The Bangor Daily News has announced a number of events and expos the newspaper will be sponsoring, developing and executing throughout 2013.
Twelve events across the state dot the calendar. Portland, Augusta and Bangor will host a variety of functions, which include everything from outdoor expos to comedy shows and man-cave showcases.
“It’s something we started formulating last year,” BDN event producer Pat Lemieux said. “We started to take existing events we were sponsors of, ones that we would show up and actually having an impact, and tried to do things that made other people at the event excited that we were there. We steamrolled off that and said, ‘Lets make it bigger, and do it ourselves.’ This is a chance to take what we were doing and make them bigger.”
“The original intent was to come up with four or five ideas,” Lemieux said. “Before you know it, you have a ton of ideas you really like and you try and fit them on a calendar.”
“This is brand new for the BDN,” BDN events coordinator Ellie Barker said. “We’ve never done something like this before. We are excited to bring high quality events to Maine.”
Barker mentioned that the BDN is working to become more than a publication, explaining the reasoning behind BDN’s venture into throwing events rather than just sponsoring and reporting on them.
“The BDN is not just a newspaper anymore,” Barker said. “Whenever we were thinking about what we are going to do next, we brainstormed and thought of events. The nice thing about the BDN is [the advantage we have as a media network]. The biggest cost to putting on events is getting the media. It makes a lot of sense because we can produce a high quality event at a lesser cost for everyone and bring it to Maine.”
When they were working out the logistics for the various events, Lemieux said Maine poses a couple of problems.
“Maine’s a tricky place because there are only so many large towns to do things in, and there are only so many venues,” he said. “And because we have such a wonderful winter here, there are only so many weekends you can do things. We’re always competing for people’s time.”
Below is a brief synopsis for each event, as well as its scheduled place and time.
BDN Maine Garden Show & Spring Fling
Break winter’s grip with a weekend garden party of music, food and fun
Bangor’s annual garden show now includes Maine restaurants, hotels, travel agencies, recreation, adventure and gadget companies.
The featured fun: food samples, live music, a beer garden, golf simulators and a gear fashion show.
April 5-7 at the Bangor Civic Center & Auditorium.
BDN Maine Outdoors Expo
A gear and travel extravaganza for the adventurer
Maine’s premier display of the newest in outdoor gear, outerwear and vacations. Attendees can learn more about Maine sports, from skiing and riding to hunting and fishing, from BMXing and hiking to camping and kayaking.
The weekend will feature gear demonstrations, appearances by renowned field personalities and a contest to win a dream trip.
May 4-5 at the Portland Expo.
BDN Maine Adventure Race
Think The Amazing Race meets Raiders of the Lost Ark
This combination urban foot race, geocaching event pits corporate-sponsored teams in competition with each other as they vie to be the first to complete the race, find the hidden treasures and win the $10,000 grand prize.
June 2 in the greater Portland area.
BDN Maine Best of Maine
The pinnacle of Maine success
Readers and viewers will vote for the best Maine restaurants, artists, musicians, actors, writers, DJs, wines and beers, recreation areas, green businesses and more.
The winners will be feted at an evening black-tie dinner.
June 26 at the Augusta Civic Center.
BDN Maine Miss Adventure
This event will feature what women want, from fashion and travel to food and beauty.
A display of style, taste and cravings for women of all ages and backgrounds.
The two-day expo will kick off with a Friday night performance by a noted female celebrity. A “man-cave spouse’s corner” will be included.
July 12-14 at the Portland Expo.
BDN Maine What’s Next Conference
The music and arts of the KahBang festival will combine with a film, music, gaming, business and social media technolgies conference.
The unique sensibility of the KahBang music, film and art festival is complemented by a tech-oriented conference that will meld the best in music performances with the latest high-tech toys.
August 8-11 in downtown Bangor and on the waterfront.
BDN Maine Snow Sports Spectacular
A ski, snowboard, gear and travel spectacular
The latest ski-mountain gear, demonstrations, travel and celebrities converge for the best winter sports convention in Maine.
A major snow-sports film will be debuted to kick off the event, and a lineup of Olympic athletes will keep the expo cooking through the weekend.
September 20-22 at the Portland Expo.
BDN Maine Man Expo
The ultimate man-cave experience
This expo will have every toy and experience a man could want: Snowmobiles, guns, gadgets, ATVs, a cigar lounge, Sports Illustrated swimsuit models and an appearance by a major celebrity will be on hand for this one-of-a-kind event.
Friday night kicks off with a stand-up comedy act, a swimsuit model meet-and-greet and a concert. Saturday and Sunday will offer additional chances to meet with celebrities.
And yes, a “spouse’s corner” for women is included.
September 27-29 at Bangor’s Cross Center.
BDN Maine Comedy Crawl
A pub crawl, where you get hammered on laughs
Fans of stand-up comedy buy an all-access pass and guffaw their way through the routines of some of New England’s hottest comics, who perform at bars, pubs and restaurants in Portland’s Old Port.
That night, everyone will head to Merrill Auditorium for even more laughs where a headlining stand-up comic spritzes one-liners.
October 5 in Portland.
BDN Maine Sports Showcase
A dream event for Maine sports fans
A day of athletes, memorabilia, gear and demonstrations, from basketball, hockey and NASCAR to baseball, football and golf.
November 16 in Bangor.
BDN Maine Food & Cooking Expo
Maine’s best chefs and restaurants will strut their stuff(ing)
The state’s restaurants, bars, chefs and micro-brews will be on display. There will also be cooking demonstrations, beer and wine tastings, and cook-offs.
December 6-8 in Portland, Bangor, or Augusta.