Components of a Celebration
Planning Overview
The Plaque
The Booklet
The Designation Ceremony
Public Relations

Components of a Celebration

When your nomination has been approved, you can begin to celebrate! It takes about six months to plan and implement a landmark designation event. This guide gives a planning overview and descriptions of the various elements of the designation event:

• the commemorative NHCLP plaque and booklet;
• the designation ceremony; and
• the public relations effort.

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Planning Overview

The Historical Site Committee

Form a working group of local section or division members (including your section or division Public Relations Chair), ACS staff, representatives of the landmark owner or administrator, and other appropriate organizations. An NHCLP Advisory Committee member will serve as liaison to this planning group. Whenever possible, the NHCL program manager and the NHCLP Advisory Committee liaison will attend the initial planning meeting. The liaison will be available for consultation throughout the designation process. The NHCL program manager will be your ACS staff resource for all details.

Expenses Planning

Financial resources and the event budget are the committee's first considerations. As part of the nomination, the nominator accepts responsibility for the expenses incurred printing the landmark informational booklet and for the designation event (consult the NHCLP Manager for a rundown of costs). Consult your local section or division Executive Committee about available funds and determine whether you will need outside support.

If in-kind or financial support is needed from the landmark owner/administrator or others to cover expenses, solicit the support early in the planning stage and clearly outline the financial commitments of all parties. The availability of funds will influence the kind of designation ceremony and reception to be held, the style of auxiliary printed materials, and the guest list. ACS furnishes the designation plaque and pays the design and editing costs of the booklet placed on the Web.

First Planning Committee Meeting

At this meeting:

• identify preferred event dates;
• determine where the event will be held;
• determine financial needs and resources;
• consider public relations activities;
• discuss program possibilities (speakers, reception, tours);
• prepare a tentative action plan based on the event time line; and
• collect information for each member (postal and E-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers) for a planning group contact sheet. Circulate the completed list to your committee members and the NHCL program manager.

The agenda for subsequent meetings might include progress reports and upcoming activities on the time-line. As chair, you will be in touch with those responsible for executing the event to ensure that the process is on schedule. Do not forget to encourage and thank the volunteers.

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The NHCLP Plaque

To symbolize the landmark designation, ACS presents the owner of the landmark with a 16 x 24-inch bronze plaque bearing the ACS "Phoenix" logo. The president of ACS or another leading official of the Society presents the plaque at the designation ceremony. The owner can mount the plaque on a wall or incorporate it into a free- standing marker. It can be placed indoors or outdoors.

NHCLP plaques are designed to

• identify the landmark;
• explain the chemical achievement it represents and its historic significance;
• identify the individual or company whose work is being recognized; and
• establish the time frame and significant dates.

If the landmark no longer exists, the plaque will describe its former state and significance.

The NHCLP Advisory Committee writes the inscription for the plaque, using the information submitted by the nominator as the basis for the text. Like all NHCLP materials, the plaques are written in language accessible to the public, because the purpose is not only to remind chemists and chemical engineers of their heritage but also to inform the public of chemistry's importance to society. The nominator is responsible for providing the committee with accurate information. Nominators are asked to confirm that the information (including dates and the spelling of names) is correct. Nominators will get to see and approve the text before the plaque is cast.

ACS provides one plaque for each designation, and the society assumes the fabricating and shipping costs. If they wish, nominators or recipients may purchase additional plaques from the manufacturer.

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The NHCLP Booklet

The commemorative booklet ACS publishes for each landmark designation is one of the most visible aspects of the NHCLP. The booklet provides a lasting, written record of the designated landmark, its history, and its significance. The booklet

• provides accurate and interesting information;
• informs teachers, students, journalists, legislators, and the public;
• is an archival source for historians;
• reminds the landmark's owners of its significance;
• is a memento for the attendees of the designation ceremony;
• plays a useful role in ongoing community outreach.

Who Writes the Booklet?

The NHCLP booklet is an ACS publication, written by the NHCLP program manager or someone designated by the ACS Office of Communications. The author consults with the Historical Site Committee and others for information about the Landmark and for sources. The NHCLP program manager submits the text to a subcommittee of the NHCLP Advisory Committee for comments on style and historical and scientific accuracy. The nominator will also be consulted at this point for input on questions of style and accuracy. If this editing and approval process seems long or complicated, it is only because the accuracy and quality of the text are important to the Society.

Please keep in mind that the booklet is intended to be understandable and interesting to the general reader. In addition, the NHCLP program manager prepares material for placement on the Landmarks Web page: www.chemistry.org/landmarks. This material is an expanded version of the printed booklet.

Who Designs It?

The ACS Office of Communications arranges for the design all NHCLP booklets. The multi-color, four-page booklet has many illustrations. Nominators are asked to supply the NHCLP program manager with a good supply of available photographs and illustrations, from which ACS will select those to be used in the booklet.

Who Pays for It?

The nominator pays for the printing and distribution of the booklet and for any costs incurred in providing ACS with photographs or illustrations (e.g., reproducing existing prints, slides, or drawings or creating new ones). ACS requires all nominators to print at least 1,000 copies of the booklet and to supply 500 of them to the Office of Communications for Society use.

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The Designation Ceremony

Who Organizes the Ceremony?

The designation ceremony is organized by the nominating group in conjunction with the NHCLP program manager. In the case of a joint designation, the staff of both organizations may cooperate in planning and staging the ceremony.

Plans for the designation ceremony should begin about six months before the event, so there is ample time to find the best possible date, assign responsibilities, invite guest speakers, and work out the logistics and other details.

What Should It Look Like?

The centerpiece of the ceremony is the presentation of the plaque to the owner or administrator of the landmark by the president of ACS or another leading official of the Society. The Historical Site Committee may wish to invite other speakers, such as someone involved with the achievement being commemorated, other scientists, a local historian, or representatives of local or state government.

Designation ceremonies may be simple and inexpensive or they may be elaborate. Some organizers may decide to offer a luncheon, dinner, or refreshments; others may include plant tours, exhibits, and special programs as part of the celebration. The committee will make these decisions on the basis of what is most suitable to the designation, the people attending the ceremony, and the available budget.

Who Pays for It?

The nominator pays for the designation ceremony. The NHCL program manager will guide you toward possible funding sources. The overall cost depends on the size and format of the event. The only other required expenses are the costs to

• print the NHCLP commemorative booklet and
• print and mail the invitations to the ceremony.

The Program

The basic program for designation of a landmark includes a welcome and introductions, presentation of the commemorative plaque, acceptance of the plaque, and a talk about the historical significance of the landmark. Other speakers may be included; on occasion, a landmark presentation has been part of a larger symposium honoring an institution or the landmark that is being conferred. The formal program may be preceded or followed by a tour of the landmark site.

The organizers are responsible for

• inviting speakers,
• confirming their appearance,
• assisting with travel and transportation arrangements,
• producing the printed program, and
• assisting with arrangements on the day of the event.

Invitations

The local committee is responsible for deciding on the invitation list. ACS will supply a list of ACS officers and staff to be included in the invitation list.

Event Reception

An event reception usually precedes or follows the designation ceremony. It may be as simple or as extravagant as circumstances allow. The decision about the style should be determined by the number of guests expected, the budget available, the time of day the reception is held, and outreach goals.

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Public Relations

Public Relations Opportunities

The NHCLP has a dual purpose:

• to commemorate and preserve national historic chemical landmarks; and
• to increase public awareness of the key role chemistry plays in our national and global history.

ACS hopes that the designated landmark will be the focal point for a long-range program that begins with the designation ceremony and continues afterward to reach out to varied segments of the community.

Each nominating group will find its own way to tell the world that a local landmark has been honored by the world's largest scientific society. The ideas mentioned here are designed to start you thinking about the available possibilities.

Probably most chemical professionals feel more comfortable with the first objective than they do with the second. Few of us have had much experience with public relations or much, if any, training in public relations strategies.

The ACS Office of Communications will help plan and implement a successful outreach effort. The ACS program manager will assist you and, if advantageous, put you in contact with members of the ACS Office of Communications. Most local sections have public relations chairs. If your section has an LSPR chair, he or she should be made a part of your local Historical Site Committee and assigned the public relations responsibilities. If not, someone else in your section or division must take responsibility for spearheading a public relations program.

Your Public Relations Program

Public relations opportunities generally fall into four categories: media, community, government, and member relations.

• Media Relations: An NHCLP designation is news. Why? Because a historic chemical site, artifact, or collection is part of the history of the town or city in which it is located. Keep this in mind as you contact local media.
  
  There are many ways to bring the media into the NHCLP picture. Start with an up-to-date list of the media outlets in your area. (If the landmark is owned by a company or university, its Public Relations department will probably share its media list with you, or may assist you or cooperate with you in your outreach efforts.) You will want to telephone the science editors or the city desks of the local newspapers to tell them about the upcoming designation. And you should send a news release to your daily and weekly newspapers (enclose at least one good photograph) and to the newsrooms of your local radio and television stations. The NHCLP program manager will draft a news release for this purpose.
  
  In planning whom you will contact, keep in mind print and broadcast reporters who cover business stories (if the landmark is owned by a company) or the possibilities for feature articles or editorials about the landmark. Don't forget to include company in-house organs, university newspapers, and alumni newsletters. Community and government relations activities will also give the media additional reasons to cover the designation.


• Community Relations: Involve high schools in the program by contacting the district science supervisor or individual science teachers; invite them to bring students to the landmark site for a tour, talk, video, or chemistry demonstration with doughnuts and sodas. Send the booklets to classrooms in advance to give the teacher time to prepare the class for the visit. A similar event can be staged for community college and university professors and their classes.
  
  Whether or not a visit to the site is planned, share the booklets with local science educators. If possible, create lesson plans to send with the booklets. A company might be willing to underwrite such a package. Sponsor an art or poster contest related to the landmark in the neighboring schools. Invite the public to display art at the site or reach a wider public by arranging an exhibit in a public space, such as a shopping mall.
  
  Historic photographs, drawings, and engravings related to the landmark can be fascinating. Because the landmark is part of the community's history, a public exhibition of these graphics is a community service. The local historical society will have other photos of the period; its leaders may want to help or even to cosponsor an exhibition. Make sure it's in a place where it will reach a large and diverse audience.
  
  Contact your local automobile club (e.g., AAA), and get the landmark included in trip planners for your area as a "Local Point of Interest."
  
  Contact the Chamber of Commerce or Convention or Tourist Bureau. Offer to prepare an inexpensive flier or even a 5 x 7-inch card with a photo and brief description of the landmark and its significance to include in visitor information packets.


• Government Relations: Consider inviting local dignitaries (mayor, legislator, governor, representative, or senator) to speak at the designation ceremony. Does the landmark have connections with today's issues regarding energy, environment, agriculture, or health? If so, other VIP speakers may come to mind. A well-known speaker can add panache to the ceremony and improve your chances for media coverage.
  
  Ask your city or state to issue a proclamation recognizing the landmark's contribution to the area's history. Ask your state legislator to read it (or a similar statement) into the legislative record. Ask your representative or senator to put something into the Congressional Record; it can be done without making a speech. For help on government relations, contact the ACS Office of Legislative and Government Affairs


• Member Relations: Involve your local section and appropriate ACS divisions. Send a photograph and press release or article to your local section or division newsletter. Prepare a poster about the designation and submit it to the poster session held at the ACS national meeting.
  
  If possible, invite the members of your section or division to the designation ceremony. If not, invite a speaker to talk about the designation at one of your regular meetings. Give the commemorative booklet to everyone who attends and, if you can afford it, to all of your members.

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