I’m conflicted.

As the president of the San Francisco Press Club, I reasoned that PR agencies would be the best organizations to recruit for sponsorships.  If you review any agency website, they will detail the primacy of media relations and how they are somehow better/different/scrappier/etc., than all the other agencies at connecting with journalists and persuading them to tell the stories that will help their clients. I naively thought that if media contacts are so critical to these agencies succeeding, getting them to donate would be a fait accompli.

Not quite.

Not one agency stepped up this year except the one I work for, Bospar. Bospar helped behind the scenes with marketing, video production, social media activations, content writing, event promotion, fulfillment, logistics, ticketing, set up and the least fun of all, tear-down.

The event was an incredible success. Over 300 people dressed in “San Francisco Glamourous” to attend the awards show in the elegant Julia Morgan Ballroom. The event not only sold out, it was over capacity. AGAIN!

Media outlets around the Bay Area and the country are reporting on their wins:

• Business Insider wins SF Press Club Awards
• Post wins major awards at San Francisco Press Club competition
• J. staffers win 13 S.F. Press Club awards for stories on antisemitism, education and Jewish joy
• Register staff honored at San Francisco Press Club awards

One attendee enthused: “I had such a great night tonight. It was so cool to see all these local journalists and such a blast to be in such a beautiful ballroom, too.”

Another said: “What an amazing evening. Thank you, SF Press Club. We are honored to be part of local journalism here in the Bay Area.”

But attendees weren’t just going to see if they won.

So why was Bospar the only PR agency supporting this event?

It could be the economy. We’re still waiting for it to get cooking, and naturally, that would make anyone pause on donating.

But… we’ve been here before.  

Two years ago, I noted that Bospar was the only PR agency supporting the press club. A year later, I felt cautiously optimistic when I persuaded another agency to chip in. But that’s not the case this year. We are back where we started with only one agency singing “All By Myself.”

So, how am I conflicted?

Read this line from Laura Ness of the foodie magazine Edible Monterey Bay: “Organized and hosted warmly and colorfully by SF Press Club president Curtis Sparrer – whose gold threaded camel blazer and woven Italian shoes were the envy of the evening – San Francisco knows how to throw a party, from the glorious lighted trees in the nearby plaza, to the sleigh at the foot of an enormous Christmas tree in the lobby, festooned with Tiffany blue ornaments.”

To the little boy in me who was teased about his outfits in middle school, this is extraordinarily validating. But it also demonstrates the power of supporting a cause like this. Journalists know who is on their side. I should know; I used to be one. Why wouldn’t another agency want to get in on this?

Some PR people reading this might scoff (as they often do) and think: Fine – but Curtis is getting that press because he’s the president of the press club. What attention could sponsors see?

Welp, Laura Ness then highlights one of our sponsors, Cynthia Lohr of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines: “Cynthia Lohr spoke eloquently of her appreciation for the work that everyone in the communications industry does, as she herself spends her days sharing the stories of her family’s eponymous brand that has become synonymous with successful vertical integration.”

That brings me back to my point that supporting press clubs is a wise investment for anyone wanting to amplify their brand and build goodwill with the media community. In addition to J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, seven other corporate sponsors understood the assignment, including Nebius, Digicert, Diversified, Google, HRC Fertility, Alembic Technologies and The San Francisco Examiner.

But somehow, I’m the only agency leader who seems to grasp the opportunity that supporting a press club offers fully. This finally brings me to the conflict I teased at the start: Why should I try to persuade other agencies to help when this clearly gives us a competitive advantage?  

Why even write this down?

Because I want press clubs to win. Whether they are in San Francisco, Los Angeles or Washington, D.C, I want them to do well in what appears to be the most challenging era for journalists. 

Boiling that down further: I want journalists to win. Because I truly believe in the primacy of media.

I guess that does make Bospar better/different/scrappier than the others.  

So, PR agency people, if you’re reading this, prove me wrong. Consider this your friendly challenge to pony up next year and put your wallet where your pitches are.

See you at the SF Press Club Awards Banquet in 2025!