Posted on February 10, 2011

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Public Relations Consultant

AIDS/LifeCycle, the world’s largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraising event, seeks public relations consulting services for AIDS/LifeCycle 10, which takes place June 5-11, 2011. The 545-mile ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles is jointly produced by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation. The term of the project shall be February - June 30, 2011.

For several reasons, this will be a historic ride. This year will mark not only the 10th anniversary of the event, but also the 30th anniversary (June 5) of the first reported AIDS cases by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For only the second time in the event’s history, we expect to close registration early and to reach our capacity of 2,500 cyclists. We’re also on track to break the event’s 2008 fundraising record of $12.3 million.

Participants in this endurance event (it’s not a race) raise at least $3,000 each and come from nearly every state in the U.S. and at least eight countries. They range in age from 18 to 80 and are typically novice cyclists, united by a common goal to help end HIV and AIDS. Many have compelling stories regarding their motivation for riding.

The communications teams from San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center work jointly to promote the event, which is routinely covered by SF and LA-area media and local media from communities along the event route. Each year, the organizations enlist additional public relations support to maximize media coverage. This year will be particularly important, as we’ll rely on our consultant(s) to capitalize on the two anniversaries with a goal of generating national media coverage (i.e., network news/morning shows, talk shows, national dailies, weekly news and entertainment magazines, etc.) in addition to saturated coverage across California, particularly in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets.

The consultant, or at least one member of the consulting team, will need to be along for the entire event, beginning the evening of Friday, June 3 and through Saturday, June 11.

Consultant(s) Scope of Responsibilities: Pre-event activities include:

• Facilitate regular planning meetings, conducted by phone, with SFAF and LAGLC communications teams beginning in February
• Maintain and update project timeline
• Identify and realize opportunities to embed print, broadcast and online media reporters as participants in the event to generate sustained coverage throughout the week of the anniversary
• Recruit and manage celebrity spokesperson/spokespeople
• Develop story pitches and photo opportunities, with specific appeal to national media (as listed above), and pitch the stories
• Identify and pitch opportunities to incorporate AIDS/LifeCycle in feature stories and news packages about the 30th anniversary of the first reported case of HIV
• Drafting event related news releases (pre- and post-event)

Activities during the event will include:

• Pitch media along the route
• Coordinate media interviews
• Compile “Media Hits” report to be read from stage each night
• Collect local papers that include event coverage and maintain comprehensive list of story placements
• Serve as the primary media contact at camp
• Assist with crisis communications and other duties as assigned and needed by ALC Media Managers
• Prepare media poster boards with local news coverage for display in media tent
• Prepare a wrap-up media hits summary report of all event coverage

Responsibilities of SFAF and LAGLC Communications Teams:

• Develop press kit materials and distribute to California media
• Distribute daily press advisories
• Identify cyclists with compelling stories
• Provide media relations support
• Develop and maintain list of media along the route
• Pitch San Francisco-area media on day 1 of the event and Los Angeles-area media on day 7 of the event
• Serve as event spokespersons

Following the event, the consultant(s) will participate in a debrief meeting with the media managers.

Budget: Up to $30,000 (plus expenses).

Note: proposals with lower fees, or that offer pro bono-support will be given special consideration.

• Lodging/meals during the event will be provided
• A car will be provided for transportation during the event and fuel expenses will be reimbursed

Ideal Experience/Qualifications:

• Strong media relations skills/experience and a track record of placing stories in national print and broadcast outlets
• Relationships/contacts to support the recruitment of celebrity spokespeople
• Experience pitching TV talk shows
• Familiar with the history of HIV/AIDS and current issues related to HIV treatment and prevention
• Extremely creative with excellent writing skills
• Assertive and detail-oriented
• Familiar with AIDS/LifeCycle and/or its predecessor, California AIDS Ride
• Personable with great sense of humor
  

Consultant(s) need not reside in Los Angeles or San Francisco and may be based anywhere in the country.

Application Instructions

Please submit a proposal to Jim Key (jkey@lagaycenter.org) and James Loduca (jloduca@sfaf.org) by Sunday, Feb. 20 that includes:

• Relevant experience and qualifications of all project staff (paid, volunteer and/or intern)
• An outline of your approach to meet the objectives listed under scope of responsibilities
• Professional fee for the project
• Professional references