2021 ENSHRINEMENT FESTIVAL PRESS KIT www.ProFootballHOFEF.com INSIDE THIS PRESS KIT: Welcome Letter.........................................................................................Page 3 Credential Pick-Up & Media Check-in Instructions.....................................Page 4 Media Policies for the Enshrinement Festival............................................Page 5 Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Ceremony Policy................................................. Page 7 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival History...............................................Page 8 2021 Festival Schedule..............................................................................Page 9 Media Check-in Maps......................................................................... Page 10-11 2 WELCOME! Welcome to Canton! Thank you for your interest in the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, including Enshrinement Week powered by Johnson Controls, presented by the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Each year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival is happy to welcome media from across the nation. The staff and a volunteer team of more than 4,500 are prepared to accommodate your needs to the best of our ability. Although some requests may not be possible, the staff will do their very best to help you meet your story or photographic needs. There are many things to see and do during your stay in Canton. Our city overflows with heroes and history; please let our staff know if you would like more information about what Canton has to offer. Thank you, and enjoy the Enshrinement Festival! Sincerely, Chris Gumpp, Vice President Events and Community Sponsorships MEDIA CONTACT Collyn Floyd Vice President of Marketing & Communications 330.806.1701 (CELL) [email protected] 3 CREDENTIAL PICK-UP & CHECK-IN INSTRUCTIONS Credentials for Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Ceremony, Fashion Show, The Canton Repository Grand Parade, and Enshrinees’ Roundtable are available at the Credential Center at Lehman Middle School, NOT onsite at the Civic Center. All media personnel will be required to display Enshrinement Festival-issued credentials at all times. Please reference the event-specific check-in instructions below: FASHION SHOW LUNCHEON Friday, Aug. 6 - check-in at 11 a.m. Event begins at 11:00 a.m. Canton Memorial Civic Center, 1101 Market Avenue N, Canton, Ohio Media must check-in from Market Ave. N and follow the media check-in signs. ENSHRINEES’ GOLD JACKET CEREMONY Friday, Aug. 6 - check-in by 6:15 p.m. NO CHECK-INS PRIOR TO 5:00 PM. Outdoor reception begins at 5:00 p.m. followed by indoor program Canton Memorial Civic Center, 1101 Market Avenue N, Canton, Ohio Media must check-in from Market Ave. N and follow the media check-in signs. No auditorium access for media during this event; program will be broadcast live into an onsite Media Center and a mult box will be available for audio only. THE CANTON REPOSITORY GRAND PARADE Saturday, Aug. 7 – step-off is at 8:00 a.m. Downtown Canton along Cleveland Ave. between 4th St. SW and 25th St. NW There will be no on-site check-in for The Canton Repository Grand Parade the day of the event. Media are NOT allowed on Cleveland Ave. south of Tuscarawas St. That area is restricted for the TV broadcast. The designated media area is Cleveland Ave. N between 4th and 5th Sts. ENSHRINEES’ ROUNDTABLE Sunday, Aug. 8 - check-in at 12:00 p.m. Event begins at 12:00 p.m. Canton Memorial Civic Center, 1101 Market Avenue N, Canton, Ohio Media must check-in from Market Ave. N and follow the media check-in signs. 4 FESTIVAL MEDIA POLICIES ENTRY POINT AND SECURITY Due to enhanced security protocols, all media are required to enter via the Market Avenue entrance (east side of the Civic Center-see map on page 10). Media who approach from the west side of the Civic Center will be asked to walk around to east side, so we encourage you to save time and park and enter from the east. All media will go through magnetometers upon entry to the Civic Center and have their bags tagged. All bags are subject to search. Only media on the Approved Credential List who have picked up their credentials in advance will be allowed into the venue. INDOOR EVENTS: DESIGNATED SEATING & PERMITTED AREAS FOR MEDIA Upon arrival to Indoor Enshrinement Festival events that require media credentials, all media personnel must check in to be escorted to designated seating and must remain in that area. For 2021, all media on site for the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Ceremony will be seated in the Media Center area, which is adjacent to the auditorium. Media will watch the ceremony via live feed from the auditorium and an audio mult box will be available. PARADE: POLICIES & PERMITTED AREAS FOR MEDIA Media are not permitted in the television viewing area during the parade (south of Tuscarawas St. on Cleveland Ave.). Media personnel are asked NOT to obstruct the progress of the parade at any time and NOT to approach parade units and participants on the street during the parade. The parade must remain forward-moving at all times, and media may not “trail” along on the street inside parade boundaries. CIVIC CENTER MEDIA CENTER & AUDIO VISUAL A Media Center will be provided at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. Limited access to Wi-Fi Internet access will be available. A multimedia box with audio access is available in the arena at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. TICKETED EVENTS/FOOD AND BEVERAGE Food and beverage service will not be provided for media personnel. PARKING Regrettably, we are unable to provide a designated area for media parking during the events. Parking is available at nearby surface lots for a nominal fee. Early arrival is suggested, as there will be some street closures, traffic does become congested, and everyone will be required to pass through magnetometer security devices. **Due to facility construction and safety logistics, satellite trucks cannot be accommodated at Canton Memorial Civic Center. 5 FESTIVAL MEDIA POLICIES CONTINUED CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS You must be on assignment by an accredited media outlet to be considered for credentials. As is consistent with NFL policy, and due to space limitations, we cannot credential websites that are not affiliated with a news organization or an NFL broadcast partner. Individuals picking up their credentials will be required to show a photo ID. An assignment letter from a recognized media outlet will be required for requests from freelancer writers and photographers. Credentials will be issued in the name of the person identified on the application. Media/photographic equipment may be subject to search by Enshrinement Festival security personnel. Credentials are not transferable, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Committee reserves the right to limit and or reject any request at its discretion, including after initial credential approval has been granted. DISCLAIMER Audio, video, photographic, and/or any other devices used for reproducing images and sounds of said events are prohibited without express consent from Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival (Festival) in the way of media credentials or other specific authorization. Use of such credentials is limited to accredited media and others as specifically approved by Festival. Further, credentials are offered to the media for the sole purpose of reporting the events and depicting the same through written, audio, video, photographic media. All secondary, non-editorial, or commercial use of video, audio, photographic recordings, or other materials obtained through the use of media credentials is expressly prohibited. 6 Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Ceremony Media Policy Attention Media: The Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Ceremony is a nationally broadcast television production as well as a paid ticketed event for the general public. All media not part of the production may cover the event from a dedicated media location. There are no interview opportunities at this event. Please refer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s media website for detailed information to assist you in your coverage throughout the weekend. www.ProFootballHOF.com/media (log-in: Excellence) We are excited to have you with us in Canton this weekend to help us celebrate the Hall of Fame’s Mission to “Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.” 7 HALL OF FAME & FESTIVAL HISTORY THE HALL AND FESTIVAL THEN … On September 17, 1920, a group of men gathered in downtown Canton, Ohio, at the Hupmobile showroom of Ralph Hay, owner of the hometown Bulldogs; the building is now known as the Frank T. Bow Federal Building. The result of that historic meeting was the birth of the National Football League. It seemed logical that a Canton Repository article published on December 6, 1959, announcing the need for a Professional Football Hall of Fame, marked Canton as the perfect site. Due to the tremendous efforts of the late Bill Umstattd, president of the Timken Company, late Paul Brown, legendary Cleveland Browns coach, late Clayton Horn, editor of The Repository, and others, the dream became a reality. The Greater Canton (now Canton Regional) Chamber of Commerce and the Canton Junior Chamber of Commerce (now the Jaycees) supported the idea and these men in their efforts. After nearly two years of planning, they finally broke ground on August 11, 1962. Henry Stuhldreher of Massillon, the late quarterback of the legendary Notre Dame “Four Horsemen”, served as the master of ceremonies along with help from Pete Rozelle, former NFL commissioner and other dignitaries. Following the ceremony, the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals competed at Fawcett Stadium for 14,000 fans in the first ever Hall of Fame Game. The next year, the celebration expanded with the addition of the first Festival events, and the momentum hasn’t stopped. … AND NOW! The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce enjoys a huge level of support from members, volunteers, sponsors, governmental services, and especially, from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.