http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXhc90BV2Uk
Beth Schnitzer is a masterful marketing and sponsorship professional, and friend of this video-blogger, who stepped down from her position as Vice President Of Strategic Alliances for Pier 39 in San Francisco, and to focus on her new company, Spritz Marketing.
Beth has represented Pier 39 in her position for 12 years, and for two years before that, John Bosch, her predecessor, told Ms. Schnitzer he wanted her to have his position when he stepped down. In 2000, Bosch made good on his promise, and Beth took his place.
The Pier 39 Fleet Week Parties
Beth is the ultimate connector of people, a quality that has served her well during her time at Pier 39. While Ms. Schnitzer has a wealth of accomplishments, including the realization of an excellent service to sponsors and retailers and retauranteurs at the Pier, the hallmark event, one formed to bring together and thank sponsors and business owners at the Pier, is The Pier 39 Fleet Week Party.
The Pier 39 Fleet Week Party was held on the roof of the parking lot at Pier 39, and was something Beth started doing in 2005. Then, it comprised just one-quarter of the roof; by 2007, it grew to encompass the entire two-acre rood space, and provided an exclusive set of views of the Blue Angels flyovers and United Airlines 747 flybys.
But what the fleet week was best known for was its unique mix of food, people, and fun. It became the can’t-miss San Francisco Fleet Week event, but you had to do business with the Pier, and be a good friend of Beth’s to get in. It helped maintain valuable Pier 39 relationships, and put the giant themed retail mall on the water on the map as a good place for sponsors to do business.
Here’s a taste of what Beth’s annual event was like:
Something else Beth’s known for is not turning a blind eye to the new. The best example this blogger can offer is the 2007 YouTube Meetup. A group of YouTubers (including me) were looking for a place to hold their West Coast gathering of video-bloggers. I took the matter to Beth, and she convinced the Pier 39 staffers to sponsor and support the first YouTube “As-One” Meetup on the West Coast.
Here’s what I wrote in the description for the video you’re about to see:
This is a wonderful capture of human interaction of YouTubers at the “As One” event organized by Mr. Safety on February 17th, 2007 at Pier 39. This 15 minute video stars such YouTube notables as Renetto and Falstaff, but has at its center a very intense and moving conversation between Renetto, Ian, and other YouTubers including myself at the center. The subject was how YouTube — and really video social media — allows people separated by distance and idology to have a real conversation and how that dynamic can be played out in the real world as it was here.
And this promotional video from SMP Films, which also features Pier 39 as the venue, has been seen almost 1 million times:
In all, the videos about this epic event at Pier 39 have been seen over 1 million times – that’s one million times Pier 39 has been marketed to the World. None of this would have been possible without Beth’s approval and assistance. The event not only helped the Pier, but helped put the then-new and very young Youtube on the digital media and pop culture map.
Spritz Interactive Marketing
Beth’s taking her vast experience, formed with NFL Properties, the World Cup, Pier 39, and as a marketing consultant to such organizations as The NHL, and focusing it on the development of her own boutique firm, Spritz Interactive Marketing.
Spritz, named for the white-wine spritzers Beth has enjoyed from time to time, mates the client services and strategic genius of Beth with the technical and digital media expertise held by her business partner, and this blogger’s friend, Raghu Shivaram. Already’s Spritz has gained a number of notable clients, from Tommy Toy’s San Francisco Restaurant, to The Hard Rock Cafe, and Seamless, and many more businesses.
The new company is able to provide what Beth calls a “full service” menu of offerings, from complete online and mobile branding (Spritz can develop apps) to websites, and to marketing consulting and sponsorship development.
For more on Spritz and its team and to contact them, visit their website at spritzsf.com