BEER BACON BANDS
Event a success here and abroad
Sometimes simple just works.
For Chad Guy of Regina’s Rawk Entertainment Group, using a simple formula for a food and alcohol trade show has resulted in Beer Bacon Bands becoming a huge success. In fact, the event has become so successful that Guy has been hosting the show in other communities in Western Canada with similar results.
The simplicity of Beer Bacon Bands, which features food and alcohol vendors along with music acts, separates the event from its competition.
“There are other food events and there are other liquor events but I think we’ve really hit the nail on the head with it being a party, being fun. It’s not a trade show vibe like everything else is,” said Guy. "It’s just a great mash-up of three incredible things — great craft beers, incredible food and great music. It’s just more of that fun party atmosphere that’s missing from the other trade show style events.”
Starting in 2015, the event found its audience rather quickly and has become a must attend event. Tickets for this year’s show, which runs Friday and Saturday at the Conexus Arts Centre, have been selling fast. Organizers have already announced the Saturday show a sellout and Guy is confident the Friday show will sell out as well.
He credits the success to the combination of strong vendors, community support and Reginans recognizing an enjoyable event.
“We were lucky right out of the gate. This is our fourth year and we have to thank all of our vendors because they supported the idea right out of the gate in Year One,” said Guy. “Certainly it’s grown over the four years, we’re at 57 or 58 booths. We’re kind of at capacity for the space we have in that setup. It’s to the point where we’re turning away some great vendors that we’d like to include.
“The support in the community has been incredible. We’ve done our best to treat everybody really well and create an environment that’s not only successful for their business but, again, it’s a lot of fun. The brand is something that is unique and cool. It’s a really positive, happy, fun event.”
In addition to the vendors, this year’s event will feature The Dead South, the Johnny McCuaig Band and DJ Baby Daddy to get the music vibe going.
It’s a formula that works for Guy and he recognized early on that it would work in other communities as well. It recently stopped in Calgary and has dates scheduled for Prince George, B.C. and Dawson Creek, B.C., in the coming months.
“From the first year that we did it, I knew that we could do this in other spots,” said Guy. “I’ve been doing concert touring for 20 years and I’ve got great venue relationships so for me, that was the no-brainer — ‘Hey, I’ve got all these existing relationships in other markets and their venues.’ And the name alone — I’m really proud of the branding. I like the name, it lays it right out there. It’s very simple, beer, bacon, bands. People get the idea ... Year One is always a challenge but we’ve got some great marketing materials now, some great video coverage to show people what it is. We’re really lucky with this particular event that people buy in right off the start. I knew it could translate well into other markets.”
And while the event is part of Rawk Entertainment’s business model, Guy hasn’t forgotten about being a good corporate citizen. Each of the events includes a charitable arm. This year’s show in Regina, for example, will support the YWCA.
“I think that’s very important. It started in Regina, which is our hometown, and we’re very grateful to have such great support in the community so we always want to give back and be good community members,” explained Guy.
“And when we take the event to other communities, we don’t have those same hometown relationships so it’s important to show those communities that we’re not just the circus that’s coming into town and taking all their money and leaving town the next day. It’s important to give back and build those long-term relationships. That’s what we want to do coast-to-coast.”
BEER BACON BANDS 7 p.m., Jan. 26 & 27 Conexus Arts Centre