morgan kinney portfolio 5mb
TRANSCRIPT
3 PRESS RELEASES
8 NEWS CLIPPINGS
11 NEWSLETTERS
12 ADVERTISING
13 BRANDING
15 SOCIAL MEDIA
19 VIDEOS
20 EVENT PLANNING
E. MORGAN KINNEYCOMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
BACKGROUND2015-2016 Communications Director, Chicago Yacht Club2012-2015 Offshore & Marketing Manager, Columbia Yacht Club2011 Press Officer, Chicago Match Race Center
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS2016 Twitter Account Manager, Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Chicago2013-2016 Brand Ambassador, Universal Sole2012-Present Event Director, Winter Anarchy2014-2015 Social Media Manager, Westrec Marinas
EDUCATION2011 Northern Michigan University Bachelor of Arts, Public Relations
SKILLSProficient in Microsoft Office.Extensive experience with Constant Contact, MailChimp and ClubEssential.Four years managing multiple business accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite programs: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Premiere.
[email protected](847)208-5530Chicago, IL
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PRESS RELEASES
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media ContactMorgan [email protected](847)208-5530
LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES CHICAGO OPENS WITH CONQUER CANCER DAY
CHICAGO, IL (November 9, 2015): The America’s Cup World Series Chicago officially kicks off today at Navy Pier with Conquer Cancer Day. This will be the first time that America’s Cup racing has been sailed on freshwater in its 165-year history.
In 1983, Chicago hosted the Heart of America Challenge featuring lead by local talent Buddy Melges. The Chal-lenge was lost during the Australian qualifiers in 1986.
The flying cats are anchored on the north side of Navy Pier flanked by a fleet of support boats. The boats will be vis-ible to guests arriving by car and taxi. Fans arriving by foot should make a stop at the Fan Shop located at the south lawn of the Pier. They can continue down the southern walkway to access the Race Village.
The Race Village opens at 12:00 P.M. CST. Single day and weekend Race Village General Admission passes are still available for purchase at the Box Office.
Practice racing and a Substitute Race will take place 1:30 P.M.-3:00 P.M. CST. Racing is visible from the Pier with the finish line anchored directly off the east end of the Race Village.Winds will be variable with an average 10-15 knots from the west south west shifting south as the day goes on. The breeze will be a welcome relief from the predicted temperatures of 85-90F.
Live performances will begin after racing at 3:00 P.M. CST in the Beer Garden. Fans can have posters signed by America’s Cup crew members starting at 3:30 P.M. CST at the Alvalle Race Village Stage located at the southeast corner of the Pier. At 4:00 P.M. CST, partake in the Harken Grinding Competition in the same location.
Crowds will flow into the Grand Ballroom early to position themselves for the Opening Ceremony featuring appear-ances by all six teams. The Ceremony starts at 7:30 P.M. CST followed by a fireworks display at 9:30 P.M. CST.
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PRESS RELEASES
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media ContactMorgan KinneyCommunications Director, Chicago Yacht [email protected](312)672-9399
WINTRUST ANNOUNCED AS PRESENTING SPONSOR OF RACE TO MACKINAC 2016-2018
CHICAGO, IL (November 9, 2015): Chicago Yacht Club is pleased to announce that Wintrust Financial Corpora-tion has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the Race to Mackinac for the years 2016-2018, after having served as this year’s presenting sponsor of the Race for the first time.
“Now that we have experienced it firsthand, we are even more excited to continue our sponsorship of this event that has been an integral part of Chicago history for over a century,” said Wintrust CEO and founder Ed Wehmer.Established in 1991, Wintrust is a financial services holding company based in Rosemont, Illinois, with assets above $20 billion. The bank, which has grown to more than 150 locations in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, originally became the Race’s presenting sponsor in 2015.
“We are very proud to continue and enhance our relationship with Wintrust. It has been a true pleasure working with this Chicago area based institution with respect to our shared focus on Chicagoland,” said Greg Miarecki, Commodore of the Chicago Yacht Club.
Wintrust will also continue to co-sponsor two Chicago Yacht Club charity cruises: one for adults with special needs and another for the visually impaired, benefitting more than 300 participants.“As a locally-based and locally-run bank providing community-oriented services, we strongly believe in supporting the neighborhoods we serve,” explained Wehmer.
The 108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac will start on July 22, 2016. The 333-mile race includes more than 300 boats and 4,000 sailors with thousands of race fans following along online. “Wintrust’s involvement extends far beyond the Race itself, as presenting sponsor, they also will play a key role in events such as the Warning Gun Party, Grand Hotel Porch Party and Sailors’ Celebration on Mackinac Island as well as the Awards Banquet in the fall,” said newly inducted Race Chairman Donald Maxwell.
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PRESS RELEASES
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media ContactMorgan KinneyCommunications Director, Chicago Yacht [email protected](312)672-9399
BREAKING: WHODO CREW IS SAFE & HEADING TO LELAND, MI
CHICAGO, IL & MACKINAC ISLAND, MI (Updated at 9:22 A.M. EDT July 25, 2016): At approximately 3:50 P.M. EDT on July 24, 2016, it was reported to the United States Coast Guard that the One Design 48 WhoDo, chartered by Erik Owen of Northport, MI, was sinking inside the Manitou Passage after their rudder shaft broke between the hull and the deck causing the boat to take on water.
The crew of WhoDo deployed a life raft and all ten crew boarded safely. Eric Oesterle’s Heartbreaker was first on the scene and in communication with the USCG. Mark Bremer’s City Girl came in to assist and pulled the entire crew out of the life raft and onto their boat. Several other competitors were also on standby to provide assistance. City Girl dropped out of the race to transfer the crew to Leland, MI where the Leelanau County Sheriff Department met them at the dock. No medical attention was requested for the crew of WhoDo, and all crew were reported in good condition.
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WhoDo at the start of the 108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac on Saturday, July 23, 2016. Photo by Zachary James Johnston
WhoDo sinks beneath the waves on Sunday, July 24, 2016 inside the Manitou Passage during the 2016 Chicago Race to Mackinac. Photo by
Russell Madsen.
PRESS RELEASES
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media ContactMorgan KinneyCommunications Director, Chicago Yacht [email protected](312)672-9399
FLYING BUFFALO BREAKS RECORD AS FOUR-TIME DIVISION WINNER WHILE NATALIE J SWOOPS THE MACKINAC CUP
CHICAGO, IL & MACKINAC ISLAND, MI (July 25, 2016): Al and Bob Declercq’s Flying Buffalo won the Mack-inac Trophy Division of the 108th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. Flying Buffalo is now a four-time winner. Al and Bob are the sons of the designer and first owner of the boat. They previously won the race overall in 1966, 1967 and 1969.
Even as early as the start of the Race, crew member Nathan Hollerbach proclaimed that the boat was on the hunt to break records via a tweet reading, “Tune in Chicago… history in the making Flying Buffalo going for our fourth ever overall victory in the #chicagomacrace. The most ever!”
The 108th running of the Race was anything but dull. Squall lines bore down on the fleet for most of Saturday through Sunday early afternoon causing 22 boats to drop out and one boat to sink. “Of my 31 Races to Mackinac, this was one of the most difficult. We experienced intense rain, thunder, lightning, and very challenging wind conditions. It really put skippers and crews to the test,” said Chicago Yacht Club Commodore Greg Miarecki. “The 108th Race to Mackinac will not soon be forgotten.”
Flying Buffalo completed the race in 46 hours 52 minutes and corrected an hour ahead of second place and three-time division winner Providence. The two boats were playing chess with each other for the entirety of the Race being almost in shouting distance at times. Declercq went on to say, “Once this race turned downwind, we didn’t play any risks. Just go right down the pipe of the race course because it’s our conditions. In this race, we couldn’t have gotten more perfect conditions.”
Fellow Bayview Yacht Club boat Natalie J won the Mackinac Cup Division and Turbo Section with a speedy time of 26 hours 15 minutes; Phil O’Neil’s fastest Chicago Mac Race. The O’Neil’s Transpac 52 is a first-time division winner, but have won the Bayview Mackinac Race overall four times. O’Neil sailed up the Wisconsin shoreline for approximately 100 miles before he started crossing Lake Michigan while Bob Hughes’ Heartbreaker was caught in a hole on the rhumb line. “The whole plan was to leverage our position to the left of [Heartbreaker],” explained O’Neil. “We were all the way up to Sheboygan before we cut across the lake!”
The Detroit TP52 snuck inside the Manitou Passage and appeared to be losing ground to Heartbreaker as Hughes hugged the western shores of the islands. Heartbreaker’s flyer looked to pay in dividends as they sped up 5 knots
over Natalie J, but hard as they tried, the hole in the rhumb line was dragging them down.
Natalie J rounded the North Light Buoy 8NM ahead of Heartbreaker before making their run for the finish. “It was the wettest Mac I’ve ever done,” said O’Neil. It also happened to be the TP52’s fastest Mac annihilating their 2011 record by four hours. “We only had to tack once Natalie J’s top-notch crew was comprised of Olympian Bora Gulari, Patrick Drummond, Ryan Gardner, Jay Hansen, Chris Higgins, Todd Jones, Geoffrey Kimmel, Philip O’Neil III, Philip O’Neil IV, Matt Otenbaker, Curtis Rozelle, Fred Rozelle.”
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PRESS RELEASES
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LEFT: Natalie J during the 2016 Chicago Race to Mackinac and posing for a crew photo before the start. Photos provided by Sharon O’Niel. RIGHT: Flying Buffalo
prepares for the start of the Mac and poses with their victory flag at the Awards Party on Mackinac Island. Photos by Zachary James Johnston & Grace Glenny.
NEWS CLIPPINGS
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2015-16 CHICAGO YACHT CLUB RACE TO MACKINAC COVERAGEClick the images to be directed to the full stories.
NEWS CLIPPINGS
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2015-16 CHICAGO YACHT CLUB RACE TO MACKINAC COVERAGEClick the images to be directed to the full videos.
CBS 2 Chicago Morning Show July 11, 2015
WCIU You & Me in the Morning July 22, 2016
Chicago WGN Morning News July 6, 2015
ABC 7 Chicago Afternoon July 8, 2015
CBS Chicago Morning July 23, 2016
NEWS CLIPPINGS
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2015 BLIND SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPClick the images to be directed to the full stories.
2015 BLIND SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPClick the images to be directed to the full stories.
NEWSLETTERS
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The Blinker is a quarterly publication for the members of Chicago Yacht Club. To supplement the magazine, there were bi-monthly mailers and weekly e-newsletters.
ADVERTISING
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Above: Advertorial for Michigan Avenue Magazine Summer 2016.
Left: Advertisement for annual regatta used in Chicago Yacht Club member publications and on social media.
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BRANDING
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CHICAGO YACHT CLUBIn the late fall of 2015, Chicago Yacht Club shrugged the image of blue blazers and teak decks to make the club appear more youthful and athletic. The hope was to attract younger members and more accomplished sailors to events.
RACE TO MACKINACThe Race to Mackinac also underwent changes and refocused on the racer experience for the 2015 Mac. I hired an award-winning Volvo Ocean Race reporter to document the Race and send real-time updates from the middle of Lake Michigan.
BRANDING
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UNIVERSAL SOLEA mom-and-pop running store located in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The shop operated on a shoestring budget, but was known for events that created a sense of community centered around running. I was hired as a brand ambassador to set up/tear down events and represent the store. I also served as the managing editor of their weekly newsletter using Mail Chimp.
SOCIAL MEDIA LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP WORLD SERIES CHICAGOIn June 2016, I was contracted to manage the @LVACWSChicago Twitter account. The goals of the account were to engage fans, provide logistical information and offer play-by-play analysis of the races. By the second day of the event, #LVACWSChicago had more than 25 million social media impressions.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
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CHICAGO HARBORS (WESTREC MARINAS)While reporter Matt Knighton was racing around the world, I was appointed the interim Facebook Account Manager for the Chicago Harbors. The account is the central hub of customer service for the city’s boating community. While acting as manager, I engaged fans, addressed complaints and supported the local sports teams.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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CHICAGO YACHT CLUBChicago Yacht Club’s primary focus was on its Facebook page in 2015 then branched out into Instagram, Twitter and event Snapchat in July 2016.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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CHICAGO YACHT CLUB RACE TO MACKINACIn July 2015, the Twitter account earned 1 million organic impressions and the Instagram account tripled in followers.
When storms plagued the Race in 2016 and sank a boat, social media was the easiest way for friends and family to check in with the racers who did not have cell phone service or satellite. It was also through social media that
The Race’s Twitter account highlighted pre-selected boats that were tweeting from the Race. This edition of the Race also fea-tured custom Snapchat geofilters for events such as pre-parties, the start of the Race and the awards party.
VIDEO
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Chicago Match Race Center Grade 2 Invitational HighlightsDirector
2015 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac HighlightsProducer
2016 Race to Mackinac Interview with Boat OwnerProducer
2015 Volvo Ocean Race Interview with a TeamLive Show Producer
2016 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac HighlightsProducer
WINTER ANARCHYWhat began as a small winter sailing gathering has transformed into a 300+ person annual fundraiser. I took over as Event Director in 2012 and since then have attained sponsors, upgraded venues, increased attendance, designed a website and brought public recognition to what is Winter Anarchy. In only two years, the event has raised more than $10,500 for The Skin Cancer Foundation.What’s in a name? Sailing Anarchy is one of the largest international sailing news websites, and the event is a spin-off of the Chicago area forum.
EVENT PLANNING
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