The 14TH Annual CFEA Conference & Trade Show "SCORE IN '08"
was a fabulous success! Over 200 attendees and exhibitors enjoyed three days packed with informative and motivating educational sessions and fun hospitality activities.

March 5- 7, 2008
Denver Merchandise Mart
Denver, Colorado

 Early Bird Rate (payment received prior to January 31, 2008):
CFEA Members $240 per person
Non-Members $340 per person
Bring two attendees at the CFEA Member rate, bring the 3rd attendee for $225.

 Regular Rate (payment received after January 31, 2008):
CFEA Members $290 per person
Non-Members $390 per person

 NEW! Day Rates are available. Join us for one day! You pick the day that works best for you - Wednesday, March 5th or Thursday, March 6th or Friday, March 7th. (Day rate payment must be made by February 15).
CFEA Members $80 per day - Wednesday or Friday
CFEA Members $100 per day - Thursday
Non-Members $100 per day - Wednesday or Friday
Non-Members $120 per day - Thursday

Download the registration form at www.coloradofestival.com/downloads.

PROGRAMMING
Education & Hospitality Schedule

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

10 a.m. Registration Opens – Plaza Lobby

Noon – 12:30 p.m. Lunch & Welcome – Plaza Ballroom

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Opening Keynote Presentation – Plaza Ballroom

“Six Keys to Success”
Karl Mecklenburg
Mecklenbug Motivation; Littleton, CO
He will be doing a Speech called “Six Keys to Success” – Success is overcoming obstacles on the way to your dreams. It doesn’t happen by accident. There is a pattern, a template that these accomplishment have in common. Karl’s presentation explores the Six Keys to Success that he used to rise from a college walk-on to the most versatile player in the NFL. His humorous presentation if full of life lessons that the rigors of the NFL thought him and explores Teamwork – leadership is the ultimate form of teamwork, “think we not me”; Courage - to try new things and the courage to be decisive; Dedication – hard work, constant learning, and refusing to quit; Desire – your dreams, your passion, you mission; Honesty and Forgiveness, with other and in self evaluation; and Goal Setting – the short term, reasonable, specific steps that take you to your desires. These are the keys that you can apply at work, in your relationships, in your personal life, and anywhere that is important to you.

1:30 – 1:45 pm Break

1:45 – 2:45 p.m. Concurrent Educational Sessions

“Marketing 101” – Forum I
Jeannie McFarland Johnson, Media & Marketing Director
Creative Strategies Group; Broomfield, CO
Learn successful public relations techniques and tips for newspaper, radio and TV that will get your stories placed and promoted. Learn the differences between public relations, advertising and promotions and how events can combine all three to develop a successful overall marketing campaign. Learn some valuable effective techniques for getting “on-air” and important details about pitching and placing PR stories on television and successful techniques for being on a television interview. And finally, hear strategies for superlative sponsor service and how to treat a sponsor once they have signed the agreement.

“Children’s Programming/Promoting Kids Events” – Forum II
Tracy Wells, Station Manager
Radio Disney Denver; Denver, CO
Tracy will be discuss the importance of quality broadcasting with a target audience of families and children. This will incorporate the importance of promotional messages, print materials, and on-site entertainment at events.


“Festivals & Economic Development” – Forum III
Ginger White, Senior Economic Development Specialist
Denver Office of Cultural Affairs; Denver, CO
Festivals provide both community and economic benefits to a neighborhood, city or region. Yet, while the industry has done a good job of capturing community stories, it lags in articulating the economic impact it brings to a locality. This session will describe why gathering economic impact data is important, how it can be used to advance your organization and how, in aggregate, such information can support the special events industry as a whole.

2:45 – 3:00 p.m. Break

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Trade Show Exhibitor Orientation – Plaza Ballroom

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Concurrent Educational Sessions

“Marketing 201 (or Branding)” – Forum I
Heather Gallien, President
Idée-Force Communications; Denver, CO
This session explores both the creativity and methodical discipline behind successfully branding your event. We start by discussing ‘What is a brand?” Next, we delve deeper into the components that create a great brand, discuss how to build your brand, and how to create a step-by-step action plan designed to help your organization utilize its brand strategy effectively to build the long-term success of your event.

“Selecting Entertainment” – Forum II
Terry Adams, Executive Director
Cherry Creek Arts Festival; Denver, CO
There’s no better way to enhance your guest’s experience than a well-tuned performing arts program. Learn the basic steps to building a performing arts program with the limited resources of just you and your staff. From local talent to headliners, your entertainment can support your event in more ways than you know.

“Recycling – Getting Started” – Forum III
Anita Comer, President/CEO
Waste-Not Recycling; Loveland, CO
Waste is preventable, not inevitable. Garbage is a choice, it has been designed into the system but you can learn to design it out. This workshop will not only walk you through the process of having a successful Zero Waste Event but also give you some reasons why you should.

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. New Conference Attendee Orientation – Plaza Ballroom
For those who are new to the CFEA Conference experience! Meet and greet the CFEA Board of Directors and learn how to get the most from attending the conference.


5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Opening Reception  Trade Show  Auction – Plaza Ballroom
Opening Reception Sponsored by Eclipse Cash Systems!
Trade Show Sponsored by AAa Rental & Event Services!
This is the social kickoff to the Conference & Trade Show! Socialize with your colleagues, but most importantly – meet those who provide the products and services that support your event. The CFEA Auction kicks off at this time! Every year this auction surprises attendees with an incredible array of items to bid on. Bid high, bid often!

6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Opening Night Networking – Plaza Ballroom
You won’t want to miss this fun, ice-breaking evening, coordinated by the students of the Event Management Program at Arapahoe Community College. Meet new friends; have fun with old friends; get those creative juices flowing, and then be ready to focus on a valuable Conference experience.

9:00 – 11:00 p.m. CFEA Hospitality Suite – Denver Merchandise Mart – Showroom 51
Sponsored by Tribe, Inc. Event Management
The fun continues! Kick back and relax with your event friends!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

8:00 a.m. Registration Opens


8:00 – 11:30 a.m. Colorado Avalanche Ticket Distribution – Plaza Lobby
Pick up your game ticket (one ticket per full conference registration; one ticket per trade show booth; or if you have purchased additional tickets in advance) from the CFEA Registration area just outside the Plaza Ballroom.

8:00 – 9:15 a.m. Breakfast & Trade Show & Exhibitor Intros– Plaza Ballroom

9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Concurrent Educational Sessions

“Buying Fireworks” – Forum I
Doug Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer
Zambelli Fireworks; New Castle, PA
How to buy a fireworks show…or how not to trip on your way to a spectacular event! Subjects covered include: What do you want when buying a fireworks display? The top factors impacting the success of a fireworks display. Your responsibilities. The fireworks company’s responsibilities. Designing a Request for Proposal that works for you. The Alphabet Soup of Regulators. Updates on the fireworks industry.


“Conflict is NOT a 4 Letter Word” – Forum II
Ronnie Rosenbaum, President
Rosenbaum Associates; Golden, CO
Festivals and events involve diverse stakeholders with at times conflicting needs and priorities: Boards of Directors, management and other staff, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, government agencies and elected officials. Financial concerns, community collaborations, and constant changes are additional challenges. What fertile ground for disagreements! How can your group solve problems collaboratively and manage transition and growth productively? Effective conflict resolution, including mediation, can build and restore relationships, improve retention of key people, save money, and help your events be successful. Learning objectives include: identify different conflict resolution approaches, learn negotiation techniques to find common goals, know when and how to use professional resources to resolve conflict. This intermediate workshop targets Boards of Directors and senior management of festivals and events.

“Maximizing Your Web Site – With or Without a Budget” – Forum III
Richard Sonnen, Development Manager
Front Range Internet, Inc; Fort Collins, CO
“Build it and they will come” doesn’t apply to the web. Learn how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can take your web site from an expense to an asset. Topics will include SEO basics, planning an SEM campaign, and bridging on- and off-line marketing.

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Roundtables – Plaza Ballroom
Shop the topics that interest you. Learn from others and share your ideas! See the Roundtable topic list in with Session Descriptions in this notebook.

11:30 – 1:15 p.m. Lunch & Trade Show – Plaza Ballroom

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. Keynote Presentation – Plaza Ballroom

“Untraditional Marketing”
Joel Heath, President/CEO/Dreamer
Untraditional Marketing; Vail, CO
While events such as ESPN’s X Games have made action sports such as skateboarding, surfing,
BMX, and snowboarding mainstream, mountain sports like climbing, whitewater kayaking and
mountain bike freeride remain relatively obscure. Heath, whose company promotes the seven-year-old Teva Mountain Games, is looking to level the playing field between urban action and organic adventure. Lacking the luxury of his own sports TV network, Heath’s approach draws on guerrilla tactics to stay in touch with communities year round, using “shadow research” to promote the organic action sports lifestyle rather than individual sports, and adding circuit events in other markets. If you sponsor or produce an organically grown property of any type—sports, arts or entertainment—you will benefit from Heath’s insights on how to grow it to break-out status.


2:15 – 2:30 p.m. Break

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. CFEA Annual Meeting – Plaza Ballroom
This brief business meeting provides an opportunity to look at “the state of the Association”. CFEA officers will present their annual reports, the slate of Board of Directors nominees will be officially elected and incoming Association officers will be presented to the membership. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 – 4:15 p.m. Concurrent Educational Sessions

“Podcasting, Mobile and New Media - How to Use New Communications Tools to Enhance, Market and Promote your Event” – Forum I
Rob Simon, President & Founder
BurstMarketing; Denver, CO
and
Tony Smith, Finance and Operations Director
Cherry Creek Arts Festival; Denver, CO
Events and festivals are beginning to use podcasting, mobile marketing and other new media tools to reach their customers in new and exciting ways. Moreover, these new tools provide events and festivals -- which typically connect to their consumers for a short period of time each year -- to have a "year-round stage" and communications channel to their audiences. And these new tools also provide new ways to create sponsorship value as well as revenue. Rob Simon is president and founder of BurstMarketing, a Denver-based company that specializes in podcast and mobile media publishing. He will share his new media experiences with events such as the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, BookExpo America and the Starz Denver Film Festival, as well as provide a "Podcasting 101" overview for those not familiar with these new technologies.

“Reinventing Yourself” – Forum II
Britta Erickson, Festival Director
Starz Denver Film Festival; Denver, CO
And
Brit Withey, Festival Artistic Director
Starz Denver Film Festival; Denver, CO
One of the challenges and goals of any event is to keep it fresh, updated and meaningful for its audience and stakeholders. The Starz Denver Film Festival, one of the oldest events in Colorado, celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. Learn some of the ways that the organizers have kept the event updated, new and fresh for its audience. Learn some ideas and information on what steps you can do to keep your event current for your audience.


“Golf Tournament Planning” – Forum III
Dianne Jordan, Consultant
Theme-It, Golf & Events; Aurora, CO
Golf is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in the world today. There are over 300,000 charity golf tournaments in the United States; some crash and burn, others soar to new heights.
This session will review golf tournament planning basics (Setting goals, staffing, securing sponsors, budget, format, promotion and marketing, prizes and gifts, games and contests, signage, activities and schedule, food and beverage, awards banquet and wrap up and follow up); suggest new ideas to get your annual event out of its rut; and teach ways to maximize revenues, increase participation and get you ready to SCORE in 2008!

3:15 – 3:45 p.m. Trade Show Exhibitor Educational Session – Plaza Ballroom
“Drawing A Crowd”
Ansley Seymour, Account Executive
Brede Exposition Services, Denver, CO

3:45 – 4:15 p.m. Trade Show Exhibitor Educational Session – Plaza Ballroom
“Dressing Up Your Booth”
Scott Dixon, Marketing Manager & Design Consultant
Décor ‘N More, Denver, CO

4:15 – 4:30 p.m. Free Time

4:30 – 5:00 p.m. Bus Shuttles Depart to Pepsi Center – North Mart Plaza Entrance
Shuttles will run continuously from 4:30 p.m – 11:00 p.m. You may drive yourself to Pepsi Center, however parking ($10 - $20 per vehicle) will be at your own expense.

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Game Huddle Reception – Club Level – Continental Divide Suite
Sponsored by United Site Services!
Upon arrival at Pepsi Center, show your ticket and pass through security at the Main Southwest Pepsi Center entrance. A CFEA Volunteer will direct you to elevators to the club level – Continental Divide Suite. Sports snack – burgers, brats, dogs – will be served until 6:45p.m. Cash bar! Be sure to visit the silent auction tables for your final chance at bidding! The live auction will start at 6:00 p.m.

7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Colorado Avalanche vs. Anaheim Ducks Game
CFEA seating is located in Sections 211 – 214. The CFEA cash bar in the Continental Divide Suite will remain open until the end of the second period of the game.

9:30 – 10:30 p.m. Post Game Hospitality – Club Level – Lexus Club
The Lexus Club (also located on the second floor Club Level) will be open immediately after the game. The LAST shuttle back to the Denver Merchandise Mart will be at 10:45 p.m.

10:45 p.m. LAST Shuttle back to the Denver Merchandise Mart!!


Friday, March 7, 2008

8:00 a.m. Registration Opens – Plaza Lobby

8:00 – 9:30 a.m. Breakfast - Trade Show - Auction Pick-Up – Plaza Ballroom
This is the last time to visit the Trade Show exhibitors. Stop by and visit with those that you haven’t had to chance to talk with. Also - don’t forget to claim your CFEA Auction purchases at this time.

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Special Presentation – Plaza Ballroom
Mike Dino, Chief Executive Officer
Democratic National Convention; Denver, CO
The City of Denver will host the 2008 Democratic National Convention in August. 35,000 guests will bring in an anticipated $160 million in economic benefits. Mike Dino from the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee will present an overview of this challenging undertaking. Join us to get a unique inside preview of planning for this historic event! Just imagine the details!

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. Concurrent Educational Sessions

“Risk Management” – Forum I
Hank Ham, President
Henry Ham Agency, Inc; Denver, CO
There’s a huge need for clarity on who (the event or the vendor) needs what insurance (spectator liability, product liability, liquor liability) and how to make sure you’re getting what you need from your insurance carrier, and from the vendors bringing THEIR stuff, to your event, to properly protect you. Session will address these items as well as Directors & Officers Insurance – who needs it, what does it do, is it expensive? Additional Insureds - why does EVERYBODY asks for it, what are the ramifications of such, and how knowing the difference can save your event, or burn your event to the ground. Fireworks - always a big ending, but what happens if the grand finally goes berserk, and you have flaming rockets chasing your guests, staring their cars and buildings on fire, and why you want the fireworks company to provide the liability, and extend same to you. Liquor liability – when do you need to carry liquor liability, can you transfer that risk elsewhere, what does it do, and why carry it at all. Contractual liability - you know, those contracts you sign…. the quickest way to have your #@* handed to you in the event of a loss.


“Cash & Ticket Management” – Forum II
Roger Armstrong, Director
Capitol Hill People’s Fair/Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods; Denver, CO
This session will provide an overview of cash & ticket management for special events. Specific focus will explore converting from a cash sales system to a ticket based system. Topics include pre-planning before your event, management during the event and post event requirements and obligations. Discussion will include accounting systems, security, administration, volunteers and how a ticket system affects vendors, charity partners, production staff and patrons.


“Sponsorship Activation” – Forum III
Bruce Erley, President
Creative Strategies Group; Broomfield, CO
More and more, sponsors are looking to get more from their partnership with your event than booths and banners. The first step is for both the organizer and the sponsor to recognize that sponsorship is an event marketing platform upon which you must build to achieve your marketing, communications and sales objectives. How do you move beyond a “drive-by” sponsorship where a company throws a logo and check out the window and expect to get results? This interactive session will review the key steps to creating experiences that can potentially build your sponsors’ brands while enhancing your event. We’ll also conduct a free-flowing exchange of the promotional solutions and other creative ideas you and your counterparts might have.

11:45 – 12 Noon Break

11:45 a.m. – 12: 15 p.m.Denver Event Coordinator’s Conference Registration
– Plaza Lobby

12 Noon – 1 p.m. Lunch – Announcements – Colorado FUN Awards
- Plaza Ballroom
Sponsored by Denver Office of Cultural Affairs!

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Closing Keynote Presentation – Plaza Ballroom

Dave McGillivray, Director
B.A.A. Boston Marathon, North Andover, MA
Join us as Dave delivers an inspiring address, translating his extraordinary journeys and athletic achievements into life lessons. His message will include what he refers to as “defining moments”, specifically recalling his incredible 80-day trek running across the country at age 23.

2:00 p.m. CFEA Conference Closes

Thank you for coming and see you next year!

2:00 p.m. CFEA Board of Directors Meeting – Showroom 51

Check back frequently for the most current programming information.

LODGING
Lodging is not included in registration fee. Call the Comfort Inn Central (next to Denver Merchandise Mart) at 303-297-1717 to make reservations. Ask for the CFEA special room pricing of $79 per night. Reservations must be made by February 8, 2008.

TRADE SHOW
If you are a vendor or supplier to the events industry, participation in the Trade Show is a must! Chat with your existing clients and meet potential new customers at this great networking event. Place your business in the spotlight in front of key decision-makers who do the planning and spending for their events. Registration for the Trade Show includes the entire conference, enhancing opportunities to get to know all of the conference attendees, and ability to attend all education and networking events. The educational exhibitor sessions and on-stage exhibitor showcase during trade show hours round out the benefits for an unbelievable value. Trade Show space is limited, so register today. Download the registration form at www.coloradofestival.com/downloads.

CFEA AUCTION
Every year, CFEA’s Auction surprises attendees with an incredible array of bid items – and this year will be no different! Last year attendees shopped for theater tickets, festival apparel, vacation and leisure packages and much, much more! There’s something for every budget! You or your organization can contribute to the fun, both as a bidder and as an auction donor. Showcase your event, your city or your favorite vendor with an auction item worth $50 or more. Funds raised through the Auction support CFEA and the Tom Townsend Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information on the CFEA Auction, download the auction donation form at www.coloradofestival.com/downloads.

TOM TOWNSEND MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
The CFEA Scholarship program has been named, in memory of one of CFEA’s founding association sponsors, Tom Townsend of Paradise Unlimited, Inc. Up to four scholarships will be awarded to cover conference registration costs. To be eligible, you must be a current member of CFEA and a first-time attendee of the Conference & Trade Show. Scholarship applications are available from www.coloradofestival.com/downloads. Application deadline is Friday, February 8, 2008.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsors are a vital part of the success of the CFEA Conference & Trade Show. If you are interested in participating and supporting the endeavors of CFEA and exploring the various opportunities that can help you promote and maximize your business needs, contact the CFEA Office at 303/904-1521.

MORE INFORMATION
Call Lora Knowlton, Association Manager at 303-904-1521 or email lora@coloradofestival.com.