By Eva Reinoso Tejada :::
As our pandemic days seem to slowly be left behind us and our hopes rise as temperatures soon will, the most obvious trend for businesses is to plan for a outdoor events making a big comeback in 2022. As I say this, I vividly remember the cancelation of the iconic Cinco de Mayo Festival in 2020, that was planned to take place shortly after the first and toughest lockdowns took place in Denver, in Colorado, and pretty much the whole world. Well, before I keep going, I want to announce, with joy, that the dates for the 2022 Cinco de Mayo have been announced, and you can find more information here.
Many businesses rely on their contact with the community to promote their products or services. Such is the case for real estate, financial and insurance businesses, food vendors and restaurants, craft makers, food brands, nonprofits, governmental offices, and pretty much anyone that has a product or service that needs to be put in front of the people to create awareness. This is the month when we start planning, if we haven’t done so, and here are some websites you can visit to find out what is happening this year:
1. FestivalNet.com
This website features events of many kinds all over the US. If you search for events in Colorado, you will find arts and music festivals, as well as more targeted events, based on people’s interests and what kind of demographics you are trying to target.
2. Cinco de Mayo 2022
As I said earlier, the iconic Cinco de Mayo Festival, presented by Newsed, has been around since 1988 (minus 2020 and 2021), and it is the largest cultural event in Colorado, with a diverse audience and supporting a local nonprofit that serves the community.
3. Colorado.com
This website presented by the Colorado Tourism Office offers a menu of events throughout the state where you can search, and filter based on what your interests and target audience are.
4. Visit Denver (Denver.org)
This page is presented by Visit Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau, and it includes a massive searchable database of events that take place in the City of Denver. You can get a head start here.
Now that you see all the events and opportunities that you will have this year to reach out to the community thru outdoor events, the next step is to prepare and plan those events to maximize your impact and results. One of the biggest challenges that businesses will face this year is having staff to work at these events, which makes it even more important to work on hiring, but mostly retention of the key employees that will make your events run smoothly. Another aspect you need to cover is event gear and promotional products.
What will you need for your event? Here is basic list:
1. A branded tent
Getting a branded tent, is like buying the house. You do that first, then you worry about the furniture and decorations.
2. A branded table cover, tent walls, and vertical flag
Now that you have the house, you can make it better by adding other features that reinforce your brand. Check out some examples here. Think when you are strolling thru these events, can you tell the difference between a booth that is well branded and one that looks like it is falling apart with a wrinkled table cloth and a flimsy tailgate tent? You want to make sure your booth is not the second one.
3. Promotional products to give away
As a rule of thumb, for massive outdoor events, you want to find smaller inexpensive products that you will be able to hand to the people perusing the event, and maybe spark a conversation. These could be pens, small gadgets like bottle openers, reusable grocery bags, stress balls, the options are many and they will vary according to your industry and your budget. Our website has a section where you can find articles under $2, which are a great option to get started. One item that we will see at events this year are the hand sanitizers, which you can get with a nice colorful holder, or by itself, in bottles of 1, 2 or 4 ounces.
4. Branded apparel or uniforms for your staff
This is very important. Your staff must wear the colors of the team, so they will be easy to identify and elevate the impact of your brand. An all-time favorite to fulfill this goal is an embroidered polo shirt, showcasing your company logo. You can also go for a more relaxed look with a fashion t-shirt printed with your logo on the front and a catchy phrase or slogan on the back. The possibilities are endless.
Since we are still in February, there is plenty of time to plan for this year’s spring and summer events, but don’t get too comfortable, as those days will be here in two seconds and we, business owners and managers, need to seize any opportunity we can get this year to get back to what would hopefully be “normal” business. You can always call Image Impressions for ideas and advice on event preparation, as we have been on both ends of this spectrum, as a promotional product distributor as well as event organizers. We are here to help. We are here for you.