Silverstein Properties

Company: Silverstein Properties, New York, NY
Company Description: Silverstein Properties is a Manhattan-based real estate development firm that has developed, owned and managed more than 20 million square feet of office, residential and retail space. In July 2001, Silverstein acquired the World Trade Center, only to see it destroyed by terrorist attacks six weeks later on Sept. 11, 2001. Silverstein has committed to rebuilding the World Trade Center site.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Marketing Executive

Nomination Title: World Trade Center Marketing Director Dara McQuillan

1. Tell the story about what this nominee achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Four years after 9/11, Silverstein Properties planned to open 7 World Trade
Center – the first rebuilt skyscraper at Ground Zero – with only one tenant,
Silverstein Properties. Facing fears of another terrorist attack, political
and emotional turmoil at the WTC site and widespread skepticism about the
future of Lower Manhattan as a business district, Dara set out to solve what
the head of one PR multinational called “the toughest public relations and
marketing challenge in the country.”

To find tenants for 7WTC, Dara’s team worked with the building’s architects
and designers to develop:
• A futuristic 25th floor marketing center that became a movie set for
the Bruce Willis / Halle Berry film Perfect Stranger for two months.
• Intricate scale models and renderings of the WTC site.
• A prototype interactive audiovideo wall on 9 plasma screens with a
guide to the neighborhood.
• Daily hard hat tours of the building for potential tenants, residents,
students, tourists and media.
• A unique program of events in the building’s top floor raw space.

A national advertising campaign kicked off in November 2005 with a stunning
panoramic photo of the view from the top floor and the tagline, “To Leaders
with Vision, Your Office is Ready.” The wtc.com website was launched with
images, videos and information about the new World Trade Center.

To address tenants’ quality of life concerns, a series of “clean air” and “green building” events were held, starting with 7WTC being certified as
the first green office building in New York City. 

Major architectural organizations held fundraisers, galas and award ceremonies
in the building – further promoting the quality of design. Tours were given
to architecture critics leading to unanimously positive reviews, and the
building won dozens of architecture, design and environmental awards.

In April, Dara’s team designed and sent out a 7WTC Downtown Zagat survey that
the New York Observer called “a brilliant marketing stroke.”

In May, 7WTC opened with an outdoor concert featuring seven New York bands
including Lou Reed and Suzanne Vega, attended by 2,000 residents, workers and
tourists. “Seventh Heaven” declared the New York Post. “A 52-story wonder”
wrote The Daily News.

Four days before the fifth anniversary of 9/11, 7WTC was used to unveil
dramatic designs of three new skyscrapers at the WTC site.

The event program accelerated with fashion week parties for Calvin Klein and
Valentino; TV shoots for Law & Order; a movie shoot with Ewan McGregor;
product launches for Microsoft, Gillette and Georg Jensen; a Men’s Health
Urbanathlon stair climb; and fashion shows for Miss Sixty and John Varvatos. 
Business, style and opinion leaders visited the building on a weekly basis and
raved about it.

These efforts marked a critical turning point in the world’s most closely
watched building project and changed the general assessment of the
redevelopment of Lower Manhattan. One year later, 7WTC is 70% occupied with
first-class tenants, the WTC project is in full swing and Lower Manhattan is
back as a world-class place to work, live and visit.

2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

Official World Trade Center website
http://www.wtc.com/

Silverstein Properties website, Dara McQuillan
http://www.silversteinproperties.com/dara_mcquillan.aspx

Silverstein Spotlights 7 WTC for Future Tenants, LowerMahnattan.info, January
2006
http://www.lowermanhattan.info/news/silverstein_spotlights_7_wtc_28292.aspx

Ground Zero’s Saving Grace, Metropolis Magazine, April 2006
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=1894

7 World Trade Center and Hearst Building: New York's Test Cases for
Environmentally Aware Office Towers, The New York Times, April 16, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/arts/design/16gree.html?ex=1302840000en=24e26434b215fce7ei=5088partner=rssnytemc=rss

7 Up and at ’Em at WTC, The New York Post, May 24, 2006,
http://www.wtc.com/wtc_news_content.aspx?news_id=34

Best Piece of Swag We Received All Month, The New York Observer, June 2, 2006
http://therealestate.observer.com/2006/06/best-piece-of-swag-we-received-all-month.html

SOM@WTC, Interior Design Magazine, September 2006
http://www.interiordesign.net/id_article/CA6380087/id?text=mcquillan&stt=001

Project Rebirth, New World Trade Center Tower Designs, September 2006
http://www.projectrebirth.org/gallery/world-trade-center_towers

Larry Does It, The New York Post, September 8, 2006
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/campaigns/groundzero/groundzero.htm

Designs for 3 WTC towers unveiled, USA Today, September 9, 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-09-07-wtc-designs_x.htm

Valentino Fills Downtown Space With 5,000 Roses, BizBash, November 16, 2006
http://www.bizbash.com/newyork/content/editorial/e6985.php

Seventh Heaven, The New York Post, December 26, 2006
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12222006/business/seventh_heaven_abn_amro_is_next_
tenant_for_7_wtc_business_steve_cuozzo.htm

Lower Manhattan: A Relative Bargain but Filling Up Fast, The New York Times,
February 28, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/realestate/commercial/28downtown.html?ex=1175
400000&en=00ee94517d54db33&ei=5070

3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the nominee:

As the Marketing & Communications Director of World Trade Center Properties,
LLC and Silverstein Properties, Inc., Dara McQuillan manages the advertising,
branding, documentary, public relations, media, and communications aspects of
the Silverstein organization’s efforts to rebuild at the World Trade Center
site.

The World Trade Center marketing programs Dara created have been honored with
a variety of national awards including two Silver Anvils, two Bronze Tellys
and three MarCom Creative Awards.

Born in Ireland and raised in Brussels, Belgium, Dara has over 10 years
marketing experience at high profile companies in entertainment, media, law
and real estate.