Table of Contents 6 2012 OVATION Awards Winning Entries

Implementation/Challenges
This project faced four major challenges …
Weather: An outdoor event planner’s greatest fear materialized with a rain forecast for the event date.
With a 50 per cent chance of rain, an emergency meeting was called the day before to discuss a
notification process for making the rain call – which would have every component moved indoors. At 6
a.m., a bold decision was made to proceed outdoors despite the drizzle. The main stage is covered and it
was very important for us to showcase as much of the new venue as possible. Fortunately, the MSCbranded
umbrellas, which were produced as swag for our guests, could be put into action for the
audience and participants. Rain ponchos were also provided and canopies were erected over the
speakers’ podium and key areas. Participants and attendees took the weather in stride for the opening
ceremony, but the lunch‐time celebration had to be moved indoors when the rain persisted.
Logistics and Timing: Scheduling representatives from all levels of government was logistically
challenging and time‐consuming due to conflicting schedules, plus a federal and provincial election in
the project time period. Four months before the event, the original date had to be changed due to
unavailability of a key participant. Those impacted by the date change had to be replaced. In the end, a
regular Council day suited City councillors and the majority of stakeholders; a special pardon from
Caucus was arranged for federal MP representation; and the province appointed a provincial Minister to
replace an absent MPP.
Resources: The event was co‐ordinated and managed by the same two staff responsible for 12 other
official openings of City infrastructure projects within a four month period. This required a juggling of
projects and priorities as two new indoor pools were officially opened four days before the MCS event
and six more outdoor pools were opened two weeks following. The other events were streamlined as
much as possible, and organizers worked the required overtime and called in volunteer resources to get
the job done.
Untried Venue: Construction on the new stage had just been completed and it had never been utilized
before. Furniture for locations throughout the Square was still being delivered the day before the
opening and a brand new sound and lighting system had to be tested and synched with Rogers TV. It
was important to stay calm and put in extra hours until the site was physically and technically ready to
stage this special event.
All these challenges were overcome with trust between team members, commitment to their roles and
support from the City’s senior leadership team. In the end, all program elements, including live
streaming, were executed with precision.
The event budget was sufficient and used effectively. The City saved money on printing and postage by
using evites instead of formal printed invitations traditionally used by municipalities. Use of a corporate
sponsor for food and beverage components, saved the City at least $25,000 in overall ISF official
opening catering costs.