July 10th Update: What does the future hold for tennis fans, players and sponsors? Take a look at this blog and ~4 minute video interview between John Phillips from the ATP and I while at Wimbledon 2011. For related info, check out this Position2 blog post about Wimbledon and their fan community on social media during this year's championships. Even traditional organizations like the Wimbledon Club are getting creative with new media and the realtime web.
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June 22nd Update: What an adventure! Just arrived in San Francisco from a 3:30 PM departure yesterday from London with a connection at Chicago O'Hare. But the connection was delayed when tornado warnings and high winds shut down the O'Hare Airport. It doesn't appear there were any significant issues on the ground but many flights were either cancelled or delayed.
I have a lot photos, video clips and insights from Wimbledon to run through before editing a creatorbase thoughts video and related blog post. In the mean time, I have two full days to make final preparations for my ABC Shark Tank audition in Dallas on Saturday, June 25th. Funny, last Saturday I was mingling with some of the most extraordinary athletes in the world at Wimbledon and this coming Saturday I'll be in front of producers for the first and biggest TV audition of my professional life. More to come on these developments and the focus this week is on Shark Tank.
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June 19th Update: Managed to arrange some incredible, unexpected time at Wimbledon on Saturday and I was given the opportunity to photograph and meet Roger Federer in recognition of some charity work he did with the ATP.
When asked by Philippe of the ATP if I could help for a few minutes by taking photos of a brief exchange, my answer was a resounding 'YES!' Mr. Federer is a true gentleman and it's refreshing to see top athletes like him taking time for causes that help other people and communities.
I also took about three hours to tour the grounds, talk with staff onsite and huddle with John and Philippe to avoid what felt like a brief hurricane coming through. The grounds are even more spectacular in person than what we see during TV coverage. Attention to details, few commercial messages and a flow that is creative and stimulating in terms of access and visibility.
Tomorrow is opening day and the weather is still causing some concerns but I anticipate there will be plenty of play on Center Court (may be covered) to help keep the schedule moving along. Stay tuned for more #Wimbledon tweets and updates via creatorbase and other tennis fans on the Web. Follow the Wimbledon Twitter feed and reporters like Christopher Clarey from The New York Times for complete and timely coverage.
Happy Father's Day!
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Original Post: In less than 24 hours, I'll be on a plane heading to London to meet up with friends and digital marketing/community practice colleagues, John Phillips and Philippe Dore from the ATP World Tour, to participate in the 125th Wimbledon Championships. Excited and honored is an understatement!
This Wimbledon trip has been a dream in the making for more than 30 years since I first started playing tennis as a young kid in South Florida. Visions of Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Agassi, Sampras, Federer, Nadal, Roddick and countless other men and women professionals on TV in this grand setting has been an annual tradition in our home for many years. 'Breakfast at Wimbledon' is a can't miss experience.
I'm going to blog, tweet and shoot photos/video about the experience starting June 16th. I'll also talk with John Phillips and other ATP executives about the future of tennis from a digital and in-stadium perspective; stay tuned for those creatorbase thoughts and related insights.
And if the weather cooperates, we're going to play on the grass at the Queen's Club where the AEGON Championships (a warm-up for Wimbledon) just completed. Pinch me, is this a dream or reality?! Oh, thanks to Anthony and team at the Tennis Station for stringing my racquet and providing useful feedback to share with the ATP in London.
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