PGA Honors Humana Challenge

The Humana Challenge, formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic, and its partner La Quinta’s Clinton Foundation has been honored by the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour recognized the organizations during a Dec. 6 meeting honoring it for “Best Promotional Idea” and “Best On-Site Staging” during the 2012 tournament.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to acknowledge and congratulate the outstanding job and special recognition the Humana Challenge has received for its efforts,” said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR executive vice-president and chief of operations. “The tournament committee should be extremely proud for being recognized as the best among their peers in two categories on the TOUR.”

The Humana Walkit Challenge helped earn tournament organizers “Best Promotional Idea.” Local and national advertising and an extensive social media campaign supported the initiative, tournament officials said.

To earn the “Best On-Site Staging,” PGA officials said the Humana Challenge “re-branded the entire event site in 2012 with a clean and consistent look that highlighted their partners’ initiatives. The event created custom colored venues to support the title sponsor's color scheme beyond signage including carpet, lines, furniture, landscape, florals and volunteer uniforms. A branding plan and guidelines were developed and incorporated key partners, including PGA TOUR and FedExCup logos. The rebranding included an overhaul of the entire structural build-out inclusive of bleachers, hospitality venues, video walls and trailers.”

“It was an incredible turnaround in the tournament’s direction, thanks to our partners in Humana and the Clinton Foundation,” said Bob Marra, Humana Challenge executive director and CEO. “It proved that they were right in their concept and what they were trying to accomplish with the tournament. As Mike McCallister, the CEO of Humana said at the beginning of the week, ‘we consider this a week of well-being with a side of golf.’ That statement embodies the theme of the week, and changed the dynamic of our event for the positive. I’m so proud of our staff. They did an incredible job to pull off our new branding package and promotional programs with the help of Humana and the Clinton Foundation. It was a total team effort and it was certainly great to see it all come together.”

The 2013 Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation is scheduled for Jan. 14-20 at the Palmer Private and Nicklaus Private Courses at PGA West and at La Quinta Country Club.