Blog

Bill Coleman Entertainment, Denver, CO

Hope this finds you well.
When you are ready, we'll be here to help you celebrate safely.

Stay healthy! Plan ahead! Be proactive!

Greetings from the BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world's biggest
bubble toy® and Giant Fun hand washing station! Reserve now for your fun
festival!  For info on how we fight the virus visit
https://www.facebook.com/BubbleTower/

For information on how we can help promote your sponsors, non profit or
business at
your festival or event, see https://bubbletower.com/faq.php

Hope you can join us at the Indiana State Fair,
would love to show you the the world's biggest bubble toy® and Giant Fun
hand washing station in person.

". . . even better than we imagined . . . smiles everywhere . . .
loved how it drew families back to that corner of the Fairpark . . . We
will definitely have you back!"
Nicki Claeys, Activity and Education Manager ,  Utah State Fair 2018, 2019

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Would love to help you celebrate.
Bill

Bill Coleman Entertainment
Helping you feel the joy, so you will remember

https://www.bubbletower.com/
Home of the solar powered BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world's biggest
bubble toy® and Giant Fun hand washing station!

http://www.palletfest.com/

This was an incredible event. Weather was good on Saturday, with cooler temps , frequent showers with some rain, and wind on Sunday.

This was the first year for Pallet Fest, a family friendly festival featuring upcycled - repurposed art, sustainability, Parkour (!) , networking and some awesome music, food and beverages. (Ask me about the Ginger Beer!)

Held at the Sculpture Park in the heart of the Denver Theater District and featuring an expansive lawn with the 50 foot  Dancers sculpture towering over the venue.  Across from the Auraria Campus and framed by Speer and Champa streets.
 
While the attendance could have been higher, the engagement was through the roof.  I spoke with nearly every vender and they all reported satisfaction and sales.
 
One artist from NM that I spoke with ( there were two or three) was very happy, having sold a $500 piece.  During the rain, I circulated among the venders, and on one round made a point of mentioning AFI to several.  This was a first time event for some of the artists, and while their use of pop ups might have given a clue, their art was of good quality in my opinion.  NO buy sell was evident. Creativity abounded.  Electricity was available, load in and out was quite easy, parking was a bit tight, unless you used the nearby parking garage. Mostly on the lawn, with some pavement  There is room for more venders without crowding.  Plenty of space for storage, etc.

Demographics skewed to young professionals, but all ages were
evident, with strollers, and older kids as well as well dressed retires evident.

Artist Sean Doherty ( http://www.dohertyart.com/  120 + public art projects in the Denver area, including the art down the center of Broadway in Englewood, and Colfax in Lakewood) was there.  In   spite of what I originally though of as an "out in the boondocks" location, he had steady traffic and steady sales at $5 to $20+.  He had brought a couple of large sculptures, and was pretty sure one was sold when I last spoke with him.

When I say engaged, I mean folks were INTERESTED.  Even at the worst of the rain on Sunday, I had a steady stream of folks hiking the near length of the park to try out the classic wood stilts that I had brought. And of course, my Rainbow ZEEbra Bubble Tower was a hit with the adults and especially the kids and young at heart.  After the event, Kenny (the producer) assured me that yes, he "got it" and he would be soliciting sponsors for the BT for next year's festival.

Denver Mayor Hancock was there with an entourage including the
Denver sustainability director (not sure of the exact title) and they
toured the park, and spent quite a bit of time with several of the venders. As well as mounting the stage and making awards.  I was at some distance away at the time and can't report further, except that it was a two way conversation with the audience and an award was given.  People seemed to actually paying attention.

I was able to find sources for materials that I was looking for, including old fashioned cotton flour bags, that haven't been available here since the '60s.  Also was able to source vintage Japanese textiles, malted barley bags (for an agricultural themed Bubble Tower for the county fair circuit)  and had a conversation with a business owner who seems to have an interest in the Bubble Tower for an event at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum.  

Habitat for Humanity had a large tent with samples of some fine
furniture for sale at very reasonable prices.  
The furniture is part of a rehabilitation program partnership with one of our prisons. Along with bookcases, Adirondack chairs and tables, headboards and the like, they also manufacture all of the cabinets and roof trusses for the Habitat for Humanity homes.

http://www.denverpost.com/homegarden/ci_24142984/habitat-humanitys-...

 The lumber was all sourced from pallets keeping in line with the re-use, re-purpose, up-cycle ethos of the festival.

I have a stack of business cards from folks that wanted to engage, question, and most of all help.  In spite of the rain and the Bronco's game or maybe because of that, the folks were actively looking and not passive.  I couldn't be happier with my experience.

I'm not a fan of rap, but other than the one band, I was very happy with the music.  Other than the initial test of the equipment, the volume was spot on, and not too loud, a major bugaboo of mine, and venders and artists in general.

With the exception of one tent that was badly placed, everything else was excellent, with traffic circulating the park to the activities and the venders.  Other than the above mentioned tent, there were no dead zones.  The entrance and exit to the event was maned at all times, forcing engagement and set the tone in a very positive way.  The food!  The food and beverages were well above average for a festival.  Waste, compost and recycling bins were much evident, and people actually used them.

When I arrived, Kenny had just completed some interviews, including one with someone in Chili who was interested in the festival.  This festival in my opinion has legs and will be back next year, as will the Bubble Tower.

The surprise of the festival, was the pallet sculpture that was built on site.

Delayed by rain, it was finished up as everyone was packing up.  I was happy that I took my time packing so I could see the finished sculpture.

A new article has been posted to EventsInAmerica.com:
       
Title: From Accommodations to Food and Venues to Transportation, Learn How to Write an Effective RFP

AND Entertainment !!!!  While I cetainly don't need all of these points covered, it is true that with more information from the entertainment buyer, I can do a better job and often a better price if I have sufficient information on the event.

"Of all the correspondence you write as a planner, the most important may be the Request for Proposal (RFP). A good RFP will get you bids from properties and suppliers who can best meet your needs for an event. A poor RFP, however, can have the opposite effect."

http://www.eventsinamerica.com//article/from-accommodations-to-food-and-venues-to-transportation-learn-how-to-write-an-effective-rfp/art4d487aa191a85/

"You may get bids that won’t apply to you at all, or worse, suppliers may end up being the wrong fit, setting you up for a possible event disaster. The key to a good RFP is effective communication. RFPs can vary in length, scope, and format, depending on your audience and purpose for writing, but they all share common features. Reviewing some basic strategies before you sit down to write can be a time saver, whether you’re an experienced planner familiar with RFPs or a new planner composing one for the first time.

STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE YOU WRITE

Here’s where you can take a big sigh of relief: Writing a good RFP doesn’t have to be a daunting task. But it does require a little bit of time to get the facts straight, and to know exactly what you will need for your event. Before you put your fingers to the keyboard, consider the following:

    * What is the history of this event?
    * Is this the first time the event has been held?

This information will be important because you’ll want to include as much detail about your event in the RFP as possible. Jot down the properties you’ve used in the past, the rates you received, the attendance history, and so on. All of this information will help you compose an RFP that explains the parameters of the event and the price range you are expecting. If this is the first time you have held the event, you’ll want to mention that in the proposal, too.

Requirements
What do you want from the property or supplier? What do you need? These are distinct questions, so think about them carefully. Recognize what is absolutely necessary in terms of dates of the event, location and equipment. Then, think about the elements that would be nice to have, but are not absolutely necessary. Knowing the answers to these questions
will help you clarify your end goal.

WHAT EVERY RFP SHOULD INCLUDE

Once you’ve taken these preliminary steps, you should be ready to tackle the RFP. Whether you are using a template or creating your own from scratch, your RFP will generally include the following:

    * Contact Information: Usually at the very beginning of the RFP. The name of your organization and event, and the contact information for the person receiving the proposals.
    * Event Overview: The event type; event start and end date; expected attendance; and time needed for set-up and break down.
    * Requirements: Description of the need for the property or service; location requirements; total numbers of specific items needed (e.g., hotel rooms, equipment; exhibit hall space, food and beverage); and an explanation of budget restrictions (e.g., room rate should not exceed “x” amount).
    * Timeline: Due date and decision date for the proposal.
    * Proposal Format and Content: Expectations for what the proposal must contain; criteria by which the proposal will be j