It was estimated that approximately 200 Pittsburgher's from all walks of life gathered at Point Park University today to start discussing what the G20 means for Pittsburgh and how Pittsburgh can best show off the assets of this great community. Ideas flowed fast and furious, some detailed, some just broad strokes and others just a little "out there". However, there were some great ideas fielded and many things to be considered before hosting this important summit. I did note that many of the ideas, though interesting, did not fully grasp the enormity of this event and how buttoned down the city will be in order to keep Pittsburgh secure and safe. Of course, there is a very small window of time that the G20 will actually be in town, and most of that time will be spent in closed sessions working. Contrary to what many might think, this will NOT be a working vacation for the media or delegates.
There were also many ideas for presenting Pittsburgh as a "Green" community and I think that is a positive. Anything to dull perceptions of our city as a smoky steel town should be implemented with gusto.
I attended the meeting trying to get a handle on who is actually in charge of pulling this all together and left with more questions than answers. Even the Mayor who was in attendance admitted there were more things he didn't know about the demands of the event than what he did. One thing is certain...there is precious little time to waste if Pittsburgh wants to put our best foot forward to the world media.
I presented just a very rough idea of what I would like to do... I am hoping to curate an exhibit of photography that shows off Pittsburgh to the world at an exhibit at the Convention Center.
I am anxious to get everyone from graphic designers, printers, labs, and PR people involved in this and have a number of ideas on how this could be done. At this time I'm holding some things close to the vest because I simply do not know the proper channels where this proposal should be submitted to. I do know that I have plenty of experience doing this kind of thing and that my many industry connections would be helpful and indeed anxious to be involved with this project.
Of course my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait would also make an awesome addition to any "bling bag" given to delegates and the media as a photographic record to take home with them! I welcome inquiries from whomever will be in charge of the hospitality!
I'm looking forward to pushing this idea forward, as I know this is an idea that shouldn't get bogged down with concerns like security and public inconvenience. Cost to do this project can be manageable, it just needs to be presented to the correct planning committee. I welcome any comments or suggestions on how I can move my proposal forward and I'm confident that this is a fantastic idea and that the city would get a big bang for the buck if it would like to pursue my idea.
The next public meeting for ideas will be held on Tuesday, June 23rd at Robert Morris University from noon to 1:30PM. Stay tuned to this blog for more info. Here is the Pittsburgh Post Gazette article by Dennis Roddy about his impressions.
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