For those who can’t seem to keep their language clean, their hands to themselves and all other objects in their possession under control, universities are forced to create behavior policies for spectator events. No need to complain about ridiculous rules, because “ridiculous” should be saved for the behavior that requires such policies to be created. It is expected that universities across the country will need to release policies and statements about conduct at sporting events for fans and athletes.

The following sample public policy and statement (Public Relations Professionals can help with this) would apply to all NCAA sports programs whose goal is to insure packed, not boycotted, sports venues:

To our Fans, Visitors and Athletes

We deeply appreciate your attendance at [SCHOOL] athletic events. Your attendance is important to athletes, coaches and our university. Every individual helps create an exciting and unforgettable sporting experience.

Creating a safe, fun and enjoyable atmosphere for athletic competition has been and continues to be the goal of [            SCHOOL]. Such competition builds school spirit and builds character as athletes strive for excellence on the field or on the court. Welcoming visitors to our campus for these fierce competitions is a vital component of this effort. Treating our guests with respect creates ambassadors for this school and our community that greatly assist in making our university great well into the future.

In keeping with this commitment, any fan attending a [SCHOOL] athletic event, may text [TEXT NUMBER] to report a health emergency or security issue before, during or after the game. Any security concern will be investigated immediately. After assessing the situation according to policies posted at all sporting venues and on [SCHOOL]’s Web site, offending fans may be escorted from the facility.

[SCHOOL] prescribes to a zero tolerance policy for intoxication, extreme verbal abuse, or any physical abuse of another fan. For details regarding this policy, see [WEBSITE].

We encourage you to continuing assisting all the games you can in support of [SCHOOL] athletics. Thank you for providing a competitive atmosphere at [SCHOOL].

Sincerely,

[SCHOOL]

This year, Forbes named Provo the best college town for job growth, U.S. News & World Report called Provo one of the 10 best cities for creative jobs, and the Association of University Technology Managers ranked BYU first in the country in the number of startups, licenses, and patent applications per research dollar spent.

So who’s responsible?

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) helped answers that question at the Annual UVEF Awards, Thursday at the Provo Novell Campus. The event honored Utah companies and leaders for innovation, business growth and contributions to the entrepreneurial community.

It was standing-room-only at the ceremony.

Josh James, co-founder of Omniture, was awarded "Entrepreneur of the Year."

Josh James, co-founder of Omniture, was the Keynote Speaker, and also won “Entrepreneur of the Year. Omniture was acquired by Adobe for $1.8 billion in October, making it the largest tech acquisition in state history. James shared humorous stories about his roller-coaster ride to entrepreneurial stardom.

Access Technology was awarded “Utah Valley’s Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret.” Access Technology technology is a logistics provider for retail and consumer brands, eCommerce and multichannel companies and Direct Selling firms. CEO Chris Boyle accepted the award, and told the crowd he hopes the company will no longer be a secret after this and ranking 307th in the Inc 500 list of fastest growing US companies.

Louis Pope, founder of Yehu Microfinance, was awarded “Social Entrepreneur of the Year.” shared his vision for bringing jobs to Kenya Africa starting here in Utah County. Louis is the mastermind behind Utah County-based US Synthetic (a PilmerPR client). Pope retires from US Synthetic this month, and will move to Kenya where he will focus his energies on the non-profit. You can read and watch more of his story on KSL.

Henry O’Connell, President and CEO of Millenniata, accepted the “Most Innovative Product” award for Milleniata’s M-ARC™ Disc, which can store digital data for 1000 years without a loss of quality.

And Scott Frazier, Co-founder of Utah Angels, received the “Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs” award on behalf of Utah Angels. He said he is glad to have invested in some great Utah Valley startups like Omniture.

Said UVEF chair Roger Andrus: “These winners represent the spirit of entrepreneurship, which is to take risks and then help others. They are a critical part of why Utah has one of the lowest unemployment rates in this recession.”

PilmerPR agrees, and congratulates all the winners.

You can read more about the ceremony in Deseret News.

Tis the season to think thankful thoughts, consider our blessings, bring loved ones close, and whatever else you like to do for the holidays. As a fellow who communicates for a living, I think it a grand idea to share some of what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday – besides Donny Osmond making the finals of Dancing with the Stars.  From my entrepreneurial viewpoint I’m thankful for:

• Free Markets where new business ideas find fertile ground to grow
• Brave entrepreneurs who venture into the darkness to bring innovations to life
• Intrepid investors who risk it all on brave entrepreneurial startups with great ideas
• Government that stays out of the way of free markets and supports the traditional family as the keystone
• Private run enterprises that create jobs. Politicians who understand that the private sector creates the jobs
• Private sector healthcare run by companies who seek to build business on free market principles
• Men and women who serve in the military to pay the price of freedom
• The right to vote in a free nation (so far)
• The opportunity to take responsibility for my actions and not blame others
• For great immigrants who sign the guest registry first, then show us how to seize the American dream
• A Constitution who’s intent is to protect religious expression from government, not visa versa
• Great clients that trust PilmerPR to offer sound Public Relations and Communications counsel
• My wife of 26 years and three terrific offspring!

What are you thankful for?

Stephen R Covey

More than 25 years ago, I was invited with my wife to Stephen R Covey’s home. She was working on her Masters of Organizational Behavior at BYU where Dr Covey was heavily involved. Dr Covey’s wife, Sandra sang for us and we sat at the feet of the master for two hours. My life since then has been so positively impacted by his words that night and later by books like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and The Divine Center. When I think of people that I want to be like “when I grow up,” S.R. Covey is at the top of the list. Many new and powerful personal and business coaches like my own coaches Garrett White (Awaken Soul Purpose) and Heather Madder can trace their growth back to principles taught by this master.

On Saturday, Nov 14. 2009 Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) honored the master communicator and entrepreneur, Stephen R Covey by inducting him into the UVEF Hall of Fame. He joins the likes of Alan Ashton, Novell, and Bill Pope in the Hall. Many of the young entrepreneurs in the dinner audience of more than 100 are too young to remember the meteoric rise of Dr Covey as a globally in-demand corporate counselor, consultant, author, and business leader. After sitting at his feet for an hour, these young leaders certainly must know who he is now—a master communicator, a visionary, and a world influencer in the present tense.

Dr. Covey’s son, Stephen M.R. (Speed of Trust), the talent behind the growth of the Covey corporate dynasty, introduced his father with an intimate look into the heart of this very public man. He highlighted Dr. Covey’s public accomplishments including publishing 14 books, training 33 heads of State, including Presidents Clinton, Bush, and soon to be Obama. His book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was voted one of the two most influential business books of the last century with sales topping 16 million, and still rising.

Unique to this night was Stephen M.R.’s glimpse into the private man that is Stephen R Covey, a man who truly “walks the talk.” The younger Covey shared the “7 Habits You May Not Know About My Dad.” Here they are:

1 He is generous and abundant, even in face of severe criticism.
2 He is a fun father to his nine children and grandpa to his 51 grandkids.
3 He works hard, even at 78 years of age.
4 He is always teaching, wherever he is.
5 He is family oriented and plans family events 2 years in advance to keep priorities straight.
6 He is deeply spiritual person and gives God source credit for the principles he teaches.
7 He is big on “making a contribution” and believes we should “live life in crescendo.”

A couple of stories illustrate these habits in Dr Covey’s private life. To live in crescendo, he believes his best book is still ahead of him and he is working now on 10 new books. If this does not demonstrate hard work enough, Dr Covey recently returned from giving 40 presentations in 10 countries in 14 days.

On the fun side, the faithful son told of a day many years ago when Dr Covey was at home on the phone giving business counsel to an important client. Because he was lying on the living room floor, his children thought he was fair game for play. So, one of his young sons brought in the ingredients for a perfect sandwich. He spread jelly, then peanut butter on his father’s bald head, capping it off with a piece of bread. Somehow, the consummate professional completed his call and enjoyed the ride. The children enjoyed the effort so much that they made the PB&J sandwich on dad’s head an annual tradition.

After Stephen R tolerated the applause that Saturday evening as he approached the podium, he proceeded to teach, habit number five. I only highlight one subject here, but there where many powerful points. Heads of State and heads of Native American tribes have all learned the lessons of the “Talking Stick” from this Yoda of communications and human behavior. Based on the well-known Covey teaching “seek first to understand, then to be understood,” the communications initiator hands his/her counterpart the Stick. The partner in communication then states his position or makes his point. Then, the initiator reflects back what he thought he heard to the holder of the Talking Stick. Only when the holder of the Stick feels understood is the stick returned to the initiator. Then, the process repeats until all parties feel they understand and are understood. This is a powerful lesson for not only heads of state and diplomats, but also for corporate public relations spokespeople, spouses, and parents.

Stephen R Covey feels his best work is yet ahead, which must be part of why he’s still moving fast at 77. Watch for his in-process book, The End of Crime

Governor Gary Herbert addresses 300+ US25 Gala attendees

As I worked on the Utah Student 25 Executive Committee over the past six months, it became apparent that we were working on something big for the state. Utah is at the top of the heap among state economies due in part to rising entrepreneurial ventures. Utah Student 25 dug a little deeper this year to find the roots of some of the past and future shooting stars of Utah business.

At the recent inaugural awards gala WordPerfect, 800-Contacts, Novell, Omniture, and others were cited as the best of sector leaders founded by college students. Utah Student 25 focused in on early stage, student-founded startups that are growing rapidly and making a profit. Meter Solutions rose to the top of the pile this year with smart grid automated metering solutions for gas, water, and electric utilities. They were not alone in a class of 25 entrepreneurial startups creating more than 100 jobs and $3.9 million in revenue over the past year.

Governor Herbert congratulated the finalists as the hope of Utah’s future economic success. Prolific mentor and angel investor Stephen Gibson counseled others to be a mentor to someone coming aftern them. Omniture co-founder John Pestana spoke of the wrenching challenges of getting the right employees on the bus as their company evolved. John’s partner, Josh James, spoke of the roller coaster ride of revenue and reinvention that Omniture endured before reaching the distinction of being the largest tech acquisition in Utah history.

We are pleased to serve as Public Relations mentor and guide for Utah Student 25 and will watch with great interest the progress of it’s first class of 25.

John Pilmer briefs Gov Herbert in preparation for US25 Gala

John Pilmer & Governor speak after Gov Gary Herbert speaks

After the media frenzy about Obama’s comment regarding Kanye West’s actions during the VMA Awards, many people have questioned the relevance of “off record comments.” Who is at fault for Obama’s comments ending up on Twitter? Obama? The ABC News employees?

The LA Times referred to the situation as, “Obama, Kanye West and the trouble with Twitter.” However, according to most public relations professionals, the problem is not with Twitter or the ABC New employees, but rather with Obama. It’s not because he’s a democrat, but it is because he is a public figure.

When politicians, executives, or any other public figure speaks with the media, there are certain written and unwritten rules they should all know. These rules are not a secret, but a basic part of spokesperson training. One of those rules is that off the records does not guarantee you won’t read it in the paper.

Although CNBC granted an explicit agreement with the White House that Obama’s pre-interview chitchat was off the record, there are still certain things Obama should not have said. Public figures have to realize that off the record does not grant immunity and that social media is desperately waiting for their next comment. Read more at Utah Business Magazine

U2 has launched one of the largest, most over-the-top tour production tsunamis known to rock n’ roll.  189 trucks will roll cross the world supporting what’s sure to be a really big show. Their PR team swears the tour is green (story). I think this is a perfect example of what’s wrong with the growing support for buying indulgences (carbon credits). I can pollute like crazy, waste resources and then buy my way into green heaven.

Producing 65,000 tons in carbon emissions, this tour smacks of Greenwashing to me.

Here’s the process Bono and company likely went through: 1)Let’s make the biggest bang ever for a rock concert tour (with no thought for the environment – the bang makes up for lagging brand equity) 2)Public Relations team says, “Well guys, since Mr. Bono has been talking a good Green PR game in public, this is gonna raise some Green eyebrows with a Carbon footprint of 65,000…” 3)The team hatches a plan to donate to the right green charities and buy enough carbon credits (ie cap n trade indulgences) to offset the extravagance. 4) All is right with the green rock n’ roll world. Bono and the boys get richer and still call themselves socially responsible.

I don’t buy it even though there are a few U2 songs I can’t do without, and even though I’ve enjoyed playing rock and blues bass for many years. We teach our clients that when it comes to corporate social responsibility, you should BE GOOD before you talk about being good.  Are you listening, Mr. Bono?

What do you think?

POLL: 

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Post primary, Provo has a choice between two good men for  Mayor – Steve Clark and John Curtis. Both men of character, they represent a clear choice between “political experience” (Clark) and savvy business “experience” (Curtis).  Although I live outside Provo, I am publicly supporting John Curtis. No, Curtis has not paid my PR firm in any way. I owe neither candidate anything, but a hand of friendship that will still be extended to both after the smoke clears and one sits in the Provo Mayor’s office.

The reason I support Mr Curtis relates to my overall view of politics in 2009. I believe John offers the best chance to really shake up governmental  leadership in Utah Valley. Both of the candidates are conservative, both “experienced.”  However, John has been running a substantial company in the private sector with a large budget that is answerable to shareholders. In my view, career politicians for some reason, lose some accountability to voters as their power base grows. Hence, the need for term limits. This is more true on a national basis (ie. U.S. Congress), but still true locally.  Curtis is high energy with a sense of accountability to the bottom line, as well as the public. I like that.

Mr Curtis is also very focused on key issues facing Provo–budget restraints, business development, property owner rights etc. He is a huge proponent of long-term planning among major Utah Valley stakeholders. This I like a lot.  I hope he will focus on Utah Valley’s environmental quality as well. Let’s get a fresh view applied to the problems facing Provo. I support John Curtis.

Poll: Vote here on who you think should be the next Provo, Utah Mayor.

Stephen Clark’s Web site
John Curtis’ Web site

PilmerPR teaches Public Relations clients to anticipate the unintended ripple effects coming from their words and actions. In Crisis Communications planning, this is vital.

After Boise State’s impressive football win over Oregon on 9/3/09, a short outburst of anger by OU running back, LeGarrette Blount, sent out unintended long-term PR ripple effects that will likely result in a suspension, if not a truncation, of a brilliant football career. A potential Heisman candidate (not likely now), Blount’s future is tainted in a way that will be hard to recover from.

Yet, some would say that BSU has some PR repair work to do as well. The victorious Boise State player, Byron Hout, certainly did not need to rub Blount’s face in it [post game] by pushing and taunting a guy known for having anger issues. Perhaps the BSU coaches should send a message to other players regarding this kind of behavior. What say ye?

Poll:

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Jon Huntsman Jr

Gov Gary Herbert

Public Relations and Politics stick together like syrup on pancakes. Jon Huntsman and Gary Herbert’s PR folks were busy today as their efforts culminated in a regal inauguration event in the Utah State Capitol. A large crowd of thousands jostled for limited seating and strained to hear the words of hope offered by leaders.

As lively public debate swirls today in Washington DC on HB 3200 and its questionable nationalized promise of healthcare for all, Utahns in attendance looked to more local leadership on burning issues related to the economy, jobs, and promises of education for all. Gary Herbert has gone on record saying his top priority would be 1) economic revitalization 2) education. These topics echoed again in today’s ceremony.

Jon Huntsman Jr. recounted the path to prosperity in the state under his leadership, keeping his remarks hopeful and brief. We were reminded that Utah’s economy ranks at the top of the heap of states who’s troubles far surpass those in our state.  On his way to China, Huntsman now looks forward to a larger playing field, wielding influence with the USA’s largest trading partner.

Gov Herbert recounted the record of his predecessor with high praise. The governor expressed his confidence in Utah’s collective innovation as a path to prosperity. He recounted data showing Utah is most likely to emerge early from the current national recession.  #1 Priority – economy and jobs. Herbert praised companies like Utah Valley’s Omniture for leading the way. He emphasized hard work as a key factor for economic growth. #2 Priority – Education, paramount to our future success as we build leaders of tomorrow. Herbert said education paves that road to future prosperity.  The state’s new leader committed to a hands on leadership role for education under his administration.