| EVENT REPORT 07.28.09 3:11 PM |
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| Back in Action |
| A title sponsorship offer from a new spirits brand allowed event producers to reschedule the canceled Beach Ball Fest. |
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For the past four years, nightlife promoter TAI Entertainment has held Beach Ball Fest, a day of relay-style contests between local bartenders and servers, on the beach at 8th Street and Ocean Drive. However, the economy forced the group to cancel the event, usually held in April, until Dziaq Liqueur signed on to sponsor the fifth annual games held on Saturday.
“Dziaq really made it happen for the whole hospitality and service industry,” said TAI events manager Scott Meszaros. “[Their sponsorship] really helped out everybody, not just us [with funding], but also the teams participating. And it gave [Dziaq] a chance to really promote their brand.” |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Snow Caps returned as a sponsor this year, serving snow cones throughout the day.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | One element of the five-part cocktail-making obstacle course required participants to run through tires with a tray and bucket of sand representing a bucket of ice, the first step in the drink process.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | The second participant in the race had to add water to the sand-filled cups, place them on a tray, and limbo under a pole before passing off the cups to the third person on the relay team.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | Teams also competed in dodge ball.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | Red Bull, a first-time sponsor, provided branded umbrellas, highboys, and a DJ booth.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | The Opium Hard Rock's team participated in two rounds of tug-of-war against teams from World Resource Cafe and Fame nightclub.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | About 500 spectators, down from nearly 5,000 in 2008, attended the event at its new location.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | Players received free food and drinks from the sponsors.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | Fuze Beverage set up a branded tent with a giant inflatable bottle of its Strawberry Melon drink next to it.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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 | Red Bull's umbrellas kept DJ Dysquo and his turntables safe from the rain.
Photo: Pedro Galvez/PGM Studios for BizBash |
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To keep costs down, TAI moved the event to the beach club behind the Gansevoort South, as public beach rental feels are considerably more than those at a private location. But the move, along with rainy weather, hurt attendance for the free event, which averaged about 500 spectators, compared to nearly 5,000 last year. “At 8th and Ocean you have a lot of walk-by traffic and that definitely helped out in years past,” said Meszaros.
Nearly 200 bartenders and servers from local restaurants and clubs like Joe’s Stone Crab, Skybar, and Tantra participated in relay races, tug-of-war, and dodge ball coordinated by Game Zone A Special Events Company. In the end, event marketing company Vitamin C Communications’ team took home the title. Prizes for the first, second, and third place teams included yearlong memberships to Crunch Fitness, merchandise from sponsor Singha Beer, manicures at Nails 111 on Miami Beach, and bragging rights throughout the industry.
Throughout the day, DJs Dysquo and Mr. Sandman from Artist Related performed at the Red Bull-branded turntables set up on the edge of the games area. The hotel provided hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and other beach-friendly fare for the players, while attendees paid $10 per plate.
Café Bustelo, Fuze Beverage, BlissBerry frozen yogurt, and Snow Caps snow cones returned this year as sponsors, though each contributed about 20 percent less than years past.
—D. Channing Muller
RELATED TOPICS
Dziaq Liqueur, Vitamin C, Crunch Fitness, Singha Beer, Red Bull, Café Bustelo, Fuze Beverage, BlissBerry, Snow Caps
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