The countdown has started: 59 days – 17 hours left before the biggest outdoor event of the year in Alberta:  “The Calgary Stampede”! The Calgary Stampede is a perfect excuse for businesses, organizations and associations to thank their customers by hosting informal corporate events. Since the celebration is coming soon, it’s time to think about planning your event.

Are You Getting Ready?
Stampede or not, hosting a corporate event needs to be planned in advance; did I just say there is only 59 days left before the beginning of the centennial of the greatest outdoor show on earth. Some of you may think “59 days” is long enough to contemplate booking your venue and starting to invite your guests. Guess what: available venues are getting scarce and invitations are being distributed across the city. I even met with the representative of a “promotional items” company last week who told me they are out of many western gadgets.  Since some organizations started planning a year ago, if you are not ready, you are late.

Create, Be Different, Be a Cowboy.
Isn’t it fun to be a marketer and having to plan and organize a great Stampede event which involved dressing like a cowboy? Look at this dress code advertising for the Stampede: A city that dresses together stays together:

Finding the right outfit is easy, but if you really want to impress your guests for the centennial, you also have to think about your Stampede decoration, your venue, your employee dress code, the design for your invitations, your promotional items, etc. Try to have ideas that stand out from your competitors or what you have seen before. You probably won’t be surprised if I tell you the event I am organizing this year will be a stylish and unique. How? Sorry, I can’t reveal that for now, but you will be informed for sure.

However, I can mention that I found some very interesting western ideas/products that could help color up your venue. Imagine some “Steak House Horns” that are 6’6” wide to put above the entrance of your tent for example:  Stampede Horns.  Of course, this is only one example; it’s the centennial so be inspired and impress.

Happy Stampede everyone and please, don’t forget to invite me to your corporate/friend events!