The Media & Communication Committee explored new opportunities in the 2017-2018 club year for social media, digital storage, and member contact. Rahel Haley has been busy studying new opportunities to upgrade the Club website, contact system, and storage. Rahel has been diligent in not only searching for the best media platforms for the Club but also very mindful of being the best steward of the Committee’s budget restraints. The Media & Communication Committee leadership and the Azalea Garden Tour Publicity leadership worked very closely this year to coordinate the Club’s opportunities to expand exposure for the 2018 Azalea Garden Tour and future garden tours. For example, having dinner with Bernie Mann, publisher of Our State Magazine was an opportunity to discuss publicity for the 2019 Tour. Moreover, Garden Tour chair Sydney Penny’s decision to select a homeowner for the tour who had a marketing background provided the Tour with six months of regular exposure in the Wilmington Star News. Plus, using Todd Carignan’s paintings in the Tour tickets instead of photographs put the Tour in the spotlight of the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County’s weekly information scroll. In addition, Sydney Penny’s name recognition as a former Azalea Queen and actress opened many media doors for interviews and articles in publications like Cape Fear Living, Livin’ Out Loud, Wilmington NC Magazine and Encore. The move to have WWAY TV host the Ribbon Cutting also opened up more communication with the television media in general for publicity about activities like the “Hat Making Workshop”. Furthermore, having an institution like Cape Fear Museum on the Tour with its own media specialists created another stream of publicity for the Tour. Nina Brown’s efforts to use her business contacts put us in new outlets like Carolina Gardener. Last, but not least, the beauty of the Belles constantly invites photographic opportunities as they participate in Azalea Festival activities not related to the Garden Tour.
In spite of a slow start, Gardening and Nature productions with the NHCS TLN TV did get underway by November with three episodes featuring Tracey Skrabal from the NC Coastal Federation on “Rain Gardens” and Andy Wood from the Coastal Plain Conservation Group on “Native Plants.” The Bluebird Trail at Rachel Freeman School of Engineering was used for three episodes in April. Fran Summerlin, Co-Chair of CFGC’s Birds and Butterflies Committee, explained how the Bluebird Trail was completed with the help of the children and STEM teacher Janice Rickey. All three Bluebird episodes aired in May, 2018, on Channel 5 for Spectrum and Channel 191 for Charter.