We all should have been tennis writers ...

Free massages, unlimited espresso, Michelin-starred chefs?

https://deadspin.com/massages-five-star-hotels-porsches-and-mayo-slath-1838148271

 

John Junker tips his cap in recognition and appreciation.

 

I'm fascinated by this idea of a media per diem for food provided by the tournament.

 

I guess I'm impressed that most of the responses were the working conditions and not the food and perqs. I think a lot of these tourney would be better served hiring a top sportswriter to cover the event for them - or the entire tour. Give them free reign as long as they don't dump on the sponsors. Always imagined most tennis writers were just in it for the travel. It's probably the easiest "game" to cover - keep track of the broken serves and if someone is having an unusually high number of second serves. Note if a player is playing back or charging the net for volleys. Done.

 

Worked for a communications company that did work for Airbus and went to the Farnborough Air Show in 2012. The food and freebie situation was very similar to what these folks talk about. I’m still using lanyards from that show.

 

I covered an LPGA event in West L.A. in which one of the freebies was a very nice suitcase/garment bag that was supplied by a South Korean company that did not sell their products in the U.S. (long before eCommerce). I think it was called AiStar.

 

This is pretty common for events that often require members of the media to be there for 12-plus hours a day.

 

But it is not, of course, a guarantee of quality.

 

Sure, I guess I'm just more used to the event serving food or having your company pay for the meal (a la MLB) rather than the event itself giving you money to use at the venue.

 

In recent years, the Toronto Maple Leafs stopped serving media meals during the playoffs. Something to do with the increase in size of the media and scouting mobs. Instead, they hand out a voucher good for $20 at the concessions. Given the Leafs' prices, this gets you a sandwich and fries. But it's the equivalent of a $20-per-diem I suppose. However, considering the quality of the meals the Leafs serve has gone down in direct proportion to the success of the team it's a decent tradeoff.

 

In my experience, per diem is better for longer events because you can eat on your own schedule. Golf and tennis, for example, often require a reporter to be out of the press area throughout the day, so serving food at a particular time doesn’t always make sense for everyone.