This is Josler Tudisco’s second year as the director of marketing for UA’s Spring Fling, held on the UA Mall April 13-15. Tudsico is a senior, double majoring in political science and psychology. He is also the president of Bobcat Senior Honorary on campus.
Q: What is your job as director of marketing for Spring Fling?
A: So as marketing director, I work with a bunch of different vendors around Tucson to ensure that people know about Spring Fling. I work with the radio stations (mainly Cumulus Media and iHeartMedia) and Clear Channel Outdoor (a major billboard company in Tucson). This year I am working with NCM (National CineMedia) , which is the company behind the pre-movie screenings like Noovie that you see before the previews at the movie theater, so I am also doing advertising through that. We have a spot right before the actual movie previews start, so we run our ad through there which is really cool. The ad pretty much runs through every theater in Tucson. The other part of my job is during the week of the event, I’m doing the media and press for Spring Fling.
Q: What has your experience been like in this position for Spring Fling?
A: This is my second year as the marketing director. My first year was great but with the second year, you kind of already know the ins and outs of everything. You know what you can and can’t do. Last year, I was trying not to step on anybody’s toes, but this year was more like, okay I know exactly what I want to do. It’s a very stressful job, but this year’s planning went smoother for me because I had last years’ experience to help me out.
Q: How did you get involved with Spring Fling and what made you want to get involved?
A: I am actually a Tucson local and I kind of grew up around here, so I have been coming to Spring Fling since I was a kid. When I was in middle school, my mom would drop me and my friends off, so we could just go run around and have a good time and then once we were in high school we’d come around for the concerts that are held that first Friday of the event. So, it’s just always been something I’ve done as being a Tucson local, it’s a part of growing up here. When I got on campus, I volunteered during my freshman and sophomore year, and it was really something that I was just doing on the side and the director of marketing from my sophomore year reached out to me saying that he thought I’d really enjoy the job, how he learned more in that position than his 4 years in the Eller marketing program, and that overall he thought I’d do a great job in the position. That encouraged me to apply and I did a lot of research on marketing skills before my interview and the rest is history, as they say.
Q: What is the actual planning for Spring Fling throughout the year like?
A: Every director has their own specific stress times. Mine is primarily early on in the year because I have to get all the contracts in and all the advertisements made so once January and February roll around, all the different ads and marketing tools can run effortlessly, and the billboards can go up. So, essentially, my work starts immediately after the event for the next year. It’s a year-round job for me.
Q: How difficult is it to stay on top of this job and get everything ready in time for the event?
A: One of the best things about Tucson is that everyone kind of already knows about Spring Fling. As soon as I mention that I am working for Spring Fling, they are more than willing to talk to me, so it really hasn’t been all that difficult. And, with it being my second year, I have made connections with various vendors and groups. I have made many great relationships that are still building because of this job.
Q: What is your favorite memory from Spring Fling?
A: I have two. Okay, the first one is that I actually went on one of my first dates at Spring Fling, which is kind of funny. It didn’t work out, but that’s beside the question. But, the second one is that it is one of the most unique experiences on this campus because it is so much work. Every single director does so much work it is insane, and there’s so much planning that goes into this event and we’re so stressed out about it but the second you get out onto the field, and you see one kid walk in smiling, it makes it all worth it. Seeing one kid smile makes all those sleepless nights and time-consuming work feel like nothing. Once everyone is having, you realize how much you love it and want to do it again. What I have also really loved about Spring Fling is spending so much time with my fellow directors, and kind of becoming a family. They are the greatest people I’ve ever met.
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