The Dick’s Sporting Goods Hood to Coast Relay

Enhance your competitive spirit with the Dick’s Sporting Goods Hood to Coast Relay taking place on August 28-29, 2015. This 198-mile relay is in its 33^rd year, welcoming runners and walkers from all over the world. This event welcomes local and national residents, and runners/walkers who are headed to Oregon for this special occasion. This event will simulate a track among the mountains, complete with bays for pit stops to drink water and eat food. A mini relay race to mirror the actual event. Participants can either use the actual track built around the venue and keep track of their miles, or utilize the digital simulators all throughout the venue. Sponsors and vendors alike will be able to display their products.

Workshops will be held around the venue on walking, running and how to stay healthy. There will be demonstrations on different types of shoes, what they do and how they can assist. Nighttime safety will also be offered as a workshop for those individuals who like to run or walk in the early morning hours or late in the evening.

“Teams” will be allowed to compete for prizes upon completion of certain milestones. Celebrity performers will be in attendance, as well as national runners who will be available to take pictures and discuss how running has changed their lives. This will be a two-day themed event to commemorate those who are walking or running in the main race. Vendors will be on hand selling shoes, clothing and other accessories for running and walking. Participants and attendees will be able to purchase clothing to participate in the event onsite.

Tickets for this multi-day event start at $200, which includes a t-shirt, digital tracking device to measure how many miles you have walked, access to all the sections of the event, and an autographed picture with a celebrity. Pictures with the celebrities will be an additional cost,

The annual Hood To Coast Relay takes place annually in late August, usually on the Friday and Saturday prior to Labor Day and is one of the largest and longest relays in the world. The Hood to Coast Race Series partners with a number of charities, including the American Lung Association, Historical Outreach Foundation, Boys and Girls Club, and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. There are a number of additional races under the Hood to Coast series, including the Hippie Chicks Race Perks, Helvetia Race Perks, Red, White & Blues Race Perks, Crawfish Crawl Race Perks, Pints to Pasta Race Perks and the Turkey Trot Race Perks.

Miami Broward Carnival

Feel the rhythm of the night during the Miami Broward Carnival held on October 11, 2015. Presented by Miami Broward One, Columbus Day in Miami will never be the same! This will be a special VIP event for sponsors, celebrities and performers who are all in town to celebrate Carnival Miami. The venue will be decorated like a huge Caribbean carnival, complete with a children’s area, indoor Ferris wheel, a parade, and lots of music, food and drinks. This venue will feature sections themed like a masquerade, with each section featuring a mask. Hosts and hostesses will be outfitted in costumes and traditional garb from the Caribbean nations.

Local and national Caribbean performers will be in attendance, and each sponsor will have a booth where their choice of food will be available. All foods will mirror authentic Caribbean dishes. During the event, a music truck will enter and play music for everyone to dance to. Special appearances by the Carnival King and Queen, Junior Carnival and Miss Miami Broward with attendees having an opportunity to take pictures with them.

The entire event will be filled with many reasons to have fun! Created as an extension of Miami Broward Carnival, this venue will allow participants to see another side of Miami. A smaller version of the famous Jouvert will take place the day before, open to the general public in an outside venue. Sponsored by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Miami Broward, Yellow Cab, South Florida Caribbean News, Caribbean Airlines, The Check Cashing store, Antigua’s Carnival, 1-800-411-Pain and Caribbean American Passport News Magazine, there will be a number of giveaways and prizes.

Past entertainment in 2014 included Red Hot Flames, Pumpa, Patrice, Farmer Nappy, Kerwin Dubois, Iwer, Ricardo Drue, Skinny Banton, Breasman and Scrouge & StageMuzik. Steel bands scheduled to peform are Silver stars USA, Pantastics, Lauderhill Steel, Resurrection Sound, Karibbean Knights and Steel Away. Tickets for this event are now on sale and start at $100. Full of fun and excitement, the Miami Broward Carnival party is an event you don’t want to miss!

The Miami-Broward One Carnival Host Committee is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a safe, family festival to South Florida and the outlying area, fostering community pride and civic involvement providing critical opportunities to the Caribbean people in South Florida to share the Caribbean culture, promote cultural exchange and build economic cooperation in the multiethnic and multicultural environment.

Subaru’s Down & Dirty Obstacle Race

Muddy, challenging and fun! Subaru joins all three elements together in the Down & Dirty Obstacle Race this year on July 26, 2015 in Warminster, PA. Part of a marketing push for Subaru, this event consists of giveaways, three and six-mile simulation races, VIP gifts and more. This event will feature Subaru and the theme of the event, complete with an outdoor component that has a mud mat for challenges, with the inside venue decorated like a full day obstacle course. Hosts and hostesses will be dressed like members of a drill team, and each sponsor will have their own “team” for food, drinks and VIP areas. Celebrities and musical personalities will perform at the venue representing each sponsor.

A huge screen will show the event on live television, giving attendees a chance to experience the real event while going through a reality simulation. Vendors will have their items on display, and Subaru will have a fleet of their vehicles on hand for participants to test drive and find out more information. A few real race car drivers will be on hand to teach small interactive lessons on safe driving.

A traveling event, the down and dirty race will have over 20 military obstacles, which will all be highlighted at this event. On the outside of this venue there will also be an inflatable car wash for individuals and children using the mud mat to run through to get clean. A full day challenge, this will feature the latest and greatest from Subaru, with official merchandise sold at the event. Some of the obstacles include the Heavy Hoist, Jim’s Jungle Gym, Monster Climb, Colossus Climb, Mud Pits, Slippery Mountain, Rock Wall, Balance Beams, Military Walls, Marine Hurdles, Monkey Cross and Low Crawl.

Tickets for this event will start at $50, with VIP access passes an additional $20 that includes pictures with the race car drivers. Part of Subaru’s national marketing events, this party in Miami is one of several that will take place over the course of the year. Miami’s race will return in 2016.

The Subaru Down & Dirty Obstacle Race was designed to provide a fun way to give back. This event supports Operation Gratitude, sending care packages to individual active Military, Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors and their caregivers. Each race, Subaru hopes to raise money to contribute toward the yearly goal of $75,000.

Miami Magic with SOBE

Miami is full of things to do in February 2016. The South Beach Food and Wine Festival welcomes Miami Magic With SOBE, a fun-filled event with food, wine, VIPs and celebrities all together in one venue for a huge party for the record books! This is a multiday event that flows throughout the festival taking place February 25-28, 2016. Sections decorated like famous restaurants and cooking shows are a highlight of this party, with hosts and hostesses dressed up like chefs. Free food, wine tastings and other goodies keep the party going all day and night from the festival to the party. Specially designed for those VIPs from sponsor organizations and VIP ticketholders, special cooking demonstrations and autograph signings will be available from the more than 350 chefs who will flow through the party.

Guests will enjoy a variety of musical performances, complete with prizes and souvenirs from chefs and sponsor organizations. Vendors and retailers will be able to showcase their culinary accessories and products, wine distributors and manufacturers will have a wine area where they will host short informational sessions on wines and how to select one, and snippets of the 75-plus events taking place during the festival will be highlighted.

Celebrating its 15th year, the festival is poised to top last year’s exciting opening of the Wine Spectator Restaurant Management Laboratory and Mel Dick Wine Tower at Florida International University. Hosting more than 60,000 guests every year, the excitement for this private event is quickly growing. With so many different culinary offerings, there is something to please any palate.

Previous sponsor organizations include The Food Network, Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida, Delta Airlines, Barilla, Loews Miami Beach, MasterCard, Fiji Water, Badia, Amstel Light, Bank of America, The Hard Rock Café and Miami-Dade County, along with hundreds of others.

MasterCard presale tickets for this event and the festival go on sale October 5, and general tickets go on sale October 19. Every year gets bigger and better, and this 15th anniversary is guaranteed to deliver! What a great way to bring in the spring and experience Miami Magic! Four days of food and four days of fun!

The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE is a national, four-day destination event showcasing talents from the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University, the festival benefits FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center.

Miami International Car Show 2015

There’s always more than one way to bring in the holiday season. In Miami, November is full of fun! During November 6-15, the city will be taken over by patrons and residents who all flock to the Miami International Car Show to see the latest concept cars, performances and drivers we know and love. This will be a two-day event series with a car showroom theme, complete with a driving track and simulation area that mirrors the actual venue. Food, drinks and giveaways will be themed based on the car dealer, concept car, or sponsor. Open to the public, this venue will have a special VIP area where autographs and pictures can be taken with the drivers, and a separate paid photo area where patrons can take pictures with the concept cars.

In its 44^th year, the auto show will capitalize on its success in 2014 with popular returning exhibits, including Topless in Miami’s display of convertible cars, Havana Classics, a spin-off of Memory Lane celebrating nostalgia of the 50’s and Camp Jeep, part of the Ride & Drive events. This year’s attractions include the first ever “Cars Meet Art” exhibit showcase featuring several world-famous urban artists who have painted a variety of cars and matching murals. A smaller version of Million Dollar Alley, complete with simulation screens for a reality-based drive will be one of the main attractions, complete with million dollar keys and trinkets for those who win the driving game.

Vendors and retailers will be able to showcase and sell their car accessories, with major performances by local and national artists. Celebrity spokespeople from each car dealer will be on hand to shoot live commercials and video interacting with attendees.

Specialized areas will feature each car on display from the manufacturers, simulating their “world” and all the perks that go along with being a part of their family. The event will be hosted in conjunction with the South Florida Automobile Dealers Association and the Miami Beach Convention Center. Tickets for this multiday party go on sale on September 1 and start at $35 dollars, with one-day tickets priced at $15 each. VIP tickets start at $50, with an increase based on certain attractions.

The Miami International Auto Show started in 1971 and is recognized as one of the largest and most prestigious in the world. The main events are held at the Miami Beach Convention Center every year and spans over a period of ten days each year.

Sail Away Sunday

All hands on deck! February always brings warmer weather and beautiful days on the water. In Miami, 2016 gets even hotter with the Miami International Boat Show coming February 11-15. A huge event, this year promises to be better than ever with a new location and venue for their 75^th anniversary. This event is one of the nation’s premier events, drawing visitors from all over the world. This will be a huge party, simulating the newly remodeled bays and boating areas at Virginia Key Beach and Marine Stadium Park & Basin. A mega-sized yacht with additional boats around the “marina” will be the centerpieces of this event, with a “floating” barge where food and drinks will be served, on deck patios for dancing, and national artists to help attendees sail away.

With thousands of exhibitors ready to converge on the new marina and basin, this event is an excellent pre-cursor for displaying the new air-conditioned bays and walk-up boat displays. Attendees will be able to view photos and tour the boats on display via simulated technology for an enhanced experience. Vendors and retailers will be able to sponsor booths where attendees can sit and relax while viewing the items and accessories on display.

An entire children’s area will feature water safety, offer short demonstrations on tying boat knots and certain areas of the boat, and offer games and prizes for participants. Vendors specializing in children’s boating gear and accessories will be featured in this area, with a cartoonish “captain” for photo ops.

Previous vendors include Standard Horizon, Sunbrella, Stingray Boat Company, T-Top Boat covers, Technografic and thousands of other boat manufacturers, companies featuring accessories and upgrades, and retailers for a variety of boats. Tickets for this event and the Miami International Boat Show go on sale in December. Tickets for this event start at $30, with VIP areas at $50. Destined to be a memorable experience for this 75^th year of celebration, the boat show has a new venue, new look and new feel. This is an event you don’t want to miss!

The Miami International Boat Show is sponsored by The National Marine Manufacturers Association, Progressive Insurance, Boating Writers International and the Miami Beach Convention Center. The Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show is produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Associate, which is the world’s largest producer of shows and the leading association representing the recreational boating industry.

Nike Women’s Half Marathon San Francisco

A runner’s life has never been more exciting as entrants gear up to participate in the Nike Women’s Half Marathon San Francisco October 18, 2015. Part of a nationwide runner’s event, Miami is one of the locations where Nike will feature their challenges, triumphs and successes. This event will feature Nike and their community support for runners. A party held for runners from Miami participating in the event, and local running organizations, the venue will be decorated like a huge track with Nike paraphernalia all over. Big screen televisions will cover one wall, as the San Francisco half-marathon will be televised for everyone to watch. Drinks will be available in mini water bottles, food will be served buffet style and the entire atmosphere will be inspiring to runners from all walks of life.

With over 20,000 women participating in San Francisco, and hundreds of runners here in Miami, this event is an excellent showcase opportunity for Nike to conduct runners’ workshops. Attendees will be able to try out the newest technology for runners and participate in simulations. Attendees also get information on the latest women’s training shoes, clothes and apps all designed to help runners’ track their routes and learn how to run smarter.

Runners who will be heading out to San Francisco to take part in the marathon will receive a special gift pack from Nike and their sponsors, while local runners will have an opportunity to hear about other upcoming marathons taking place all over the world. Attendees and participants will also become a part of the Nike training club, with an opportunity to participate in a full-day training challenge featuring the world’s best fitness experiences led by Nike Master Trainers.

Popular musical artists will perform, with celebrity chefs creating and demonstrating healthy lean meals, making this a celebration of fun and fitness. Tickets for this event will start at $40, with tickets for runners participating in the San Francisco marathon priced at $20. This event marks the 12^th annual half marathon for the San Francisco area.

The Nike Women’s Race Series occurs every year and is the largest women’s race series in the world with distances ranging from 5K to 15K. The locations for 2015 are Nagoya, Hong Kong, Lima, Mexico City, Guangzhou, Taipeu, Manila, Quito, Seoul, Amsterdam, Medellin, Istanbul, Milan, Moscow, Stockholm, Berlin, Toronto, London, Paris and San Francisco.

Google's Startup Grind Hosts Ben Baldanza, Spirit Airlines

July 14th in Miami features Ben Baldanza of Spirit Airlines for Google’s own Startup Grind: a tech community harnessing entrepreneurial approaches to technology, innovative solutions and global resources. Google’s well-known dedication to globalized information, of course, paves the way, empowering over 54 chapters across 20 different countries.

Big-Name Speakers, Big-Name Connections

Google’s Startup Grind compiles, organizes and enriches monthly events for city chapters, featuring industry leaders like Atari, Pintrest and Y Combinator. Startup Grind’s founder and CEO, Derek Anderson, has depicted Google’s plan for international expansion via the event’s baseline “Google for Entrepreneurs” marketing feature. Google for Entrepreneurs provides access to Google’s technology, increasing distribution, financial support and outreach.

Google’s Startup Grind intends to achieve over 100 chapters within the next 12 months, matching its powerful applications with great locations, centralized industry markets and new horizons. Requests are plentiful, and over 350 inbound applications have been received within the last year alone. Accepted applicants are instated as chapter directors, promoting Silicon Valley values above all else. Google’s Startup Grind aims to expand startup culture itself, reaching the world’s largest cities.

The Power of Startups

Google’s empowerment of startups is both novel and noble. Startup companies have become the industry’s newest, high-caliber resources. In Silicon Valley, entrepreneurs harnessing startups connect to a valuable industry niche most large-scale companies can’t acquire.

Startup support, worldwide, isn’t necessarily a foreign concept, but Google’s direct approach derives value immediately—whereas most startup enrichment programs require expanded timeframes to complete. Google For Entrepreneurs has already partnered with several global entrepreneurs, creating powerful partnerships. KStartup and Campus Tel Aviv are among these, creating a notable startup incubator and accelerator.

Past Designs and Professional Connections

Google’s great marketing leaps have been drafted to design, educate and inspire entrepreneurs, and Startup Grind has been featured in both USA Today and Forbes for its innovative outreach methods. Labelled the “Ted Talks for Entrepreneurs”, Google’s Startup Grind acquires valuable solutions and creations as the tech world becomes further optimized. While optimization is important, large companies must stay connected with new minds to create multifaceted marketing environments.

Google’s approach to fireside talks further reflects the online world’s resource redistribution to one-on-one consumer relationships and in-depth marketing access. Google’s own algorithm changes have recreated SEO policies, shifted the way search engines proves information, heightened inbound marketing’s potential and have created new, world-class solutions. Google’s Startup grind exemplifies the company’s ideologies, connecting industry newcomers with tasty dinners, behind-the-scenes interviews, question sessions and panels.

Panel Selection and Google’s Values

Each chapter’s application process is intentionally rigorous, too, to keep Google’s pinpoint mindset a priority. Anyone can access Startup Grind’s speeches and events, but chapter direction is reserved for communities capable of furthering Google’s angle. Available at the Arizona Historical Society’s Papago Park Museum, June 6 will further Google’s trajectory towards modern culture value, empowered networking and entrepreneurial leadership.

Where branding visibility is considered, Startup Grind is Google’s big-league toolbox tailored to a smaller crowd. Google’s dedication to nurturing new industry entrants is inspiring, as is its purist approach to technology marketing and the need for innovative industry minds.

Miami Art Walk and Ikea Brand Promotion

On July 11, Second Saturday’s famous appearance in Miami Art Walk ensures a collection of wide-ranging brands, awesome events and professional industry recommendations. Miami Art Walk is expansive, and both newcomers and return visitors are welcome. This year, Ikea features a panel surrounded by gourmet food, artistic creations, new restaurants and contemporary inclusions—furthering its industry presence as a classy, stylistic provider.

Second Saturdays and Promotional Events

NW 2nd Ave is the location, and top-industry art galleries, contemporary locations and the famous Wynwood Walls are the reason. Pan American Art Projects, Praxis Fine Arts and Frederic Snitzer make an appearance, as do musical guests, gourmet food trucks and event-recommended restaurants. Located off of I-95, Second Saturdays draws consumers to Miami Art Walk with ease of accessibility.

Wynwood Art Walk, itself, is a directory dedicated to showcasing art institutions and Miami’s finest sculptures, paintings, photography, installations, ceramics and multimedia. It’s high focus on advertising assists aspiring brands, ranging from art supply sellers to framing companies. Banners are an exclusive platform for most, and live events fuel the event’s organic economy.

Ikea’s Presence

Ikea’s brand promotion is unique in its approach. Dedicated to local market outreach, Ikea generates numerous jobs for those aspiring in marketing and communications. Its high outreach into retail counties inspires its brick-and-mortar locations’ consumer attendance. Ikea utilizes numerous channels, both inside and outside, to explain the brand’s full offer. Starting points begin at consumer needs and are enriched by artistic merit and durable design. Publications, websites, PR and brochures harness Ikea’s potent brand imagery, and Wynwood Art Walk’s attribution to tour-based marketing is incredibly effective in such a realm.

The Wynwood Art District will host Ikea designs and sponsorship, and advertised tours empowered through Ikea’s products further the brand’s industry visibility. Banner advertisement, blogs, community pages and social media appearances, too, increase Ikea’s potency.

Combined Marketing and Brand Identity

Ikea’s brand identity is one of stylistic merits and class. Art Walk’s many galleries feature the brand’s furniture, furthering Ikea’s presence beyond sponsorship. Private Wynwood gallery tours, the Second Saturday Guided Gallery Tour and even the Wynwood Graffiti Tour exhibit the brand’s iconic edges, composure and design.

The Miami Art District, itself, has become a contemporary location for brand display and advertisement. Well-known for its conservative appeal when compared to its southern counterpart, the Wynwood Gallery District has appealed to hundreds of aspiring artists and local business owners. The Miami Art Walk provides a slew of Saturday events for locals, creating a forum for those not readily accessible to marketing spheres. Second Saturdays is a powerful extension event—capable of increasing volume of consistent, local events while remaining true to the area’s natural advertisement capabilities.

The area has consistently appeared in top-ten lists featuring Instagram locations, museums, art walks and scenic roads. Regardless of industry, visibility is vital, and the location’s fine-tuned artistic merits have become a suitable resource for brands like Ikea. News, art, fashion, school events and more have profited from the Miami Art Walk, and will likely continue as contemporary art expands.

Winter Music Conference Presents Music Mania

Winter has never been better in Miami! The Winter Music Conference is full of events featuring new artists, guest speakers and other industry professionals as they come together in celebration with a multi-day kickoff of parties, activities and events. The 2015 Winter Music Conference celebrates 30 years with music enthusiasts, artists, DJs and industry delegates from over 70 countries coming to celebrate with over 400 events, parties, seminars and workshops in Miami Beach. Established in 1985, WMC is the largest longstanding EDM and dance music industry gathering of its kind in the world. As one of the most publicized annual events in the industry, WMC generates over a billion unique viewer media impressions each year.

Held at the Deauville Beach Resort on Miami Beach, there were four packed days of excitement and entertainment. Featured events included the WMC DJ Spin-Off, Remixing & Editing workshops and VJ Challenges while every day participants enjoyed workshops like Music and Industry, Distribution, Radio Exposure, Legal Issues and Advice, Foreign Markets, Media, Revenue Streams and Innovations in DJ and Production Technology. There were also demo listening events, exhibits and a number of parties and extras.

Events were held all over Miami Beach at venues including E11even roof top; Dream Hotel South Beach; Nikki Beach; The Clevelander, Cibo Wine & Bar; The Social Lubricant; Hush Bar and Lounge; The Stage-Miami and The Musette. Performers at some of these events included: DJ NVS, Deville, DJ Blondie, Chris Duano, DJ Playboi, DJ Ronix, DJ Serafin, Scooter And Lavelle, Scotty Boy and Kristina Sky; London Porrazse, Cikxhei, Annishka, Gabriel de los Reyes, Jerome Melo, Rebecca Butterfly Vaughns, Satori Kings, DJ Tegan, Hermosa Veronica, Ayiiti, DJ Turn Up, Anthony Kulture Smith, and Kazilla for a Mixed Experience of music and poetry; and DJ Dan, R.o.n.n Aka Ron Carroll, DJ Mes, Phunk Investigation, divaDanielle, Loopity Goofs for an ultimate funk session.

According to the Miami New Times, "You will realize your wildest WMC and MMW dreams. You will fist-pump underwater. You will ascend to VIP status at SoBe's glossiest megaclubs. You will ride in a banana yellow limo with a rosé champagne fountain. And you will see the sun rise from an alley off NE 14th Street in downtown Miami after maxing out your credit card on Red Bull and knockoff couture sold from a shopping cart."

2016 promises to bring just as much fun and excitement as 2015, with plenty of events and opportunities for marketing and sponsorships. The dates have not been announced yet, so stay tuned!