The team behind the scenes
By: Nicole Eaton, Charlotte Communications & Marketing
Have you ever been to Speed Street? Taste of Charlotte? The Thanksgiving Day parade? A Hornets game? A Knights game? The Novant Health Marathon?
With over 150 event requests per year, the amount of events popping up in Charlotte is growing. There are more requests for small to medium size events like neighborhood festivals and 5Ks. Large events like the Skyshow on Fourth of July are growing in attendance each year. And the city continues to attract more national events like the 2017 PGA Championship and the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.
These events would not be possible without Charlotte Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Special Events Team. This group helps events like these and more come together. As the 2017 PGA Championship approaches, they share insight on what it takes to plan this monumental event.
About the Special Events team
The special events team is a part of the right of way management section within CDOT consisting of Joe Yanicak (special events supervisor), David Christopher (senior special events coordinator) and Shane Hepler (special events coordinator). The three-man team works together on permitting and managing events in the city’s right of way, venue support and parking. Whenever someone requests a parade or 5K, this team is the one to approve it.
It’s a lot more than big events. The team works on a lot of things that people don’t think about. This includes valet parking, filming logistics, small festivals and road races.
Like a well-oiled machine, each team member has a specialty and all three come together for the big events. Yanicak manages the group, in addition issuing the permits for festivals. Christopher works on most of the moving events like parades and road races. Hepler, provides venue support during events to Spectrum Arena, Bank of America Stadium, BB&T Ballpark and other city-owned buildings. And if it’s a bigger event like Speed Street or the upcoming PGA 2017 Championship, all three will help out. In the end, it’s a team effort.
Public safety is a top priority in planning. This group evaluates traffic routes, parking, accessibility for emergency vehicles, bus routes and how traffic will impact surrounding areas. For example, look at Open Streets 704.
“When you think of this event, it is mind-blowing what goes into it. That’s a large street closure. There are detours, parking details and neighborhood impacts. So we have to plan how to we can make that event work by figuring out a date, time and location that has a minimal impact to traffic.” — Joe Yanicak, Special Events Supervisor
It’s also important to note that this team works during all the events which often includes nights and weekends. They are truly hardworking and some of the unsung heroes in the city working behind the scenes to pull events together.
Planning for the 2017 PGA Championship
Christopher has worked on the annual Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow for many years. The main difference with the PGA this year is the size and planning of the event. He says attendance is expected to be much larger than previous PGA events in town. Yanicak echoed these remarks.
For over a year, the special events team has been helping plan the 2017 PGA Championship. The team coordinates with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), Charlotte Fire Department (CFD), Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), Medic, PGA and other public and private agencies. Their main role is to manage the right of way around Quail Hollow during the event. They also have to figure out how to move people to and from the tournament. This includes determining where parking is located, informing the surrounding neighborhood about traffic impacts, planning shuttle routes and staging areas, and making sure there is enough space for emergency vehicles to get in and out.
For this event and others, being adaptable is a key part of the job. Yanicak says, “Things are always changing and we have to be adaptable and ready to chip in wherever we can. You can plan all you want, but every time some detail will change and we’ll be there to respond.”
If you live in the Quail Hollow area or are planning to attend the event, here’s some advice from Yanicak, “Arrive early and plan for heavier than usual traffic. And take public transportation.” Christopher adds, “Residents should prepare in the weeks leading up to the event to limit the amount of travel necessary during the championship. Everyone should build in extra travel time.”
The city has more information posted at http://charlottenc.gov/pga.
Success
One of the most rewarding parts of the job is having a successful event. For this team, that means providing a safe and enjoyable event for everyone. And with their experience and thoughtful planning, the 2017 PGA Championship will be another success.
