About 3 weeks ago I wrote a letter to the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce outlining 3 proposals for promoting the state wrestling tournament. Last week I called the Chamber office because I had not heard anything from them. The lady told me that they had forwarded my letter to the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau. A call to the C & V Bureau confirmed they had received the letter and the person who should receive it was on vacation. Thursday I received a call from a very pleasant young lady who had just reviewed the letter. She told me she really liked my first suggestion. I had suggested that soon after school started in the fall that they go to the NSAA website and download the school directory in order to get a list of all high school wrestling coaches in the state. After they had compiled that list they should mail a packet to each wrestling coach in the state. I emphasized the packets be mailed to the coaches instead of the ADs, as NSAA would probably suggest, because of my experience that ADs had a tendency to put things like that into the "things I probably should do someday" pile next to the "do this when I get around to it" pile, which is about 2 piles down the desk from the "fairly important, look at this every week or so" pile. I also emphasized that they should be mailed ASAP after the start of the school year because coaches and booster club members like to make hotel reservations early. The packets should contain complete city maps and enlarged maps of the Qwest/Old Market/downtown areas. They should contain lists of hotels, restaurants, and places of interest. Hotels and restaurant lists should give websites so coaches and fans could check room prices of hotels and menus of restaurants long before the tournament starts. Keep in mind that several people posted that they found good hotel rates in Council Bluffs. I doubt that the Omaha C & V Bureau will be trying to promote Council Bluffs businesses so you will have to do that research on your own. She seemed very enthusiastic about this idea and I think she will follow through with it.

The second idea was stolen from my company's annual meeting. When we go to Milwaukee to the meeting each July the hotels and stores all have placards, about 15"x 12", welcoming us to Milwaukee. Each year the annual meeting has a different theme and logo and they are on the placards. She told me that the hotels would not allow placards to be sitting on counters, table, etc. but that C & V made 'clingees' (plastic sheets that cling to windows) with 'Welcome' messages on them. They also make up buttons which they give to the area restaurants for the wait staff to wear during the event. She knew that they made them for the volleyball tournament that is going on at the same time as state wrestling and thought they also made them for state wrestling. She asked me if I had seen them. Since I live in Omaha and either go home or to the office after each session I am never in position to see them. Did any of you see them? I had suggested that they use the cover of the state tournament program as the background for the 'clingees'.

The third idea referred to the state track meet at Burke. The street light poles that surround Burke have banners hanging from them announcing and promoting the state track and field meet. She didn't know who provided those banners but guessed that city crews put them up. She saw a potential problem because the volleyball tournament has been here that same weekend since Qwest has been open. So they are more entrenched. I told her that was not problem, that they could put a wrestling banner on every other pole and a volleyball banner on every other one. She was going to check on these things and get back to me.

I'll post new developments here. I will be moderately persistent about calls her. I firmly believe that the squeaking wheel gets the grease, until the point that the squeaking gets unbearable. Then the squeaking wheel gets sent to the landfill, never to be considered again.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Frank Ryan,

It sounds like you've been busy. I am glad you took the initiative on this. As for buttons on waitstaff during state wrestling, I have never seen any. Keep up the good work, Frank.

Frank I appreciate your effort, I received your letter and I thank you for it.