GoGame -- November 10, 2014

On November 10, 2014, I reprised my role as the "Art Collector" with the GoGame. Participants in this corporate team-building exercise were required to convince me that whatever item they brought me was a groundbreaking museum-worthy art piece.

 

Check out www.thegogame.com for more information on this innovative gaming company. Thanks, GoGame!

Scotsman's Dilemma -- November 2014, Richmond, VA

During the last two weeks I worked as a merchandiser for the Scotsman's Dilemma, a rebate promotion offered by International Beverage. This program offers a mail-in rebate towards the purchase of five different spirits from Virginia ABC stores.

This self-directed promotion charged me with erecting cardboard displays and mounting promotional materials in several liquor stores throughout the Richmond, VA area. For more information about Speyburn scotch, visit their website at http://www.speyburn.com.

Chester Cheetah -- November 8, 2014, Virginia Beach, VA

I recently had the pleasure of working as a handler for Chester Cheetah's appearance at Walmart's Neighborhood Market in Virginia Beach, VA. This event allowed Chester Cheetah to roam the store interacting with his fans of all ages.

Duties for this promotion included assisting the costumed character and engaging with consumers around the store. For more information about this agency that staffed this event, check out www.fusioneventstaffing.com.

GoGame -- October 15, 2014, Richmond, VA

On October 15th, I thoroughly enjoyed working as local talent for the Go Game, a company that designs corporate team-building events that serve as real-world scavenger hunts played on smartphones. The Go Game hires local actors to serve as real-life plants in the game. I played a snooty art critic that grilled teams on an art piece they brought for my consideration in exchange for a password they needed to advance in the game. 

Team entry: Glenda's magic wand from the Wizard of Oz, metal pole with latex balloon, 2014

Team entry: commentary on ecology in the face of urbanization, plastic bag with leaves and branches, 2014

Team entry: Marilyn Monroe's Starbucks cup, permanent marker and lipstick on paper cup, 2014

Team entry: Found art commentary on commercialization, plastic cup, 2014

Team entry: Asian influence on local architecture, chopsticks and spray paint on brick, 2014

I recruited my friend Will to work this promotion with me; he had a great time playing a depressed coffee-shop patron who tested teams on their ability to make him laugh. Despite the rainy weather, all of the teams playing seemed to enjoy the interactive challenges presented by the game. For more information on the Go Game, visit their website at http://www.thegogame.com.

Mercedes-Benz Evolution Tour -- October 9, 2011, Washington, DC

I love doing promotions because sometimes you get the chance to participate in events you wouldn't have access to otherwise. For example, I recently had the privilege of working the Mercedes-Benz Evolution Tour through Fusion Event Staffing. Mercedes-Benz hired a series of brand ambassadors like me to staff its free concert in downtown DC featuring alternative rock band Young the Giant.

The concert crew

The concert was held inside the National Building Museum in DC. It was an amazing space!

Sound check selfie!

Duties for this promotion included crowd control and checking in concert attendees via iPad. Mercedes-Benz really knows how to throw a great party! For more information about the Mercedes-Benz Evolution Tour, you can check out their website at https://www.mbevolutiontour.com.

LEGO KidsFest -- October 4-5, 2014, Richmond, VA

I love working with kids so I thoroughly enjoyed serving as event staff at the Lego KidsFest in Richmond, VA. This two-day event was a chance for kids, families, and Lego enthusiasts to play with Lego products and bond over expressing their creativity and fostering their engineering skills and imagination.

 I worked with one other BA to staff the Duplo section, Lego's brand offering featuring larger blocks aimed at small children.

 Attendees waiting to enter the convention center. It was a busy event!

Star Wars' C3PO

Batman

The "Big Brick Pile" full of Legos. The pile was about as big as my living room!

The monochrome Lego building station

Disney's Toy Story's Woody & Buzz

Kids were allowed to build and play with the blocks that were piled on the floor.

Disney's Cinderella

Our Duplo brick pile, featuring regular Duplo bricks and Disney Princess-themed bricks in the back

Our primary responsibilities for this event were ensuring safety on the festival floor, assisting kids and families with locating pieces, and resetting the station at the end of the first five-hour session to prepare for the second influx of visitors. After refilling the bins on the tables, we piled the rest of the Legos on the floor using snow shovels. It was a blast! For more information, check out Lego KidsFest at http://legokidsfest.com.

DISH Network -- September 28 - October 2, 2014, Doswell, VA

I was thrilled to work on behalf of Dish Network in Doswell, VA for the duration of the Virginia State Fair. During this five-day event I was responsible for engaging consumers on behalf of Dish and their local authorized retailer, ITT Solutions (www.switchandsavetv.com). 

I was working side-by-side with the owner of ITT Solutions and the official Dish Network representative to encourage attendees of the fair to sign up for Dish network service. This promo required me to familiarize myself with a lot of information in a very short amount of time since I was often the first line of contact for the consumer before they would discuss their purchase options with the representatives. Although the weather was warm, the State Fair was a lot of fun and the people were very friendly. Thanks, Dish Network!