Barrett-Jackson is one of not only Scottsdale’s but Arizona’s best home grown success stories. It broadcasts around the world bringing people by the thousands to a bucket list special event.
It has been so successful, like a large whale swimming the seas, that it has even spawned a cottage of copy cat and pilot fish events that do little but suck off its success.
RM. Gooding. Russo & Steele. Just to name a few, for the few that still come to Scottsdale to poach. The latest? The “Arizona Concours d’Elegance.”
It’s a doozy.
Barrett-Jackson helped lead the successful passage of the 2019 bond campaign in Scottsdale that led to the funding of critical infrastructure projects. It was the first successful bond campaign in 20 years and wouldn’t have happened without the leadership of Barrett-Jackson and many others.
One of the projects was a $30 million revamp of the Civic Plaza, the grounds outside the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and City Hall.
After calling the Arizona Biltmore in PHOENIX home since its inception the “Arizona Concours d’Elegance” made a play for Scottsdale’s new Civic Plaza.
Like all pilot fish the Concours wants to take place on one of Barrett-Jackson’s weekends in January. Because no pilot fish can survive without the whale. Never mind the city snafu in allowing a competing event to rent its ground while Barrett-Jackson occupies another, at WestWorld.
When made aware of this bureaucratic malfeasance Scottsdale appropriately backtracked, requiring the “Concours” to announce itself as part of “Barrett-Jackson Week.”
Yet the backers of the “Concour” have done anything but, never even mentioning Barrett-Jackson in marketing materials despite its pledge to do so. What gems.
Why Scottsdale leaders are entertaining this group of misfits is mystifying. Indeed, when Scottsdale leaders became aware of the conflict the “Concours” was even offered another date the next month or months, even during Spring Training. What was their response? No thank you because it would mean leaving a date when all of the energy and people Barrett-Jackson brings to town.
As we get ready for what will surely be another economic bonanza via Barrett-Jackson let’s never forget who spends seven figures to bring the tourists here; who has had the vision and ability to help Scottsdale navigate the seas. It’s not Johnny Come Latelys like the “Arizona Concours d’Elegance” who like the Russos & Steeles of the worlds come and go. Let’s just hope Scottsdale leaders see the errors of their ways, and say one and done to the flattery and fluttering eyes of a floozy rather than its beautiful wife of over 50 years.