Roger

 

If you’ve ever spent a February in Vermont, the answer to “Are you available to work at event in Miami Beach this month?” is always a resounding “Yes!” Nothing against Vermont, mind you. After all, I’ve called it home for 13 years and counting, but yikes it can get mighty cold up here sometimes!

So with high hopes the Barista Prima Coffeehouse® team and I prepared for several days of sampling at The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Upon arrival, we were thrilled – and somewhat taken aback – by the setting and scope of the event. Against a backdrop of cosmopolitan sheen, art deco elegance, and miles of white sand and blue water, the SOBE WFF (as it’s so called) is in a class by itself. Under huge white tents, right on the beach, dozens of vendors prepared themselves for 3 days of sharing samples of fine wine, mouthwatering food, innovative accessories, and in our case, amazing European coffee house-inspired Barista Prima® K-Cup® packs. 

When the gates opened on Friday, our preparation was put to the test, as a rush of attendees kept us engaged and busy while we doled out cup after cup of complimentary Barista Prima samples. During the equally busy sampling days on Saturday and Sunday, we met quite a few loyal customers (people who already have a love-love relationship with Barista Prima), and we made some new friends as well. The pace was fast and furious, but our team tackled the challenge with energy and enthusiasm.  With stylish fedoras like ours, how could we not?

Between the setting, the atmosphere, the throngs of interested attendees, the celebrity sightings (foodie royalty like Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Andrew Zimmern, Anne Burrell, Gail Simmons, and many others), the stellar support staff, and the non-Vermont temperatures, this south Florida “event of the year” was a great showcase for Barista Prima’s elegant cup of coffee. 

Are you a South Beach Barista Prima fan? 

Life is always interesting in the event marketing world, and you never know where the opportunities may take you or who you may be rubbing elbows with. From both a professional and personal standpoint, you can mark down the Green Mountain Coffee® sponsorship of the 46^th Annual Country Music Association (known as the CMAs to us fans) Awards in Nashville in the time-well-spent column.

In October, the Green Mountain Coffee brand sponsored a massive 2-day marathon of remote radio broadcasts preceding the Country Music Association Awards (CMA) Show in Nashville, TN. Personnel from 50 Country stations from around the U.S. were there, all part of the Clear Channel Premiere Radio Network. Naturally, all those radio personalities need people to interview, so also in attendance were over 100 of the biggest names in Country music today. Artists and bands like Faith Hill, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Kelly Clarkson were there, along with Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, and many more. Many of them enjoyed the unlimited access to our Keurig® sampling array and tasty lattes and cappuccinos served up by a talented local barista that we partnered with.  To say the least, it was an elbow rubbing time.

(My strictly un-scientific poll revealed that the Green Mountain Coffee Caramel Vanilla Cream K-Cup® packs were the belle of the ball, and seemed to be the variety of choice for many country fans.)

 

We also served free samples of great K-Cup® pack varieties like Fair Trade Organic Sumatran Reserve and Fair Trade Vermont Country Blend® to all the fans lined up in front of the hotel, waiting patiently for photos and autographs from some of their favorite Country stars. 

Another part of our sponsorship entailed working with a great new band called The Henningsens. The band is currently in the midst of a ten-city promotional tour, and are criss-crossing the country in a beautifully wrapped Green Mountain Coffee bus. Let us know if you happen to spy the bus in your area!

Hope to rub elbows with you at an event sometime soon…

The question: How best to generate excitement for a live stream concert in support of Fair Trade Month?

The answer: Rent a vacant storefront in Los Angeles, build a pop-up café, and invite Michael Franti to do an exclusive online concert for fans of the Green Mountain Coffee Facebook page. Bingo!

A beautiful venue was located, and the team went to work creating the fabulous “Great Coffee Good Vibes Lounge”. For two days we gave away Fair Trade favorites (like Fair Trade Organic Sumatran Reserve and Colombian Fair Trade Select) and after the end of the second day of non-stop sampling, the event culminated with an amazing live set by Franti and his longtime guitarist and collaborator J “Boogie” Bowman. The size and atmosphere of the venue were perfect for the intimate performance, and Franti wasted no time setting the tone and getting the small crowd to “make some noise”. Between songs he talked about the importance of Fair Trade and about some of the experiences he had during a recent trip to visit with coffee farmers in Sumatra. The vibe was special and electrifying, the music was phenomenal, and the message was spot-on. Fair Trade provides better coffee for you and a better life for farmers – pass it on …

Imagine a lazy late-summer weekend, with warm winds whipping the white caps up and down the New Hampshire coast, and acres of options for fresh-from-the-ocean culinary delights. Not too bad, right? The only thing that would improve the image is an oasis of free freshly brewed hot and iced gourmet coffee served up by our knowledgeable and enthusiastic sampling team.

 

Now you’re in the frame of mind – you’re walking along Ocean Boulevard at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, and there, like a mirage, in stark contrast to the multiple white tents of vendors selling everything from driftwood art to emu oil soap, is our giant green and blue Green Mountain Coffee® tent, doling out thousands of complementary cups of great Keurig® Brewed® coffees.

 

 

The tent is alive with activity as many people, like you, were drawn there, enticed by the lure of specialty coffee. You enter the massive booth, and read about coffee harvesting and processing.  Who knew?  You choose from one of the 12 Green Mountain Coffee® varieties being offered (ooh, Dark Magic®, good choice – I was thinking the same thing!). You take a goofy picture with your friends inside our 9 ft. tall My Coffee Moment coffee cup-shaped photo booth, and can’t wait to share the picture on your Facebook wall Monday morning. You take a caffeinated coffee quiz and get some fun prizes for showing your java knowledge. Suddenly your good day just got a whole lot better…nice! So good to see you, thanks for stopping by.

 

And if we missed you at Hampton Beach (maybe fried dough and lobster quesadillas aren’t your thing), hopefully we’ll see you in our backyard, Burlington, Vermont, for a rocking good time at this weekend’s Grand Point North Festival!

Sometimes it all aligns just right, know what I mean?

Like when I prepare a plate of fresh eggs, over-easy, atop soft whole grain bread, with a few thick slices of extra sharp cheddar thrown in for good measure. I slather the whole pile in one of the many fiery hot sauces that live on the little shelf on the inside of my refrigerator door (my favorite is that thick goopy one, a foreboding concoction of peppers, vinegar and danger - you know the one, with the rooster on the label and the writing I can’t read - it’s like bottled volcano), and prepare to tuck in.

Maybe fat drops of rain are serenading me with their mellow drum beats on the skylight, or maybe a sleepy sun is just starting to slant through the crooked window frame. Maybe I’ve got Lucinda Williams on the stereo, or the Hold Steady, or whatever that particular morning calls for. The air is heavy with the mingled aromas of breakfast, the best component of which is the unmistakable soothing smell of freshly brewed Fair Trade Organic Sumatran Reserve coffee.  Because it’s a Fair Trade coffee, I feel good about drinking it. But this is no sympathy selection, for though the supply chain is considered at every turn, the quality is outstanding. The coffee is rich, smooth and alluringly satisfying. And black as night (please stop putting cream and sugar in your coffee, trust me on this one).

I take a humongous bite, and feel a smile coming on. Then, as the egg and cheese fight for taste buds, and that crazy hot sauce starts electrifying my gums, I take a long pull off that hot black coffee and let all the flavors blissfully collide. It’s like what Fair Trade means to me – achievable harmony, a happy union.

Like I said, sometimes it all aligns just right.

Water views, great music, worthy causes, a full moon, beautiful sunrises, and spectacular sunsets – just some of the things you would have encountered if you were in Nantucket, Burlington, or Stowe this past weekend.  Green Mountain Coffee® was involved in events at all three locales, and all were equally awe-inspiring and successful.

On Nantucket, the Boston Pops, featuring special guest Carly Simon, headlined a fundraising concert for the Nantucket Cottage Hospital.  In addition to sponsoring the event, a team of Green Mountain Coffee brand ambassadors was on hand giving away cups of Keurig® brewed hot and Brew Over Ice favorites to eager attendees, as the music washed over beautiful Jetties Beach.  Naturally, Nantucket Blend® was one of the varieties of K-Cup® portion packs that were featured.

In Burlington, the 4-day Lake Champlain Maritime Festival took place, drawing thousands to the idyllic Waterfront Park and multiple other venues along the shores of the lake.  As part of the larger festival, Vermont’s own Grace Potter and the Nocturnals headlined their own mini-festival called Grand Point North.  There was nothing mini about the caliber of invited talent however, as amazing acts like Fitz and the Tantrums and the incomparable Taj Mahal took turns electrifying the huge crowds.  Country music star Kenny Chesney even joined the Grace on stage to close out the festival’s last set for an ecstatic throng of fans.  Green Mountain Coffee sponsored both festivals, and provided complimentary sampling stations in the artist hospitality tent and the VIP tent, as well as multiple bags of coffee for the artists' welcome bags.  Just think, Taj Mahal and Kenny Chesney could be enjoying some Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Organic House Blend on their tour buses right now…

The beautiful setting of the von Trapp Family Lodge was the starting point for the 100 on 100 Heart of Vermont Relay.  Beginning in the beguiling hills above Stowe and winding its way along 100 miles of Route 100 all the way to Okemo Resort, this relay is a local and regional favorite.  Nearly 150 teams consisting of 6 runners each compete for top billing and bragging rights, while raising money for the Long Trail Association and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Vermont.

Those are just a few examples of the ways we've  been joining local events and getting the chance to chat with you all, face to face.  Hope to see you at an event real soon!

You all know we have brewing down cold, but did you know the same can be said for barbequing?

A few months ago, as the Green Mountain Coffee and the Brew Over Ice teams were ironing out a schedule for our current sampling tour, it was decided that we couldn't pass up the opportunity for Brew Over Ice to sponsor the Safeway Barbeque Battle in Washington, D.C..  This is one of the top barbeque events of the summer, shutting down Pennsylvania Avenue with games, music, and lots and lots of barbeque.  Perfect for iced coffee and iced tea, right?  As excited discussion around the event ensued, it surfaced that Derek, Green Mountain Coffee brand manager, is a certified Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition judge.  It turns out that not only is he a judge, but at the time Derek was finalizing plans to enter a team in various BBQ competitions around New England.  We put two and two together, and decided to enter our own team for the D.C. event, and compete alongside some of the most decorated teams on the competitive BBQ circuit.

Now it’s time to put our BBQ where our mouth is.

So, at the end of this very week, members of the Brew Over Ice and Green Mountain Coffee teams are traveling to our nation’s capitol to take part in this exciting contest on June 25^th and 26^th.  Derek, who moved to Vermont from Rhode Island by way of Massachusetts several years ago, lovingly dubbed his team “Flatlander BBQ”, playing off the word that Vermonters tend to call folks from outside of the Green Mountain state.

Technically, the Flatlander team consists of Derek and his wife Meghan, but for this weekend’s event, the team will temporarily expand to Extra Bold levels to include Kristen from Public Relations, Chris from Brew Over Ice, and Tyler and Roger from the Green Mountain Coffee team.  Together we're competing in all four competition categories – chicken, beef, pork ribs, and pork shoulder (for pulled pork).  We are also entering the “America’s Best Sauce Contest” to really put it over the top.

We hope to add to Flatlander’s recent success (Derek and Meghan took second place for pork and fifth place for chicken at the recent Cape Cod BBQ contest) by utilizing the special rubs and recipes that Derek concocted … oh, and did I mention that all of our entries will feature our bagged coffee and/or tea from Brew Over Ice K-Cup® portion packs? For additional authenticity, we will even be going so far as to use green coffee beans in the smokers, hopefully imparting the winning essence for all our entries.

So, as you’re doing your own backyard grilling this weekend, think of us as we attempt to smoke the competition (bad pun intended) at this national showdown!  Or if thinking seems like too little, follow our progress on Twitter (search for the #BBQBattle hashtag) and Facebook – or even come down to cheer us on (and try free Brew Over Ice samples in the Sampling Pavilion, too)!  Just remember, low and slow is the way to go, so let’s hear it for Flatlander BBQ!!!

Cocoa Beach? Check!  Miami? Check! Atlanta? Check!  Where to next?

This summer, our Green Mountain Coffee and Brew Over Ice tour is rolling into a city near you.  We’ve hit the road with our 9-foot tall Revelation Booth, giving out hot and iced coffee at fairs, festivals, malls, grocery stores, and on the street.  This year, we’re visiting more cities in more states than ever before: Georgia, Texas, Florida, New York, Maryland, and more.  Are we coming to your town?

May

- 20-22: Wildflower Art and Music Festival, Richardson, TX

- 27-29: Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Jacksonville, FL

June

- 3-5: Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA

- 11-12: Great Grapes Wine and Music Festival, Baltimore, MD

- 18-19: South Street Seaport Mall, New York City, NY

- 25-26: Safeway BBQ Battle, Washington, DC (Psst - we’re entering the battle!  More details to come!)

July

- 1-4: Boston Harborfest, Boston, MA

- 9-10: Taste of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

- 15-17: Greater Jazz Festival, Hartford, CT

- 20-21: Burlington Mall, Boston, MA

- 23: Washington Square Summer Fair, New York City, NY

- 24: 52^nd Street Jazz Festival, New York City, NY

We love coffee.  It’s a fact, and we realize that.  We also realized that everyone has something to say, and we want to hear what that something is.  So combining our love for coffee and our desire to hear the revelations of our fellow Green Mountain Coffee fanciers, we built a giant coffee cup.  It’s true; we built a huge, 9’-tall replica of our Ecotainer hot coffee cup.

No mere prop, this oversized coffee cauldron has a fun and interactive component.  You can actually step inside our enormous coffee cup, lovingly dubbed the “Revelation Booth”, and share your message with the world via a text message, a digital photograph, or a short video.  Your revelation can be big or small as you want, and you could win fabulous prizes for sharing it.  Everyone that sees or reads your revelation has the opportunity to vote on it, and top vote getters are being rewarded for their cleverness and originality.

The Revelation Booth is currently on the road, giving out coffee at fairs, festivals, and on the street.  We hope you’ll have a chance to enjoy it at an event near you (while you’re enjoying that free hot or Brew Over Ice Green Mountain Coffee sample).  But if your schedule doesn’t coincide with ours, no worries – you can also enter your revelations online from the comfort of your own computer (just pretend you’re in a giant coffee cup while doing so, okay?).  For tour updates or to leave your own revelations - or just to see what others are saying and vote for your favorites - log on to www.MyCoffeeRevelation.com.  Hope to see you at an event (or online) sometime soon…

I was greeted by a family of skunks, rooting around in the grass near the big event tent.  It was 5:15am on a foggy Friday morning in a quiet field in Stowe, Vermont, just me and five little hungry critters welcoming the day.  Keeping a wide arc, I busied myself with setting up a coffee station for the pilots and crews that would be assembling soon.  This was the first morning launch of the 2010 Stoweflake Balloon Festival, and I was on hand to provide coffee for the early risers (pun intended).  People started to arrive and sleepily approach the tent.  Skunks don’t like people much, so as one furry black and white cluster, they ambled off into the tall grass as the human activity began increasing.

Thousands of hot air balloon enthusiasts congregate in Stowe each July for this festival.  Organized by the Stoweflake Resort & Spa, and held on their vast grounds, the fun includes three early morning and two evening launches.  The morning launches are more for the pilots; it’s their play time.  Spectators are welcome, but only the most intrepid are there for the early flights.  At 4:00pm on Friday and Saturday, the gates open for the evening launches, which usually take place around 6:30pm, and that’s when the crowds start pouring in.  Green Mountain Coffee has sponsored the festival for several years, and this year our sampling set-up featured our new Brew Over Ice K-Cups.  In the middle of a fortnight of unusually high temperatures, attendees were thrilled to try the iced coffees and teas, and were delighted to learn that their Keurig brewers could open up this new dimension for them.  While the French Vanilla iced coffee was probably the most popular choice, the delicious Southern Sweet tea was also a big hit.  And everybody who tried it instantly fell in love with the iced Half and Half – our K-Cup version of an Arnold Palmer, half tea and half lemonade.  So nice on a summer afternoon…trust me, I had plenty of them.

The whoosh of propane bursts filled the air, as the fanned heat began filling the balloons.  It’s magical to watch yards of colorful fabric come to life as the heat slowly swells them into bulbous airships.  A few eager people hop into the basket, and sail up into uncertainty.  By managing short blasts of intense concentrated flames pilots can control the altitude, but when it comes to direction, there is no way to steer a hot air balloon.  Those smiling people are at the mercy of the wind, destination unknown.

My destinations, alas, are a bit more scripted. After a fabulous weekend of watching imaginations soar, it’s off to events in Boston, New York City, Rockland, Maine, and beyond.  It’s a tough job, sharing the splendors of Green Mountain Coffee beverages, but someone’s got to do it.  I’m glad that someone is me.

Hope to see you at an event sometime soon.  You’ll know me by the smile and hyper-activity.  Or by the family of skunks….

Like a cyclone of warmth and good cheer, the Green Mountain Coffee events staffers have been criss-crossing New England and other parts of the country, sharing delightful wares at a whole host of special events. During the last month we’re been found at many different events, but one of the most exciting ones was the Tubbs Snowshoes Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer series.

This year we provided coffee for 'Stompers' at fund raising events in Vernon, NJ, Stratton Mountain, VT, Salt Lake City, UT, Snoqualmie, WA, Mt. Hood, OR, and Frisco, CO. As an extra incentive, we also provided new Keurig Brewers to all individuals who raised $1,000 or more to support Tubbs' fund-raising efforts benefiting the Susan G. Komen foundation. Across the six events, over $220,000 was raised, and we’re proud to play a small part in that remarkable achievement.

If you’d like to help in the effort to fight breast cancer, please feel free to donate to Susan G. Komen for the Cure here.

No rest for the weary, though, as we're packing up the van and keeping the caffeine train rolling. I hope to see you next month at the Boston Marathon Finish Line Festival on 4/19, two separate Earth Day events in Boston on 4/22, and a multitude of other locations!  Just look for the coffee van.

The President's Day holiday weekend is typically one of the busiest skiing and riding weekends at resorts across Vermont.  This year proved to be no different, as thousands of visitors chose to learn what those of us who live here have known for generations -- for winter sports in the East, you just can't beat what Vermont has to offer.  We've been a little light on the white stuff so far this season, but all the ski areas were geared up, groomed, and ready to go nonetheless.

To join in the fun, we had a sampling team take to the slopes at Killington, where they dispensed hundreds of samples of, among other offerings, our delicious Fair Trade Winter seasonals -- Wicked Winter Blend and Golden French Toast.  Many of the samples came from K-Cups, brewed on the spot using Keurig B60 Special Edition Brewers.

Many more samples were distributed by mobile brand ambassadors, armed with special beverage-dispensing backpacks.  This intrepid coffee infantry was able to bring fresh, hot Green Mountain Coffee right to folks in lift lines and around the base lodges...right where people needed it most.

You know what they say about Vermont -- it's ten months of winter and two months of really poor sledding.  So don't worry if you haven't made it up here to frolic in nature's playground yet this winter, there's still plenty of time to do so.

See you on the slopes....