St. Louis is in the middle of its 250^th birthday year.  This monumental event has caused me to reflect several times on what a 250^th celebration should mean.  What is the reason and importance of celebrating? Should the events be a look back at the history of the “Gateway to the West” or should they be a look forward? Although reflection on our past is important, and a key to understanding who we are and how we got here (literally), I’m more interested in using our 250-year foundation as a strong starting point for the future.

What is the future of St. Louis?  What will the next 50 years bring?  How can STL250 create a vision for the future of the region?

I’ve lived in St. Louis for almost 62 years and remember quite well the last major “birthday” this city celebrated in 1964.  I attended several bicentennial events with my mother and father. I remember learning about the founding of St. Louis, the history of the city and our leaders.  The memories that have really stuck with me are of all the change that was happening at the time.

In 1964, if memory (and Google) serves me correctly, I remember the excitement over the new St. Louis flag, which celebrates the significance of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The Arch was going up, the riverfront was being redeveloped, the new Busch Memorial Stadium was leading an updated downtown, jet airplanes were coming to Lambert Airport, the McDonnell Planetarium had opened its doors the year before and we were celebrating the anniversary of the rebirth of Shaw’s Garden and the futuristic Climatron.  The city was actively using its history to push itself forward.

In my career, I’ve worked on quite a few landmark events – celebrations such as the 50^th anniversary of Lindbergh’s flight, the 100^th anniversary of the St. Louis Cardinals, the reopening of Eads Bridge, numerous VP parades and fairs, the 2009 All-Star Game and the Girl Scouts’ 100^th anniversary jamboree. But, it was a happenstance meeting with a St. Louis City official several years ago that helped me realize the importance of thinking big.

I once went to visit with this prominent official about a not-for-profit event that needed funding. After I made my presentation he said, “I can’t believe you are here asking me to help with such a small amount.”  He went on to say “You shouldn’t be interested in merely keeping something alive, you should be interested in growth, new ideas and charting the path for the future. You’re not thinking big enough to get your audience interested and engaged.”  I walked out of his office with a new vision – and a new enthusiasm for making things happen.  I challenged myself to dream big.

To attract the attention of your constituents, you need to dare to dream big. 

When St. Louisans dream big, amazing things can happen:

·      It is “dreaming big” that has led to landmark developments in our city area.  The redevelopment of the St. Louis riverfront and Busch Memorial Stadium started as big dreams that have led to decades of growth opportunities in St. Louis.

·      It is “dreaming big” that brought a few CEOs together in the ’70s with the objective of creating the biggest Fourth of July celebration in the country, now known as Fair St. Louis.  I’m sure it was a daunting task for those charged with pulling it off, but through collaboration along with corporate and community support, the dream was realized and is now celebrating its own 33^rd birthday.

·      It is “dreaming big” that brings the NCAA events to St. Louis time and time again. It brought the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis.  Most recently “dreaming big” brought us Ball Park Village, which will lead the next generation of development in the city of St. Louis.

When you think about events for your organization or your corporation, dare to dream big.  Don’t merely walk in the footsteps of those who preceded you – use those footsteps to set your path to help move you forward. Create partnerships and relationships with those who can bring vision to your life.

At Switch, we live at the crossroads of ideas and actions.  If you can dream it, we can build it – something we’ve done for many clients.

·      We’ve created events and hosted tens of thousands for the Olympics in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.

·      We produce events for more than 40,000 attendees at the Georgia Dome for a major insurance company and have been doing so for more than 17 years.

·      We were honored to create and manage the Commissioner’s events for the 2009 All-Star game and were selected as the vendor.

·      We have engaged literally millions of consumers at events small and large on behalf of our clients during our more than 30-year history of mobile marketing.

Liberate not only your brand, but also liberate your thinking. Let’s dare to “dream big” together.  Contact Switch President John Nickel at johnn@theswitch.us.