Robert E. (Bob) Hope is a 40-year veteran of the public relations and event marketing industry. Bob’s extensive background includes a wide variety of experience. He was the public relations director of the Atlanta Braves when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. When Ted Turner purchased the Braves, he became vice president of both the Braves and the Atlanta Hawks teams, while also handling Ted Turner’s personal publicity.
After 14 years with the Braves and Turner, Bob left the organization for a stint at The Coca-Cola Company, and later as executive vice president in the New York headquarters of global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. He left Burson-Marsteller after 10 years to become event division president of Whittle Communications.
In 1994, Bob co-founded Hope-Beckham with longtime friend Paul Beckham.
Bob is active in the Atlanta community. He is a trustee and on the executive committee of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. He serves on the board of directors for the Atlanta Sports Council, is a trustee with the Women’s Sports Foundation and is vice president of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Georgia. He is also on the advisory board for Baseball America and an annual team leader for Honduras Outreach Inc.
Bob received a B.A. in journalism from Georgia State University. He has written two books: “We Could Have Finished Last Without You” about his early years with the Braves and “Greater Late Than Never” about people who achieve success after 50.
Hughes came to Hope-Beckham in October 2007 from Atlanta Spirit LLC, parent company of the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers and Philips Arena, where he was senior vice president of communications. There, he led all communication and press outreach, and oversaw the two teams’ radio talent and production from the company’s March 2004 inception. While he was there, Hughes also helped form a group of public relations representatives from the Atlanta sports teams and organizations for networking and media relationship-building purposes. The group currently has 35 members and meets quarterly.
Prior to the Spirit, Hughes was senior director of media relations for the Thrashers leading up to and beginning with the team’s 1999-2000 inaugural season. He joined the Thrashers while working as director of public relations for Turner Sports, Inc.
Hughes is responsible for new business development as well as Public and Media Relations strategy and execution for Hope-Beckham clients. His current client list includes Belk Inc., the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola, the Atlanta Sports Council, and others. He also works with a local non-profit organization called L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise and Direct.)
Hughes is very active in the community. He coaches youth basketball, sits on the board of directors for the First Tee of Atlanta, the Brookhaven Rotary club, and is on a Friends Committee for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Georgia.
