Partnering on an event can be a great way to promote your business and drive foot traffic to your location. Each organization involved can gain the benefit of one another’s branding and marketing. And when you do something fun, your audience is often more receptive to learning about and trying your products and services.
We saw a great example of this happen last week with our tenant, XFINITY, which has a strong relationship with Bravo. The organizations came together with Kimco to hold Bravo’s Top Chef Tour outside the XFINITY location at Kimco’s Pavilions Centre in Federal Way, Wash. It was one of 14 stops on the tour, which pits “Top Chef” winners against one another in a series of cook-off demonstrations.
Our blogging team was there to capture the event. Take a look at how our property went from a shopping center to a “chopping center” for the day:
The event consisted of three cook-offs between “Top Chef” fifth season winner Ariane Duarte and sixth season winner Ash Fulk. Despite the overcast weather, the seats were filled with fans excited to see their favorite chefs cook some delicious food live and in person.
Each cook-off included the featured ingredient of the day — salmon, a Pacific Northwest staple, which was voted on by fans through a previous Facebook competition. The chefs tried to tilt the scales in their favor with their choice of a secret ingredient. Ariane used Earl Grey tea, while Ash chose hazelnut oil.
During the five-minute cook-offs, host and Tour Director Fred Haug engaged the attendees by leading a Q-and-A session. Attendees asked the “chef’testants” some behind-the-scenes questions about what it was like to compete on “Top Chef.”
Then came perhaps the best part for the audience of foodies. After each cook-off, all attendees, including the three guest attendee judges, sampled the chefs’ creations. It was a tight race up until the last bite, but in the end, it was Ariane who was declared the winner of the day.
The event also featured other entertainment that further promoted Comcast/XFINITY and “Top Chef.” In between cook-offs, attendees met the chefs and received autographed photos. There also was a “Top Chef” merchandise table, where attendees shopped for “Top Chef” cookbooks, t-shirts, and cooking supplies. In addition, a game of cornhole outside added to the overall fun of the event.
And from Kimco’s perspective, it was also easy for attendees to mingle around the shopping center during the event, since it was held in the parking lot. Some attendees stopped in neighboring tenant Barnes & Noble for a hot beverage to combat the chilly day. This shows how a complementary tenant mix can help to drive shoppers to surrounding stores.
All in all, the Top Chef Tour event was a successful way for Comcast/XFINITY, Bravo, and Kimco to partner on a promotional entertainment event! I’ll leave you with some photos we snapped during the cook-offs.