A Long Walk Home Inc.’s Post

Making lemonade from lemons creates resilience, sweetened with imagination to see a unique perspective. Hosting a large event this week, at an offsite facility, I experienced lemons aplenty. A proverbial lemon tree was in full bloom. Fortunately, my teammates and I rolled up our sleeves and crafted some lemonade. A protocol officer, discussing what could go wrong in the prep session, offered words of wisdom: “No matter how much you prepare, things will not go as planned. It is how you deal with those unexpected things that will determine the success of the event.” Words of a Master Lemonade Maker! What makes an ideal lemonade recipe? Start with these ingredients: 1.     One scoop of Practicality It is great to dream of the perfect event, no matter what type of affair you are planning, but the reality is that life tends to throw curve balls. In our case, a prominent dignitary could not travel to the location. Remaining practical kept the essential elements in perspective. We had a mission to focus on a message, not the missing pieces, and staying practical in our objective was essential for our lemonade outcome. 2.     Two tablespoons of Teamwork Leaning on the team reduces overall stress, empowers everyone involved, and increases connectedness, especially when it is raining lemons. When my team showed up at the conference center, the facility was dark. Although cameras were “going live” in 30 minutes, the stage was not set up. The staff was erroneously informed the event was canceled because the dignitary was not attending. We knew we had to jump into action, and each person did. We scrambled to set up the stage, acquire microphones, and finish just as the cameras were ready to roll. Teamwork was our magic ingredient. 3.     Garnish with Celebration There is much to enjoy from making lemonade. We fist-bumped at the end and knew we had a lemonade story to share for future events. The protocol officer was correct (as they usually are) that our response to the unexpected determines the success of the event. If you want to learn a little more about making lemonade, I found this refreshing TedTalk on eight-year-old, Senna, a lemonade connoisseur. And while you are at it, please share your special ingredients to make lemonade! https://lnkd.in/eUyGwgdF

Recently, I had a great talk with a team dreaming up a new food festival in the Los Angeles market. Here’s the simple version of what we talked about, focusing on the vision for the festival & some marketing insights. ---> The Festival Vision Imagine a festival that feels like a giant family reunion, where the essence of the community is captured. They want to create an event that's not just fun but meaningful, bringing people together over the love of food & community. ---> 4 key challenges discussed 1) Crafting the Right Message Sharing the festival's story in a way that excites and connects with people & answering critical questions Why now? What will the experience be like? Is there any partnerships in place or of interest that will enhance the experience? 2) Smartly Using The Marketing Budget Planning to spread our budget across key moments like the big reveal, ticket sales launch, and the final countdown, ensuring each phase not only reaches people but drives efficient sales. 3) How To Make Everyone Welcome Accessibility is crucial. Setting ticket prices to ensure everyone can join in, breaking down barriers so the whole community can celebrate. 4) Setting a clear timeline Carefully timing announcements and sales to build hype. Making sure the team moves in a structured manner and people save the date for attendance!

🚀 Innovation in Beverage Research: I'm exploring solutions for the outdoor drinking experience! I'd love your opinion. As young professionals increasingly seek novel experiences at festivals, concerts, and outdoor events, we're gathering insights on pain points and preferences in the beverage space. Your input could help shape the future of outdoor drinking! https://lnkd.in/gcCpCTrC Survey takes just 2 minutes. Please share with your network, particularly those who enjoy outdoor events and festivals! #BeverageInnovation #ConsumerResearch #StartupLife #ReadyToDrink #ThirstyThursday

“Now the party's over, I'm so tired Then I see you coming, out of nowhere …” — Roxy Music with Bryan Ferry Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2024🍻has closed and this is the ABSOLUTE best event — actually, a party of several hundred thousand of my closest friends — I’ve ever attended! It’s one of the many reasons I’m so excited about next year’s Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2025! And with only 366 days from now (it’s a Leap Year), I plan to keep this exuberance as long as I can. Yet it just wasn’t all fun and games for me (and Beerconomy et al), as I had a mission: make contact with the many “beer-associated” businesses from around the Midwest, the U.S, Europe, and several other countries from around the world! So to say my ‘cup runneth over’ with prospects would be a very apt characterization. In fact, my pipeline is now fully-stocked with very interested prospects until sometime next Spring of 2025. Unlike a trade show or other gathering — particularly pre and post COVID — this event and gathering was different … Everyone was joyous, happy, excited, enthusiastic and so much more — it made “prospecting” take on a completely different attitude than conventionally meeting with someone at their place or via Zoom. Now, how’s your week shaping up? “The best beers🍻are ones we drink with friends.” — Stephen Carter King Prost! #Beer #GermanBeer #OktoberestZinzinnati #Cincinnati #Pubs #Taprooms #Brewpubs #ConsumerBehavior #BrandAwareness #EmergingTrends #BusinessIntelligence #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #DeepLearning ✦✦✦ Stephen Carter King Chief of Growth and Marketing and Strategy • Beer Market Analyst • Beerconomy CEO Thought Catalyst • Advisor • Sherpa & Speaker • sharing beer market trends, insights and forecasts, via The Beerconomist

What was your favourite part of Foodpreneurs Festival 2024? ✨ 1. Seeing yours and other products showcased on Stickybeak Station. 2. Pitching to buyers in Pitch Hub and in the Festival Fairground. 3. Networking with industry leaders. 4. Finding others to collaborate with at Collaboration Corner. 5. Talking with other founders. 6. Hearing from speakers on Main Stage. 7. Getting insights from industry experts. 8. Chilling & chatting during Happy Hour drinks & networking. 9. Getting your product listed. 10. Something else 🤔

Last week, FoodCLIC partnered with ICLEI Europe and FEAST to host a workshop at The Nature of Cities Festival. This workshop introduced the concept of Food Heroes to a wider audience, showcasing innovative and creative ways to transform food systems.   Key takeaways from the workshop:   1️⃣  Food transcends cultural barriers and serves as a powerful tool for connecting people from all over the world. Sharing ideas and experiences over food strengthens these connections even further. 2️⃣  People have unique viewpoints on food systems, shaped by their location, environment, economic background, and profession. This diversity of perspectives is valuable and should be considered when developing solutions. 3️⃣ Effective communication is crucial in the field of research. The workshop explored innovative ways to communicate complex ideas engagingly. 4️⃣  Visualization is one of the most essential communication tools. Visuals can be a more engaging and effective way to convey information compared to text alone. 5️⃣ Group activities can be enjoyable and productive. They can be a great way to foster collaboration and generate creative solutions. 6️⃣ And finally, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work. Working together allows us to achieve more than we could ever achieve alone.   We are thankful to the organizers of The Nature of Cities Festival and all the participants for making this workshop a success!   But this is not the end. The results of the workshop will be made available soon! So, Stay Tuned! #feast2030 #workshop #communication #innovation

Oktoberfest comes to Edinburgh! There's Beer, Bavarian fun, But what's missing? 🍻 Edinburgh was ready for Bavarian fun, beer, and festivities over the weekend! But what was missing? 🤔 How about gamification to take it to the next level? Here’s our spin on it: 🎯 - Leverage a digital game like YourSpin linked to Oktoberfest (think virtual beer pong or trivia on Bavarian culture). - Offer group challenges with rewards (discounts on group tickets, exclusive beer tastings, or branded merch) to encourage friends to participate together. - Use the game to capture valuable data - ask participants their favourite part of the festival, preferred drink, and food, and use insights to tailor future promotions or enhance their experience next year. This not only drives engagement but also helps to boost sales for the various partners participating in Oktoberfest through incentivising group participation. People love to compete and win prizes together, we are social beings after all! By gamifying the experience, you can turn the already lively event into an interactive experience that leaves lasting memories and a deeper understanding of your audience. What would your spin be on the Oktoberfest in Edinburgh? 🎡🍺 #Gamification #Oktoberfest #CustomerEngagement #GroupPlay #EventMarketing #EdinburghEvents

"Wishing everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! As we celebrate family and togetherness, remember that perfect meals start with precision. At KKGLOBALS MEASURE, our scoops ensure every ingredient is just right, helping you create delightful dishes for your loved ones. Wishing you a joyful and united festival! #MidAutumnFestival #Gratitude #BusinessGrowth #KKGLOBALS"

At Shroom Sabha, we had the unique chance to immerse participants in the world of functional mushrooms and mindful practices, showing how these natural allies can support well-being in a way that’s both energizing and grounding. Here’s how the experience unfolded: • 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀: We thoughtfully paired our mushroom extracts with each experience to create moments of balance and vitality. Meditation sessions were enhanced with calming Reishi infusions; Lion's Mane + Coffee Kombucha energized post-lunch sessions, keeping participants alert and engaged; and after the foraging walk, a revitalizing Cordyceps + Grapefruit Kombucha (both Kombuchas crafted with our friends from Auora Kombucha) helped everyone recharge from within. • 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀: In an interactive workshop, we delved into scientific studies that reveal how functional mushrooms can support both mind and body. Together, we explored ways these mushrooms impact physiological processes, offering participants practical ways to gauge how these extracts might support their personal wellness goals. • 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: Led by Rishi Solanki from On The Move, we combined movement and wellness practices with specific extracts, showing participants how to amplify both their physical practices and the mushroom extracts’ benefits. These practical pairings became actionable steps for real-world wellness. • 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗿𝘂” 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲: Our guidebook added a rich dimension to the foraging walk, with facts, spore print activities, and specimen sketching, helping participants connect with the natural environment on a deeper level. Shroom Sabha is redefining what it means to have fun—a day in nature, learning about the world of fungi, and exploring how to feel more vibrant in daily life. Sounds like something you’d enjoy? Join us next time! #Nuvedo #ShroomSabha #FunctionalMushrooms #Wellness

Complex Acquires Family Style Food Festival Complex has acquired the festival Family Style, an annual festival in LA that combines food with street culture, fashion and music. This adds a new entertainment asset to the broader Complex media empire. Complex has been expanding both horizontally and vertically - when the media company was acquired by NTWRK earlier this year, that basically mashed together a street culture media publication with a street culture live commerce platform. NTWRK added a new layer of commerce to drive revenue for the broader group. Complex now has Family Style to supplement their flagship live event ComplexCon. First We Feast has been one of the most successful Complex sub-brands, spawning the hugely popular content format of interviewing celebrities while eating hot wings and also launching their own hot sauce brand. The addition of Family Style tops off Complex's "food vertical" - they create First We Feast interview content that is shared across digital media channels. They create a physical hot sauce brand to sell to their fans and they now curate a live physical event called Family Style to bring together the culture, content, community and commerce. They could replicate the same formula for their other "verticals" like fashion, hip hop, and lifestyle. At this rate, Complex could eventually build a Viacom-esque vertically integrated media holding company that focuses on the passionate niche of street culture. https://lnkd.in/eQSGgqPt #complex #media #culture #streetwear #food #marketing #ecommerce