that’s going on though once that gets
awarded then we can start publiciz-
ing it. Packets are put together after
talking to our client, after awarded to
city and after it’s awarded they stay
all the way through. Connect that
rights holder to our local commu-
nity next. Our 20th anniversary is in
October this fall but we started as an
organization building buildings and
overseeing these buildings. That year,
the Houston Oilers had left. The
Rockets and Astros were threaten-
ing to leave town. The community,
elected officials, and others said we
can’t be the 4th largest city and have
all our pro teams leave town. Really,
we were birthed into existence out
of a need. Through state legislation,
they enacted the ability for us to ex-
ist and cut taxes to build the build-
ings, issue the bond dept. service
and morphed into a sports market-
ing agency. Sports is unique and the
Houston First and the Greater Hous-
ton Convention & Visitors Bureau
do a great job for conventions and
tourism but sports has a very unique
need because they usually don’t have
a professional meeting planner for
sporting. GHVB does our housing World Corporate Games
for those needs.
Bid packet goes together, foresee
through to fruition — host it, atten-
Sonia: How long have you been
dance, market it the way it’s supposed
involved? Seems like more public- to be, connect rights holder to oth-
ity lately.
ers. As Kenny talked today, we al-
ways connect in some way to leave a
Janis quickly stated that she thinks it legacy; whether it’s our youth or Task
is because we have these great build- Masters, we were able to bring 900
ings, this great city put us on the map HISD school students to fish; these
as a professional sports city where ev- are kids that have never fished before.
eryone wants to go. There’s a ramp Shell corporation helped us pay for
up because you’re bidding so many it as a major sponsor that stepped up
years in advance. All of the work we and gave financials. We have a gen-
did in those earlier years are coming erous community. A pool was built
to fruition and it is a kind of snow- and stocked with fish then the kids
balling once you set the foundation were taught from pros how to fish.
right.
Thought UNICEF to be appropriate
in connecting with this time because
they are a global organization. Their
focusing on children makes them a
great partner and beneficiary. Again,
38 iF Magazine | May 2017
it is not something at World Corpo-
rate Games that they regularly do. It
is something we thought of at HSA,
we want to add to our community so
with registration and sponsorship, a
portion will go to UNICEF. There’s
another company we’re working
with for all of the equipment we have
to buy; many times with these events,
as when we do a track & field na-
tional event, we leave the equipment
with the school district yet with this
particular event all of the equipment
we have to buy for 18 different sports
we always leave for local youth.
My first question is: What is your
role in WCG as CEO of HAS?
Janis: We put together a host or-
ganizing committee — not just for