Rock Star Chefs

If you want to know why I am going to culinary school and continuing my career in event & entertainment marketing, just pick up today’s Wall Street Journal. Go to the front page of the Weekend section and see the headline and huge article. The headline reads: Rock-Star Chefs.

As I always say, event & entertainment marketers need to stay up on the trends. We need to give the people what they want. Right now they want food!

The article discusses how celebrity chefs are filling up venues that have been previously reserved for music acts and other traditional live entertainment. Guess what, they are getting big bucks for their tickets and it’s selling.

Of course the Food Network is a big reason for the surge in live culinary events. But it also takes people becoming interested in culinary. Everybody likes food. Everybody has to eat. Now make it exciting and entertaining and you have a win.

I have witnessed the “rock star” type show some of these culinary stars are doing. At the Great American Food & Music Festival the chefs were the stars. When the music acts played the main stage the crowds were small. When Bobby Flay hit the stage the crowd surged and the audience cheered and screamed as if Bon Jovi was playing. Guy Fieri’s show was a rock show. It came complete with loud heavy medal rock music, lights, and live flame on stage (they hired a separate Fire Marshall just for that part).

This is a dream come true. All my working life I have always wanted to merge my entertainment marketing career with my passion for food. Now it’s happening.  Let’s cook up some great culinary entertainment together!

Have a great weekend!

We All Have A Passion For Something

I am a firm believer in doing what you love.  If you don’t like what you do, why do you do it? We all have a passion for something.  If you could create an event for anything you are really passionate for, what would it be?

I have a few passions in life.  Working in the event & entertainment business is of course one of them.  However, anyone who knows me personally also knows that I am very passionate about cooking and food.  Over the last few months I have been thinking how I can meld my event & entertainment marketing background with my passion for the culinary arts.  The answer is start creating culinary events.

The culinary arts have never been more popular.  We can all thank the Food Network for this.  Chefs are cool today.  They are the new rock stars!  When I was at the Great American Food and Music Festival last month, the culinary stars were the main attraction.  Sure the festival had some great musical talent, but the crowd went crazy when Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Anne Burrell, and Aida Mollenkamp hit the stage.  The one day event sold 15,000 tickets. It was all about the food!

If you want to create an event you need to understand what you are selling.  I am so passionate about melding food and events together that I want to attend culinary school this fall.  Who better to create culinary events but an event marketing chef?

Having a passion for what you market is your best asset.

Great American Food And Music Festival

After I attend the Event and Arena Marketing Conference next month, I am going straight to the Great American Food and Music Festival.  This new one day festival is premiering at the Shoreline Amphitheatre June 13th in Mountain View CA. 

This is my kind of festival.  It involves my two favorite things, food and music.  The host for the event is Bobby Flay.  They also have other Food Networks Stars including Guy Fieri, Anne Burrell, and Aida Mollenkamp.

I was on the website looking at the list of restaurants from around the country that are participating.  A few of the famous foods include: Pink’s – Chili dogs, Katz’s – Pastrami, Anchor Bar – Buffalo Chicken Wings, Tony Luke’s – Cheese Steaks, and Grater’s – Ice Cream.  One of the advantages of traveling in the entertainment business is that you get to try out the famous local favorites.  I have had the pleasure of trying most of the foods going to this fest.

The music line up includes: Little Feat, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and Marshall Crenshaw. 

The price for this festival is $35 and it includes your first plate of food.  They have other packages available including a family four pack for only $86 and “upscale” packages including a VIP wine tasting.  Family packages are good recession proof deals.  All of us in the industry should be doing more of them.  The future plan for this festival is to tour the country next summer.

This is just sad!

I read a story in today’s Wall Street Journal about how job seekers are “dumbing” down their résumé’s in order to get a job.  What is wrong with this country?  Employers are trying to look for lower salaried employees.  Job hunters are now willing to take less.  The only way to make this match up is for applicants to change their resumes to not look overqualified.  This is wrong!  The best way to get our economy back on track is to hire the best people and let them do what they do best.  If companies don’t have the money to give big salaries, then offer the talented unemployed a lesser amount that both sides can live with.  But don’t train job seekers to lie.

Food And Music Makes A Great “Comfort” Event

I am a firm believer in producing events that people want and can afford.  Over the past few weeks I have been writing about the affordable “escape”, family packages, and “comfort” events.  I believe I found one that fits all of these. 

A cool new spin on a summer festival is going to be announced on March 31st.  The Great American Food & Music Fest will play this June in the San Francisco bay area.  This takes two of my favorite things in life food and music and brings them together in a one day event that most Americans can relate to. There will be celebrity chefs including Bobby Flay and other Food Network stars along with classic rock music. 

I am a big fan of festivals and events.  I grew up around them.  I remember  hanging at the Saratoga Jazz Festival every year.  I still have a t-shirt from the Great American Song Festival in the early 70’s.  I believe that was a follow-up event from the success of the original Woodstock Festival.  What I like about a festival today is that it can be a great day out for the whole family. 

The producers of this festival are very sensitive to what is happening with the economy. They are working very hard to price the event correctly so that it’s an affordable experience.  They are creating “all in” pricing (service charges included) and they are creating family four packs.  All tickets will include your first plate of food.  Four tickets and food for around $85 total is a great deal.  Anytime you can spend a whole Saturday out with your family for under a $100 bucks is fantastic.  We need more of these “comfort” events. 

My understanding is that the festival is only a one day event this year.  If successful they plan a nationwide amphitheatre tour in 2010. I will let you know more details as I get them.

Have a great weekend!