For nearly three decades, the most powerful and well-resourced individuals and organizations have had powerhouse public relations mastermind Jason Rose on speed dial when it comes to incidents spanning positive, negative, and everything awful hitting the fan.
As president of Rose+Allyn Public & Online Relations, the firm he founded in 1996 at the ripe age of 26, Rose has brought his own panache to the industry.
However, Rose is also a behind-the-scenes power player responsible for some of the most stylish events in the city. This is where he gets a break from his more well-known gig, which has given him the skills to make those side enterprises happen.
“The day job has definitely influenced and helped me understand how moonlighting works,” says Rose, who also produces musicals such as Tiananmen, The Ghost of John McCain, and Americano! “The fashionable events and musicals are similar to what you do for clients and campaigns. There’s a similar progression that happens.”
Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships
The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships, one of the most perennially in vogue signature events in the state, has brought the elite blue-blood sport to the desert, and over the last 13 years, it’s also become the most-attended polo event on the continent.
“I believed in the beauty, the fashion, the style of it all … we’ve really got something here,” says Rose, who created the fete in 2011.
The next year, top American polo player Nic Roldan participated, which sent the message that the event was more than style. It also had legit athletic substance.
“It was a combination of entertainment elements that is unique to sport and style,” Rose says.
The elegance promises to be enhanced this October with the addition of night polo matches. Thanks to the city of Scottsdale installing lighting around the pitch, guests will dine under the stars and savor a unique outdoor event that has not been done anywhere else in the country.
Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week
Rose has a hand in another new event that promises to make a splash.
Trey Brennen of T.H. Brennen Fine Art called Rose with the idea of holding a major art event in the Southwest. Rose didn’t hesitate, and the Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week was born, making its WestWorld debut next March.
Getting Started
A native Phoenician, Rose worked for a public relations firm right out of college. But he spent his spare time on his true passion: politics.
“While others were at bars, I was running campaigns,” he says.
Inspired by his grandfather’s robust entrepreneurial spirit, Rose had the confidence to go out on his own.
“It was me, an executive suite, and a fax machine,” Rose recalls.
It didn’t take long for Rose’s reputation as someone who makes results happen to spread. Soon, he was doing crisis communication on multiple continents. Over the years, hall of fame athletes, boxers, and titans of industry are among those who have come to Rose when their worlds are crumbling.
The Future
And whether it’s rescuing the powerful from deep and dark waters or showcasing the beauty of polo beneath the desert night sky, it all comes down to true long-view vision.
“It’s about being creative enough, imaginative enough to see what something can look like years from now,” Rose says.
The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships returns Oct. 26, 2024, while Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week debuts in the heart of tourist season next year on March 20-23, 2025.
ThePoloParty.com; ScottsdaleArtWeek.com; JasonRoseArizona.com
“It’s about being creative enough, imaginative enough to see what something can look like years from now.”