Following a competitive review, The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation selected Stanton Communications to provide media relations support for the nonprofit organization and its signature fundraising dinner featuring the presidential nominees of the two major political parties, both of whom have been invited for the October 17 event.
Since its founding in 1946, The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation has raised tens of millions of dollars for New York’s most vulnerable women and children. The Foundation’s annual dinner has featured renowned speakers including cultural, business, and political figures. Notable speakers have included Winston Churchill, John McCain, Stephen Colbert, Peggy Noonan, and Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama, among many others. Last year’s speaker was Henry Kissinger in his final public appearance. The dinner is hosted by His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
“Media interest in the dinner always is intense given the stature of the speakers,” said Stanton CEO Peter Stanton.” Its appeal is increased by the fact that the Smith Dinner is usually conducted in a genial tone after a season of intense political discourse. As a result, the event is generally considered a “must cover” occasion for the press,” Stanton concluded.
Though Stanton Communications has supported the Foundation and its dinner in the past, competition for this year’s mandate was significant with several of the largest firms in the industry involved. Widely regarded as a leading independent agency serving clients across a broad spectrum of industries, Stanton is a national public relations firm with global reach and capability. The firm has an extensive portfolio supporting major news events, and currently represents some of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations, corporations, and industry groups with strategic communications counsel, crisis support, marketing communications and public affairs services. This year, Stanton celebrates its 35th anniversary.
