Corporate Boat Shows
Managing corporate boat shows for the Evinrude brand for four years has been a highlight of my career because it’s an opportunity to directly connect with our customer. It’s rewarding to work a show and see a year’s worth of work come to life, and witness the entire consumer journey as a microcosm. Consumers stop in the aisle to watch a brand video, walk into the booth to learn more via an interactive display, consult a dealer who leverages sales tools he’s been provided, and make a purchase because they’ve been hooked with a sign-on-the-spot incentive.
Product Launch Events
BRP hosts dealer meetings called “Club BRP”. The Evinrude brand has hosted two club events that I’ve contributed to. I was the right-hand man for the overall planning of both events, but was really able to sink my teeth into the roll of project manager for the product reveal presentations. Each of the reveals was a large scale production meant to WOW our audience and set the tone for the remainder of the dealer meeting.
Block Parties
Based on my previous experience with Water Street, I confidently proposed the idea of treating our dealers to a block party during the “Celebration Night” of our dealer meeting in 2014. Each dealer attended a restaurant of their choice for dinner, and then gathered on Milwaukee’s Old World 3rd Street, where I worked with the city to shut down two city blocks capped by stages at each end of the event. Within the party, we featured beer gardens, BRP product displays, and live art including a specialist using a chainsaw to carve an Evinrude engine from a large tree stump.
While working for the Water Street Entertainment District, I earned the trust of the Milwaukee Police Department and the Mayor’s Office to allow us to host a block party for Halloween. The event featured family friendly activities during the day, and costume contests and live music into the night.
Art Milwaukee Events
Art Milwaukee’s mission of making art more accessible was accomplished by hosting monthly non-pretentious “Art Jamborees”. These events served as a means to expose Milwaukeeans to a large variety of Milwaukee artists of all mediums. We were dedicated to delivering a truly unique and excellent experience to attendees, who in return became our strongest ambassadors. Not only did attendees keep coming back with friends, but they also purchased works of art from artists that were able to continue exercising their craft as a result of the exposure gained from the events.
Adventure Races
Two of the biggest challenges I’ve taken on in my professional career have been hosting adventure races. The first event was a paddling “marathon” down the Milwaukee River. A year later, I introduced a more ambitious event, The Tribal Challenge. This event was dubbed “An Untamed Urban Triathlon”. The event consisted of a 5 mile cycle, a 5 mile trail run, and a 5 mile paddle. Participants competed in “tribes” and were confronted with “challenges” throughout the event. As challenging as this event was, it was equally rewarding to watch participants cross the finish line as a team, exhausted and overcome with a sensation of accomplishment.
ADAM VANDERVEEN 