During the summer, while some of us are throwing fishing lines in the water or sipping iced tea in the shade, members of the Souvenir Program Committee are pounding the pavement to sell advertising space in the more than 1,000-page souvenir program. As the sweltering summer heat fades into autumn, the 450 badge members of the committee raise more than $1 million in advertising sales and scholarship donations. According to Committee Chairman Linda Henson, one of the real challenges of this committee is to generate interest in the Show during the summer — a challenge these members have taken head-on. For example, six years ago, the committee's members met their goal of selling all available advertising space in the souvenir program. Rather than view this as an end to their responsibilities, they saw an opportunity to contribute further to the Show's mission of supporting education by creating an option for donations to scholarships. Now, as a result of its success and creativity, the Souvenir Program Committee is one of the few committees that, in addition to its main function, also directly collects scholarship donations. The Souvenir Program Committee is not a committee for the faint of heart. To earn a badge, each member must sell $1,500 worth of advertising or generate an equivalent amount of scholarship donations. The deadline for accomplishing this goal is mid-November, when community excitement about the Show is just beginning to develop. Beginning with the first summer meeting and continuing through the advertising contract deadline, the committee maintains a high level of enthusiasm among its members through a series of festive meetings. Even after contracts have been turned in, members must follow up on the artwork and copy for the advertisements they have sold. Officer in charge Bob Hux is impressed with the efforts of the members. "It takes a lot of tenacity to keep going to those who say 'no' and finally get a 'yes.' It is an honor and privilege to work with these people."
All of this hard work began in 1952 with the Advertising Committee, which later became the Ladies' Souvenir Program Committee. In 1962, the Men's Souvenir Program Committee started. Both groups sold advertisements for the souvenir program, each competing within its own group to constantly increase advertising sales. In 1988, the two groups merged, and the committee has been on a record pace ever since. Henson describes the souvenir program as a who's who of Houston. The souvenir program contains advertisements from large corporate sponsors to individuals, from oil companies to shoe stores. Just like the program's advertisers, committee members come from all types of business — from telephone line workers to bank CEOs. Henson remarked that everyone wants to be a part of the Show, and "the souvenir program is where the fun begins." Starting early has many advantages. The flurry of activity generates interest and enthusiasm and "gets the word out early about the Rodeo," according to Henson. The success of this committee is an indicator of how well the economy is doing, and it projects the success of the Show. How well the Souvenir Program Committee does "sets the pace for the entire Show," said Johnnie Westerhaus, assistant manager; Marketing, Information Systems and Presentations Department. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of the members of the Souvenir Program Committee, every year continues to be another success! |
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