events for state agencies have been a specialty of Carlton Communications from the start of the agency in 1975.

* News conferences in railroad yards have promoted safety at rail crossings.

* Special media events have shown the problems of mixing alcohol and driving.

* Public service announcements coupled with staged activities have promoted ridesharing.

* Statewide promotions have encouraged Virginians to become involved in volunteerism.

* Expansions and openings of state facilities have created awareness of effective usage of tax dollars and delivery of services.

* Over the years, Dick Carlton has planned and implemented many additional special events and themed campaigns.

* Over 20 statewide conventions.

* Scores of media conferences.

* Seminars on fund-raising as well as specific fund-raising events.

* Theme and sub-theme development designed to make the highest impact with a number of different target audiences.

* Dozens of special receptions for groups ranging from individual and foundation donors, General Assembly members, corporate executives, tourism officials and many more.