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- by Tiffany Dinsmore With another year ending, the fall and winter festivities are beginning! As always Halloween is kicking off our holiday season! Although there are a lot more events being held this year people are still being cautious and most events are being held outside. Christine Forster with My Big Day Events and Marketing along with Thompson Education Foundation created a way to celebrate Halloween in a safe and easy way with NoCo’s Greatest Drive Thru Trick-or-Treat Experience. It was a huge success for 2020 and they are hoping for another successful event at the end of the October!  I have asked Christine to answer a series of questions to help give some insight on the second year of this event! How long have you been working with TEF? MBD has been working with Thompson Education Foundation for a couple years now. Although Christine and Kim go way back. "We met 17 years ago volunteering for the Downtown Loveland Association." What was your creative process when creating the Drive Thru Trick-or-Treat Event last year? "The idea came about quickly and naturally, but when developing the concept, it was crucial to us that we evaluate who all may benefit from partnering with an event such as this, where might the drive-thru traffic be most appreciated, etc. We reached out to other entities to inform them of our concept and to invite others to join in to give families a safe Halloween."  The event must have been a success to do it again this year, what are the fundraising goals for 2021? "When we initially created this, we didn't have a fundraising goal. We wanted to cover expenses of course - but a safe trick-or-treating option for local families was our biggest goal. We were thrilled by the number of sponsors who supported the event last year and have already seen great response this year!" Is there a particular moment or memory from 2020’s event that stands out to you? "Being on the back end of management for the event, watching hundreds of tickets get snagged up in minutes was a real Ticketmaster moment. To know that we had 3,000 people attend the event and thousands more on the waiting list is our top memory for 2020."  Where is the event located this year and how will it be different from the 2020 event? "This year we are taking advantage of the generous access we have to the Thompson School District Administration building. This allows for plenty of space for booths, vendor parking, volunteer parking, regulated entrance/exit flow, and indoor facilities for our staff and volunteers. The event itself will be the same, with the exception of limitations by county and state. Last year we were limited to the number of people we could have 'gather' at an outdoor event, so our booths could only host 2 workers, and we had to limit volunteers and number of cars in attendance by timed interval." What is the biggest challenge that you are facing with putting this event together? "As with any outdoor event, one challenge can be weather. There is always a chance for snow at the end of October. This event will happen rain, shine, or snow. It will only cancel should there be an absolute blizzard. Also, as with any event right now, we are still dealing with a global pandemic. MBD has planned enough events during the pandemic to have plans and processes in place to offer guests, staff and volunteers a safe experience!"  The drive-thru trick-or-treat experience is just $5 per vehicle (no campers or busses). All guests will sign up for a 30 min window of time to arrive. All tickets will need to be purchased online in advance. Booths are available for businesses, non-profits and schools (and each booth comes with 1 free guaranteed entrance to the event). Thank you Christine for inventing such a unique Halloween experience!
 Being in the event planning industry for 15 years, we have experienced ups and downs -- arguably more ups than downs! We have had the pleasure of creating and executing some awesome events, and undoubtedly awesome experiences and memories. Along the way, we have often had to educate our clients and the larger community on what it exactly is that we do. There are many myths out there regarding what it is we -- professional event planners -- do. Event Planners Like to Party All the Time, Party All the Time… While many of our events are actually parties or celebrations, we are actually working throughout all of the festivities.  It is a pleasure to watch our clients and their friends have fun. Occasionally, we get to participate, too -- just one of the many benefits of working in this industry. During any event, we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that everything is running smoothly. This event is the culmination of months and sometimes years of planning and hard work. Event planners are the cushion between the client and any emergencies that might arise. I Planned My Best Friend’s Wedding, So I Can Now Add Wedding Planner To My Resume! Wedding planning is a major part of event planning -- arguably an industry in and of itself. Weddings garner a lot of attention in this industry because of the romance, excitement, and drama that can surround this type of event. There are event planners that focus entirely on weddings. These planners are wedding planners.  Wedding planning and event planning are high-stress jobs. Planning your own wedding can certainly be stressful and of course, rewarding, but planning with someone else’s dreams and expectations at the forefront is something on an entirely different level. There are short timelines, cancellations, tight budgets, and other details that creep up that an event planner must tend to, on behalf of their client. It’s very different handling all of these for a paying client. Event Planners must have a keen business sense. They work for years to build organization, problem solving, and master communication skills. The Bigger the Better. When it comes to our clients and the events that we plan - no event is off limits. Big or small, we are ready to step in and make it a success.  It is a myth that event planners only work on large scale events. We have had the pleasure of planning all sorts of events from large garden parties and backyard concerts for 600+ guests to small, romantic wedding proposals. No event is too big, or too small for our team! Event Planning is Glamorous Hollywood tends to spin this myth. Movies such as 'The Wedding Planner' and pop-culture shows about wedding planning can make it seem that everything is luxurious and glamorous. In reality, event planning involves:
When you commit to becoming an event planner, you need to be prepared to be on your feet for hours upon hours. We have worn through many pairs of shoes, and oftentimes pack extra outfits and shoes as backup throughout the event. Event planning means always having an emergency kit ready for use. It means managing not only the details of the event, but also people and personalities, too.  A Well Polished Instagram is a True Reflection of What an Event Planner Does As we have already mentioned, Event Planning is not all fun and games. Event planners work evenings, weekends, early mornings -- we work until the job is done. In between the actual events, we focus on all of the work that goes into building and running a business. Why We Do What We Do We wouldn’t put up with tired and sore feet or Bridezillas if we didn’t love what we do. Nothing can replace the sense of pride and accomplishment that a successful event or campaign can provide. For 15 years we have enjoyed creating outstanding events. We have loved building healthy partnerships within the communities we serve. And, we absolutely look forward to what the next 15 years brings. We have a feeling it will be more connections, more memories, and more fun! Call our talented team of professional event planners to receive a consultation for your next event or life celebration!  Contact MBD Marketing & Events Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken  MBD Marketing & Events continues to support Partners and assist with marketing outreach of the No DUI Larimer Campaign. In recent months we have formed a partnership with the Thompson Valley EMS.  No DUI Larimer is pleased to announce our latest collaboration, this time with Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services (TVEMS). The emergency medical personnel at TVEMS see firsthand the effects of impaired driving on Northern Colorado’s roadways.  Thompson Valley EMS was founded in 1983 and is Loveland’s leading provider of emergency medical services, EMS education, and EMS training. The organization’s 80 employees and 12 ambulances respond to over 15,000 TVEMS seeks to promote and facilitate the responsible provision of medical services within the Thompson Valley Health Services District. As part of its vision for compassionate care, TVEMS became a registered CARES program in 2017, providing community outreach and health education to people to prevent illness and injury. In the coming weeks, you can expect to see No DUI Larimer and Thompson Valley EMS promoting each other’s messaging as part of our community health education mission.  EMS Training through Thompson Valley Emergency Medical Services
Photo credit: Thompson Valley EMS Facebook At No DUI Larimer, we believe the issue of impaired driving is best addressed through community collaboration, and we are proud of our partnerships with the Colorado Department of Transportation and TVEMS, two organizations tasked with improving the safety of Colorado’s roads. Together, we can combat impaired driving in Northern Colorado. Follow Thompson Valley EMS and No DUI Larimer on Facebook for updates on our collaboration. Make the Call. A number of MBD Marketing & Events' clients are those that work with children and/or education. The global pandemic has had a significant impact on students and educators in the past year... and their families. Thompson Education Foundation is one of these clients.  School is almost out for the summer! It was not an easy school year for anyone, from going to full time remote learning to a blended learning and in some districts even back to full time in person (with limitations of how many students could gather and the mandatory wearing of masks). Teachers, parents, students and school staff members all had to learn how to adapt and succeed through a school year full of random and sudden changes.
On a happier note some students have found that remote learning is right up their alley! The Denver Post interviewed a student from West Early College in Denver and she has noticed a change in her younger sibling “All the sudden she’s an independent learner and she’s taken charge of her education in a new way that wasn’t possible under the old regime,” St. Marie said.[1] Remote learning has given students the opportunity to do their school work on their own schedule giving a lot of freedom to them. Edutopia interviewed at student who stated, “The reason I enjoy online learning is because of the opportunity to structure my day efficiently,” wrote a 10th grade student in English teacher Katie Burrows-Stone’s class survey. “I am able to workout, relax, and complete the work in a timely manner, with no distractions.”[2] “Thompson Education Foundation (TEF) and the Literacy Committee of Loveland Rotary Club each committed $10,000 ($20,000 total) to support remote learning for students. The first acquisition was 5,000 books for students who were participating in TSD’s emergency food distribution program. The books were purchased for all grade levels, PreK-12 and were available to students. In addition, Thompson Education Foundation supplied 500 school supply kits to supplement at-home learning for elementary and secondary students without access to supply resources at home. Since forming in 1989, Thompson Education Foundation has been contributing to ensure student opportunities and success for Thompson School District students.”[3] If you would like to help this effort, please use our "Donate" link to help those impacted in our TSD community. https://www.thompsontef.org/donate [1] https://www.denverpost.com/2021/01/01/colorado-covid-education-changed-schools-teacher/ [2] https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-are-some-kids-thriving-during-remote-learning [3] https://www.facebook.com/ThompsonEducationFoundation  Overall, everyone experienced their own ups and downs over the course of this school year. Hopefully summer will help refresh and clear up some of the mass chaos we all had to go through together. Luckily we have foundations like TEF to join with our community to help take care of those who were lacking the resources they needed to make it through the school year.
Looking forward a new school year where even though things will still be different than before the pandemic, we can all be prepared and ready and know that we can get through anything as long as we stick together!  MBD Marketing & Events is passionate about our work with nonprofits, and we are happy to announce that our client Partners’ first-ever NoCo Grocery Grab was a big hit! On April 30, MBD Marketing & Events brought TV’s “Supermarket Sweep” energy to Fort Collins’ Lucky’s Market, where winners of a month-long raffle won a shopping spree of $500, $750, or $1,000 in groceries. Camera crews were on hand to capture every moment, which will be revealed at a virtual watch party Wednesday, May 19. You might be wondering what went on behind the scenes planning Partners’ big Spring fundraising event this year…  After uncertainty surrounding Partners’ traditional St. Patrick’s Day 5K race this year – the fully-planned event was cancelled last minute due to COVID-19 last year – Partners needed a creative, alternate fundraising event. We designed this unique, COVID-friendly event to raise money for Partners and further their community involvement. After weeks of applications and waiting on our end, Partners received a raffle license through the state, and the event was on. We partnered with iHeart Radio and The VIA Company for production and promotions, including emcee and video production services during the event.
Our MBD team (with plenty of coffee in our systems), radio hosts, and raffle winners arrived at Lucky’s Market bright and early April 30, and each winning couple had the store all to themselves as they attempted to “spend” their winnings within a set timeframe. Volunteers completely reset the store between each round, so every raffle winner had a fresh shopping experience.
Partners, MBD Marketing & Events, Lucky’s Market, iHeart Radio, and The VIA Company collaborated on this event and were instrumental in securing this year’s spring funding for Partners’ work in our NoCo community. Please join Partners for a virtual NoCo Grocery Grab premiere watch party Wednesday, May 19th at 6:30pm, here.  Contact MBD Marketing & Events Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken   MBD is proud to be a marketing partner for No DUI Larimer. No DUI Larimer is excited to announce our partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). CDOT was founded over 110 years ago as a department of the state to ensure Colorado would have a safe, well-maintained highway system. Today, that safety mission includes programs related to impaired driving, distracted driving, car seat safety, motorcycle safety, pedestrian safety, teen driving, and seat belt usage. For each of its programs, CDOT collects and reports on data related to a specific safety concern. This data is available to the public at https://www.codot.gov/safety. The data that CDOT collects is invaluable to our No DUI Larimer program; with CDOT’s data, we can ask our viewers and visitors to Make the Call to report impaired driving based on real statistics and evidence. Between CDOT’s data reporting and No DUI Larimer’s public requests to “Make the Call,” we are confident this will be a valuable partnership.  Every day, No DUI Larimer appeals to the public to “Make the Call” through print advertisements; television advertisements; social media engagement; and local sponsorships and partnerships. We believe the issue of impaired driving is best solved when a community comes together to address the problem. We ask the public to Make the Call for a safe ride home from a night out, and to Make the Call to 911 to report drivers showing signs of intoxication. It is up to all of us to keep Larimer County’s roadways safe.
With this new partnership, you will see No DUI Larimer and CDOT sharing information and social media messaging online. No DUI Larimer is proud to partner with CDOT – a longstanding, comprehensive traffic safety organization – to combat the issue of impaired driving in Larimer County. Make the Call.  April 8th 2021 was the first annual Trailblazing Thompson, A Salute to Excellence event! TEF, DLR Group and MBD Marketing and Events along with a long list of amazing sponsors came together to make this amazing event happen! But what is Trailblazing Thompson? “A virtual event highlighting Thompson Education Foundation's programs and recognizing excellence in Thompson School District. This annual community event is TEF's Educator of the Year celebration and the features the announcement of the 2021 Educator of the Year recipients. The annual Educators of the Year awards are supported by King Buick GMC. Educator of the Year sponsor, King Buick GMC, feels the best way to give back to the community is through education support: building strong programs that will produce a highly trained workforce that can increase innovation and energy for American manufacturing. To honor Thompson School District educators, King Buick GMC provides car leases for 60 days to educator of the year winner in each categories and a 24 month car lease to the overall TEF Educator of the Year winner.” This year TEF had 79 Thompson School District teachers, principals and staff members nominated for these awards. Only a handful of those can win awards and only one can be named 2021’s TEF Educator of the Year!  After many hours of tough decision making the TEF board members finalized these amazing TSD teachers, principals and staff members as 2021 winners! 2021 Educator of the Year award recipients TEF Educator of the Year Barb Hartman, TSD Health Services Coordinator Elementary Educator Karen Shumate, Mary Blair Elementary School Secondary Educator Ericka Griess, Mountain View High School Principal Deon Davis, Coyote Ridge Elementary School Principal Ian Stout, Loveland Classical Schools TSD Staff Jordan Jennings, Berthoud High School As COVID has affected us all it has changed the way that we do events. This event, normally held in person with up to 400 people attending was unfortunately too large to accommodate at this time making it a live streaming virtual event! A lot goes into the behind the scenes when it comes to these types of events. Technical issues are always close by and it is hard for people to have the same confidence speaking in front of a camera with a mask on, rather than speaking to people who are physically there and that they can interact with.
  Thank you Easter Keg Hunt teams for joining us for a wicked windy event this year! We are so hopeful that next year we can give you our traditional private kick-off and restaurant ending point. There is just something so special about that ending point communal celebration as teams come in, that isn't the same during a global pandemic. Early photos have been released from our photographer, Jen West Photography. You will see additional photos from her yet this week, as well as photos posted to our social media. Thank you for your SPIRIT, positive attitudes, and ENERGY! As always, MBD Marketing & Events proudly supports a non-profit in Northern Colorado with each and every signature event we plan. The NoCo Easter Keg Hunt benefits Animal Friends Alliance. Thank you supporting us as we support the charities we love - and 'keeping adults young' in Northern Colorado with FUN events! Learn more about our pet-loving friends: https://www.savinganimalstoday.org/ www.savinganimalstoday.org/ Finally, this event would not be what it is without the local businesses who participate. Thank you to our participating 2021 NoCo Easter Keg Hunt businesses: FoCo Do Co, Old Town Churn, Pour Brothers, On the Rocks Mobile Bar, Salus, Wolverine Farm, CopperMuse Distillery, B Sweet Cupcakes Food Truck, Akinz, Pinball Jones, Stuft Burger Bar, Turtle Mountain Fermentery  Contact MBD Marketing & Events Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken   MBD Marketing & Events receives questions nearly daily about what events will look look yet this year. We know everyone is looking for hope and we would love to give it. While we are event experts, we are not health experts or fortune tellers. Here is what we can tell you: We cannot predict how the current global pandemic will play out. The best we can do if follow current government guidelines and plan ahead with no less than 3 plans in place for events. (Plan A, B and C) All of our events in the past year have included hybrid elements to allow for participation remotely for the sake of safety. Come summer 2021, we hope that there will be more opportunity to gather traditionally. We do not anticipate that events will be back to 'normal' this summer. We plan on delivering events with the assumption that there is a 'new normal'. This means: outdoors as much as possible, including square footage calculators as part of our planning metrics, social distancing requirements, PPE supplies, COVID waivers, fewer elements that involve touch, and hybrid elements. We remain hopeful, but cautious. Now is the time where our creativity and ingenuity shines. We LOVE supporting businesses, non-profits and YOU and your life events. Can we have events? YES! How? Leave the careful planning to us!  Contact MBD Marketing & Events
Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken Grab your team tickets soon! The NoCo Easter Keg Hunt is nearly sold out! The 2:30pm heat still has a few team slots and we'd love to see YOU there! Contact MBD Marketing & Events Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken |
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My Big Day Company LLC 2021 www.MyBigDayCompany.com
970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 EMAIL US
We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken
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