The current COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world as we knew it barely a year ago, it has inflicted a straight wound to our reality and routine. This has blasted our comfort zone, changing our way to interact with other people, our working habits, and even our way of thinking, valuing now more the what actually matters.
However, when you are forced to leave your comfort zone, uncertainty forces you to open your eyes more carefully and look for innovative ideas that allow you to make your way in a market saturated with companies in search of Michael Porter's long-awaited Blue Ocean.
This is the case of Marla Global Events, a company based in Jerez de la Frontera focused on the field of the events organization. The pandemic pushed it to take the final step towards the digitalization and to the virtual events. Leading Marla Global Events we can find Margarita Pérez-Calderón Roríguez; this young woman, born in Jerez de la Frontera and formed as a journalist, after more than 10 years in the field of the sports communication holding important positions as communication director for companies as Equelite-JCFerrero Sport Academy or the sports macro complex Open Arena in Cordoba decided two years ago to put all her knowledge and soul in the organization of solidary events framed in the context of social innovation. Events with “soul” that not only generate wealth for the companies but also for the people and collectives more vulnerable and in need.
A clear example of this philosophy is its solidary circuit Equality Golf Cup, event in which top sportsmen and sportswomen, celebrities, businessmen, and journalists participate in a golf tournament to rise fundings for four local NGOs. This circuit saw its progress truncated by the pandemic in 2020 after the celebration of its first tournament. However, in 2021 it will make a comeback stronger than ever, completely digitalized and with the clear goal of revitalizing the tourism in the province of Cádiz by promoting hotels, restaurants, golf courts, local products … at the same time they raise fundings for four NGOs that have been very affected because of the effects of the pandemic.
But how is this possible? The answer is simple but at the same time represents a colossal challenge. The aim is to connect Cádiz with the rest of the world through four solidary actions, with which people all around the world will be able to enjoy the gastronomy, culture and touristic experiences from the province in exchange of their donations. All this will be available through the participation in a crowdfunding campaign, a virtual scape room, an online shop, and a solidary auction. Thanks to all these activities, the virtues of the province of Cádiz will be open to the world for two months. All the raised fundings will conform the prize pool for the Equality Golf Cup, where each of the four participating teams will adopt one of the NGOs and clash to obtain the maximum prize for it. The winner of the tournament will get 40% of the prize pool for its NGO, 30% for the runner up and 20% and 10% for the third and fourth classified respectively.
In all sight, an innovative proposal that will seek to reach the most solidary part of the people with the certainty that pandemic has made us improve ourself as human beings and that this will make us help the ones in need.
