Tall Ships in 2008

The massive festival will be organized by a Seattle company called One Reel, who won out over Tacoma Events Commission. TEC produced the 2005 festival and won the "Port of the Year Award" from the American Sail Training Association for how well it went.

So here's the question, why did the TEC lose? Clearly there were behind-the-scenes problems, though it's hard to find any discussion of those in print. The recent Trib opinion piece simply says:

The decision to bypass TEC, headed by former Tacoma City Councilman Doug Miller, was not unexpected to many who were privy to TEC’s management of the 2005 festival. That management has been described as chaotic; indeed, much of the 2005 event’s success could be attributed to the hard work and selflessness of scores of volunteers.

That's not too detailed, I must say, but we'll let that be for now. Here's what's interesting about the Tribune editorial. They argue:

But the Tall Ships Festival is a huge, regional event that deserves the very best management possible. One Reel has greater resources and access to big-name sponsors. Trouble lining up such sponsors was among the criticisms of TEC’s management.

Tacoma isn’t so provincial – or it shouldn’t be – that only Tacoma firms should be considered for such a job. Would the same people criticizing selection of a Seattle firm to manage the festival support the exclusion of Tacoma companies from competing for Seattle business?

But I don't know that this is right frame to look at the question.

Sure, a Seattle company should be able to compete for contracts in Tacoma. But our civic events and artistic enterprises? A Seattle group will run Tacoma Tall Ships 2008. A Bellevue group had to save the day with TAG. A few Seattle groups were major contenders for running the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts.

Even though they were unsuccessful, it certainly shows a trend that is not ideal: our biggest symbols of arts, culture, and community are not homegrown. Perhaps this says more about the willingness of Tacoma residents or businesses to support these organizations, or perhaps it speaks to mismanagement of the organizations, but clearly there is a problem somewhere.

I am not averse to a successful Seattle non-profit running Tall Ships, just as I respected the Bellevue theater for saving TAG's bacon. Either is not that big of a deal; but both is a little worrisome. Is this a trend? Or just a few isolated incidences. I hope it's not a trend.