Post #516952 by Boom Boom Room on Fri, Mar 12, 2010 9:23 PM

On 2010-03-12 12:21, JOHN-O wrote:
Petitions are a great start but to go toe to toe with big business you eventually need to get widespread visibility with the general public. The only way to get that is through major news coverage. To get that coverage you need to create a media circus.

Try to imagine CNN coverage like the following.......

Yesterday, hundreds of protesters garbed in colorful Hawaiian wear blocked all entrances to San Francisco's Fairmont hotel. They sat in front of public access points along with wooden carving they had brought. When asked what they were protesting, this was their statement:

"We're here to bring national, state, and city attention to the planned closure of the Fairmont's Tonga Room. This establishment has major significance not only from a San Francisco historical standpoint but is also one of the few remaining examples of classic Tiki-style. Tiki was a major U.S. cultural phenomenon during America's mid-century and most original Tiki bars and restaurants have long since been demolished. We urge the Fairmont to reconsider their decision. If the Fairmont decides to move ahead with their planned demolition, then we urge the public to show their disapproval by taking their business to hotels other than the Fairmont chain."

Eventually the police showed up, but the sitting protesters moved out of the way and began picketing on the public sidewalk. They vowed to continue their protests for the next several weekends, their goal to bring this unique brand of preservationism into the national consciousness.

(Am I dreaming here ?? And yes this is easy for me to point out sitting 400 miles away in Los Angeles. And why didn't I come up with this bright idea when the Beverly Hills Trader Vic's was being shut down? I admit it was pure apathy. But let's be honest, the future doesn't look good for the TR and a drastic situation is going to require drastic measures. I guess most of us here are past the age where action like this is practical or desirable. If there's an on-line petition to be signed or donations needed to support this effort, someone please post it.)

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-03-12 14:13 ]

I am a lobbyist in Washington. Getting media coverage is a great tactic. The best strategy (and probably the only strategy to win) is to get this on the historic preservation list. That would be a permanent solution that would trump the otherwise inevitable business decision based on profitability. The advantage of this strategy is tapping into the often highly effective lobbying campaigns that historic preservationists have shown they can launch and win. They are battle tested veterans who know what levers to push. This is a street fight. They are street fighters. The keys to their success are experience, passion, not giving up, media savvy, and knowing how to navigate the historic designation process. I would strongly encourage the local tikifiles to cultivate, woo, and recruit the San Francisco preservationist leaders to join this cause and co-lead it. The Tonga Room might not be an easy initial sell. They are used to fighting for art deco, buildings built by famous architects, etc. However, a strong case can be made for preservation under the criteria for historic preservation. Also, bear in mind that volunteer leaders are always looking for fresh blood, more troops in the field. If local tikifiles can bring decent volunteer numbers to the table to do the scut work, preservation leaders will be impressed by that, and respect tiki passion for this project. The petition drive is a strong indication that there are troops in the field. I would also call the petition a tactic rather than a strategy. The petition will probably not convince Fairmont to change its direction, but it is great evidence of support to, in turn, recruit preservationists into the fight. It is also a hook to get press coverage. Glad to provide further thoughts and whatever help I can lend if someone leading the tiki charge would like to send me a PM. Good luck!