Tee Off the WMPO

Q&A with Janette Coates, communication specialist
for Arizona & New Mexico

1. What is your role in planning the WMPO?

As the Communications Specialist for Arizona & New Mexico, I have the honor of working with corporate marketing
and corporate communications to plan and execute WM’s largest annual event. Primarily, I’m involved in everything
related to messaging, public relations and community outreach.

2. Tell us about the #greenestshow campaign that was just formally announced.

The “Greenest Show” campaign represents all that Waste Management — in partnership with the PGA TOUR and
tournament host The Thunderbirds — is doing to ensure the event gets recognized as the “Greatest Show on Grass.
The “Greenest Show” social media campaign will source user-generated content by encouraging the community, fans,
sponsors and followers to share their daily green practices both on and off the course using the hashtag #greenestshow
across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram leading up to and during tournament week.

3. What kind of media are we expecting to attend this year’s event?

Of course all of the Arizona print, television and radio media will heavily cover the WMPO, but there is a wide mix of
national and international media that come as well. Many reporters are focused on sports or golf, but many also cover the
sustainable, economic and business aspects of the WMPO. National television networks, news wire services, print
newspapers, magazines, Internet media, radio stations and radio shows make up the approximately 500 credentialed media members.

4. How much is all that coverage worth to the company?

The coverage is truly priceless. Waste Management gets countless opportunities to share stories of the sustainable initiatives at the
WMPO leading up to the tournament, during tournament week, post tournament and even year-round. We have eight pages of key
messages that our core communications and marketing team uses throughout the week that are communicated through every media
interview and social media outreach. We capitalize coverage on every story, event or element we can think of. My personal goal is to
say as many messages as possible during any given interview.

5. What is one thing every employee should know about the WMPO?

Our sponsorship positions the tournament as a real world sustainable case study that receives international awareness and acclaim.
We get the most value from the materials we manage, we find creative ways to reuse, reduce, recycle and recover, and most importantly,
we educate everyone who attends the WMPO, watches it on TV, or sees anything related to the WMPO. Our messaging is highly integrated.