Company: Lacy Maxwell Experiential - Benicia, CA
Company Description: Lacy Maxwell honed skills acquired as VP of West Coast Special Events at Clear Channel Entertainment to form her current agency, Lacy Maxwell Experiential. LME currently employs 9 full-time employees from their home office base in Benicia, CA, and continues to thrive as an award-winning, leader in the hospitality industry.
Nomination Category: Communications & Marketing Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Sponsorship
 Nomination Title: LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the nominated campaign or program - its genesis,development, planning, commission, and performance to date - OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions, provide them in the appropriate spaces below:
- Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
Oct 7-10, 2021 & May 12-15, 2022
- Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 229 words used.
Four months before tee-off, The Cognizant Founders Cup Tour begins in June at THE JOHN SHIPPEN Shoot-Out, a three-hole individual competition at the Detroit Golf Club. The winner is endowed with an honorary scholarship to compete in The Cognizant Founders Cup.
Together, Lacy Maxwell Experiential worked in lockstep with Cognizant and the LPGA. They concepted and fabricated multiple installs including ‘The Founders Perch,’ a low stage overlooking the 18th hole. In October 2021, two of the ‘thrones’ on The Perch were occupied by Marlene Hagge and Shirley Spork, the last two remaining Founders, both in their 90s. Amateur and professional golfers got to ‘Act Like a Founder’ as they interacted together. The Founders Walk was adorned with flags from all over the world, as well as diverse images of women, encouraging and promoting inclusivity, not exclusivity in women’s golf. The 18th hole Cognizant Chalet featured panoramic views of the course and The Founder’s Perch - an intentional design creating space to reflect on the significance of the tournament, and the advancement of women's sports. The 13th hole featured an 8-foot-tall number 13. This tribute celebrating the original Founders quickly became a destination for young golfers and a smash hit on social media.
The design of the tournament was well received, a key factor helping Cognizant meet their goals of making the tournament, and golf, more accessible for all.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 9 words used.
We strongly believe these particular attachments speak for themselves ;)
- Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 225 words used.
Cognizant, as a company, has made a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Cognizant was seeking a sponsorship opportunity with an organization that matched their values. On February 9th, 2021, they partnered with the LPGA Founders Cup, a professional golf tournament honoring the 13 trailblazing women known as the Founders who created the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour more than 70 years ago. Cognizant’s partnership with The LPGA aims to highlight the value of women’s golf, while anticipating and developing its future - the next generation. The LPGA partnership is one of multiple assets in Cognizant’s long-term plan to expand their DEI initiative.
“What we’re trying to do in the technology space is increase diversity, make it a level playing field for all genders, all races, all religions, we’re committed to creating equal opportunity and diversity, both in and out of the workplace” - Gaurav Chand, Chief Marketing Officer, Cognizant.
Shameka Young, Global Head, Diversity, and Inclusion at Cognizant is “incredibly honored to be part of THE JOHN SHIPPEN Shoot-Out at its inauguration. This influential event promises to raise recognition for Black female golfers and supply an added on-ramp to qualifying for an LPGA Tour tournament. Cognizant is committed to furthering inclusivity and building on our sponsorship of the Cognizant Founders Cup. This partnership marks another milestone in our journey.”
- Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of July 2020. Even if your initiative started before July 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of July 2020 only (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
The Founders Cup was held at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, NJ, which has a rich history of women's golf and credits one-third of all holes played to female players. The tournament features an LPGA Pro staffed youth clinic. As young players learn firsthand from the pros, they compete for placement in dynamic brand ambassador program. Vital elements in our client Cognizant's commitment to inclusion as they continue to build a stronger platform for the next generation of golfers.
Over 2,000 stories about The Cognizant LPGA Founders Cup were shared by online news and media outlets with a reach of over 5 billion. Cognizant recently became the latest global partner for the Presidents Cup, and title partner of the LPGA’s Founders Cup until 2026. Many were inspired by the tournament, and it has quickly become one of the most well attended, and celebrated events on the LPGA Tour calendar.
Cognizant ’s partnership with The LPGA is deeply committed to investing in and building the future of women’s golf. Together, they raised The Founders Cup purse to $3 million (the largest of any regular LPGA event). 2021’s winner, Jin Young Ko had already won 10 times in the LPGA of Korea Tour, and she did it all before her 22nd birthday. She is only the second player in The LPGA history to win in her first tournament as a Tour member. Jin Young Ko completed the 2018 season as the 10th-ranked female player in the world.
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