Corporate Challenge: an Olympic success.

It starts with planning. The excitement builds with every day. And as people talk, their voices filled with anticipation, it is clear that every effort and all the hard work are well worthwhile. This is the making of a special event. These events usually require a great deal of commitment from an agency in human, financial, and facility resources. As a result, a special event may be the most challenging programs to operate effectively. Yet an extremely well-planned event can be one of the most successful and well received programs provided by leisure service agencies.

Corporate Challenge, one of the largest amateur athletic contests in the Southwest, is such a special event on a grand scale. Each year the Las Vegas Parks and Leisure Activities Department administers this five-week event in which local corporations and their employees compete in various individual and team sporting activities. Patterned after the Olympic Games, Corporate Challenge has been an enormous success. As depicted in Table 1, since Corporate Challenge was instituted in 1986, it has grown dramatically and currently involves more than 100 local corporations and 16,500 participants.

Although the prominent role of special events such as Corporate Challenge in leisure service programming is well recognized, research on their outcomes has been limited. There is a great need to investigate and share the potential impact of special events on an agency and its' constituency. By examining various aspects of the Corporate Challenge, one gets a better picture of the complexity of special events programming and the impact of such events on the agency and community.

Goals of Corporate Challenge

When planning the Corporate Challenge, the Las Vegas Parks and Leisure Activities Department identified many intended goals and benefits for the community, sponsoring parks and leisure activities agency, and corporations and their employees. And these goals were met in a variety of ways. Of course, as a publicly funded agency, Las Vegas wanted to increase citizen awareness and participation in parks and recreation programs. This goal set the tone for Corporate Challenge, whose philosophy states, "The most important thing in the Corporate Challenge is not to win, but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

The Corporate Challenge also was intended to create an experience which would increase the participants' identity and satisfaction with the community. New Las Vegas residents quickly become familiar with the well publicized tourist attractions, however, the marketing efforts addressing community recreation outlets have not had the same impact.

Since Corporate Challenge was instituted, parks and recreation programs have increased participation levels significantly, particularly for those activities included in the special event. In addition, it has been necessary for the parks and recreation department to build additional recreational facilities to meet higher levels of demand specifically for activities in Corporate Challenge. With its emphasis on team building, interaction with other community members, and community service, Corporate Challenge provides many opportunities for enhancing personal relationships.

In addition, the Parks and Leisure Activities Department wanted to use Corporate Challenge as a possible organizational change agent for parks and recreation staff Prior to this event, park and recreation management had determined that vitality, excitement, and creativity were missing from their programming. Routine programs were offered each year that required the same staff skills. Corporate Challenge provided the department with the opportunity to increase the variety of staff skills. The instituted changes reflected a model of work redesign which attempts to increase employees' intrinsic motivation. This type of increase in intrinsic motivation has been strongly linked to increases in job satisfaction and improvement in the quality of employee performance.

The Parks and Leisure Activities Department examined the perceived needs of area employers and their employees to determine the nature of corporate challenge events. The needs identified by employers closely mirrored the needs typically associated with health, fitness, and recreation programs in the workplace. Employers tend to believe that participation in fitness and recreation programs such as Corporate Challenge promotes employee satisfaction, increases job involvement and productivity, and reduces turnover and absenteeism, while enhancing profits, competitiveness, and survival for the organization.

Local employees identified improved physical fitness, personal growth, opportunity for competition and skill development, reduction in stress, and increased job satisfaction as potential benefits.

The level of involvement on the part of both the corporations and employees suggest that the program is meeting those needs on some level (see Table 1). While input such as this offers some insight, the actual benefits of participation in work-sponsored recreation programs have been largely unexplored.

TABLE 1. CORPORATE CHALLENGE PARTICIPATION DATA

Year          Events          Teams          Participants
1986          15              18             1,500
1987          19              32             3,840
1988          24              45             5,400
1989          24              63             7,560
1990          25              82             9,856
1991          25              84             11,126
1992          26              94             13,450
1993          27              96             14,000
1994          27              95             16,323

Corporate Challenge

Organization

Corporate Challenge is organized and implemented through the joint efforts of the Parks and Leisure Activities Department staff and key employees from participating corporations. There are two department positions with sole responsibility for Corporate Challenge.

A full-time director oversees the event's planning and administration; as with most events of this size, planning is ongoing and much must be conducted at least a year in advance. The director also generates interest among and maintains relationships with local corporations throughout the year via luncheons, speaking engagements, and a biannual corporate challenge newsletter.

The department also employs a marketing coordinator who, in addition to routine functions of advertising and promotions, is responsible for recruiting sponsors. To qualify as a sponsor, an organization must provide $5,000 worth of goods, services, or direct contributions. Sponsors are selected only if their image in the community is compatible with the Corporate Challenge event.

Past sponsors have contributed toward the purchase of trophies, volunteer t-shirts, communication systems, bottled water, and advertising. Local radio and television sponsors play an important role in keeping the event in the public eye, as well as informing the community about games, scores, and standings. Sponsors receive advertising at all event activities and on printed announcements (e.g., flyers and registration materials), as well as a waiver of the events entry fee.

An event the size of Corporate Challenge requires the involvement of every full time employee of the parks department. In addition to their regular job responsibilities, each staff member takes on the role of an event coordinator. Each of the 27 different activities in Corporate Challenge requires an event coordinator who is responsible for the organization, scheduling, and implementation of play. In addition, coordinators for the opening and closing ceremonies, volunteers and equipment are needed. In Corporate Challenge various sub-functions are assigned to separate event committees, while the event director organizes and coordinates all the work, makes decisions, and guides the planning.

Each participating corporation makes important contributions to event programming. The entry fee of $650 for corporations with fewer than 200 employees and $950 for all others is a small part of a corporation's contribution. Each participating company must identify a coordinator, usually someone from human resources, who acts as the liaison to the event director. The company coordinator role depicts the significant commitment that must be made by corporations to participate effectively in the event.

Coordinators often are relieved of their regular work duties for six months so that they can handle Corporate Challenge programming functions. Company coordinators are responsible for managing registration and participant waiver forms, communicating information, participating in event organization meetings, identifying employee skills and capabilities, initiating employee shift changes to allow participation in scheduled events, and selecting company team captains.

Team captains are selected for each event activity in which the company will compete. These individuals play a crucial role in generating interest among other employees. Captains recruit employees to participate in the activity, schedule practices in conjunction with work schedules, communicate event policies and activity rules, and act as spokespersons to event coordinators. Each company must also recruit and commit a pool of event volunteers, who may be employees' family members or employees who are not competing in the event.

Opening Ceremonies and

Events

There are several unique activities associated with Corporate Challenge's opening ceremonies. The governor of Nevada, mayor of Las Vegas, and representatives of each company generally participate in the torch relay, in which a torch is carried throughout the Las Vegas community and passed from person to person along the route. Lighting the Corporate Challenge flame of officially opens the games. During the torch-relay, participants - displaying their company's banner - march in a parade to Freedom Park, the site of the torch lighting ceremony. After the ceremony, each company hosts a picnic party for employees and their families.

The company picnic has grown with Corporate Challenge and is now an important aspect of the events' activities. Participating corporations have organized special picnic committees to plan the day's festivities. Larger corporations expect 2,500 employees to attend the picnic, and it takes them almost three days to set up tents that seat up to 500 employees at a time. One local hotel has provided fresh flowers, linens, a portable kitchen, cappuccino machine, karokee stage, and chefs to prepare the meals. Tents are decorated with company banners and balloons in company colors.

There are also several activities during the opening ceremonies at Freedom Park designed specifically to involve upper level corporate managers. In the corporate ladder relay, for example, corporate executives perform a variety of business tasks - from typing memos to speed filing - in a race to the top of a ladder.

Events from One to 27

There are currently 27 different events (see Table 2) in which individuals and teams may participate over the five-week period. Events are held at various recreational facilities throughout the community and require the support and cooperation of a number of different agencies, including the Clark County School District, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Nellis Air Force Base, and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Several activities, such as the fishing derby held at Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the running and bicycling events held at BLM's Red Rock Recreation Area, reflect the unique recreational opportunities available in the Las Vegas valley. Many of the activities are held outdoors; and the weather seldom lets us down.

The closing ceremonies also are held at Freedom Park, where awards are presented. Corporations are placed in one of four divisions based on the number of individuals employed. We use a point system to determine the awarding of gold, silver, and bronze medals to individuals and teams placing first, second, or third in each event and the companies with the highest points in each division. Individuals from each division who have exhibited personal commitment during Corporate Challenge are nominated to receive the Athlete of the Games Awards.

While achievement in athletic competition determines the winners of most awards, there are also several additional opportunities to recognize companies and their employees at the closing ceremonies. For example, a blood drive is held in conjunction with the Corporate Challenge, and the company credited with the most blood donations receives the United Blood Service Trophy Award.

Employees and their families donated 2,100 units of blood in 1994. And one important recognition is the Director's Spirit Trophy, for which Parks and Leisure Activities event coordinators select the team that exhibits the most spirit, sportsmanship, cooperation, and teamwork.

It Just Gets Better

After the event, all parks and leisure activities staff gather for a debriefing of the event The most valuable information received from participants at these meetings has been the identification of new activities (e.g., sand volleyball) that can be incorporated for next year's event.

Corporate Challenge has facilitated an improved parks and recreation department image, which translates into two important benefits. First, constituents have developed an increased commitment to parks and recreation as evidenced by private contributions. Second, the image of the department has been elevated within city government. Through government officials' direct involvement in Corporate Challenge, these individuals have recognized the efforts necessary to market and program a large recreational event.

This event also has significant value to the city, resulting in Las Vegas moving the citywide marketing task force to the Department of Parks and Leisure Activities. This task force directs marketing efforts for the city, including the identification of revenue related memorabilia and merchandise.

Of course, the event has many benefits for the participants and their employers, including improved morale and lower turnover. Furthermore, these people came away with a positive image of the department, which can result in public support, favorable legislation, increased funding, and a steady supply of eager volunteers.

Happy Anniversary,

Corporate Challenge

For the upcoming 10th anniversary of Corporate Challenge, every participant will be invited to a special reunion party. Participants also will be able to purchase revenue-generating memorabilia such as souvenir calendars of Corporate Challenge companies and t-shirts and other clothing. Also planned is a memorial in Freedom Park which will showcase the people - participants, friends, and family - of Corporate Challenge.

As a special event, Corporate Challenge is a shining example. It benefits the community, the department, many companies, and thousands of employees. It's the kind of event that makes the work of parks and recreation personnel more rewarding and always exciting, the lives of citizens healthier and happier, and the community and businesses stronger. And that makes it a very "special" event, indeed.