David Archer was a familiar face at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, acting as master of ceremonies from the performance stage.
Photo courtesy of DA Associates PR
David L. Archer, a public relations and marketing expert who helped organize and promote the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park for years and helped guide the explosive growth of the Queens World Film Festival for nearly a decade, died following a six-month battle with cancer while he was surrounded by family members at his upstate New York home on Nov. 10. He was 75.
“We’ve lost a great one. David’s accomplishments were countless and praiseworthy, but he was also a fantastic human being,” Queens Tourism Council President Rob MacKay said. “He was funny, extremely interesting, dedicated to doing the right thing and a great family guy. I am much richer for having known him and so is Queens. All the best to his family and let’s make the Dragon Boat Festival the best ever in his honor.”
Dragon Boat races are sporting events held around the world and in 1991, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office brought it to the Hudson River as a one-time event. It was so successful that Henry Wan brought it back and moved it to Flushing Meadows Corona Park the following year to be closer to one of the largest Asian immigration populations in the world: northeast Queens. In addition to the sporting event, Wan added an international cultural festival that became one of the largest of its kind in the United States drawing crowds of 60,000 to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Archer helped Wan expand the festival and often played the role of master of ceremonies from the festival stage. Archer knew that corporate sponsorships were the key to success in forging longtime alliances
“Sponsorships are critical because Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival-New York is a small nonprofit and the city’s Parks Department charges heavy fees for the use of…
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