Flowtoberfest 2019 – You Can BARLEY Tell It’s Work
Christmas is often said to be the most wonderful time of year. Here at Flow Tech, we beg to differ. Flowtoberfest is our big “holiday” and our customers agree! For those unaware, Flowtoberfest was created in 2014 as a party to show our customers appreciation for their continued business. Since it’s birth, the occasion has gained momentum and popularity and is now the must-attend fall event of the Connecticut AEC industry. Today’s post provides a recap of the 6th Annual Flowtoberfest, which was held two weeks ago in New Britain, CT. Sit back, relax and enjoy learning about the affair.
Typically the day of Flowtoberfest is a picturesque autumn paradise, unfortunately, that could not be said about the weather this year. Wednesday, October 16, 2019, was an exceptionally stormy day with winds and rain gaining momentum as the night went on. The weather did cause some cancellations but luckily attendance still reached an all-time high for the 6th Annual event! Guests raved about the venue, Alvarium Beer Co. The fun atmosphere of the brewery paired with unlimited 5 oz. samples of their excellent beer and cider proved too enticing for bad weather to halt the enjoyment.
Festive decor of mums, autumn leaves, gourds, pumpkins and photo props (created by Party Your World) were scattered around the venue to set the mood. Another fall element was incorporated with the party favors. Each guest left with a fall-scented votive Yankee candle tucked in a Flowtoberfest candle holder that could double as a shot glass.
Traditional Oktoberfest items were included in Flowtoberfest 2019 to keep the party on-theme. The 2-person, Bavarian Band, Scha-musi provided musical entertainment to guests. They delighted the crowed by mingling throughout while they sang. They even enlisted a few guests and employees to join in with song and dance!
Keeping with German and Flowtoberfest tradition, Mike Davis and Kevin Wixom showed their confidence yet again by rocking their Lederhosen and Nichole Petersen, or should we say Frau Petersen, brought it home in her dirndl. To add extra fun into the mix, a surprise cardboard cut-out of Flow Tech President, Rich Harper (#HerrHarper) was displayed throughout the night. That promoted a lot of laughs. The rest of the Flow Tech crew sported the official Flowtoberfest 2019 T-Shirts provided by Artisan Ink. This year we had some trouble coming up with the shirt (and event’s) tagline so we crowd sourced for some ideas. Andy LaPointe from our manufacturer, ABB, came up with the winning option – you can BARLEY tell it’s work! Thanks, Andy, for the suggestion.
The stein-holding competition is a Flowtoberfest staple. Guests compete to see who can hold a filled 16 oz. stein at a 90 degree angle for as long as possible. The last man and woman standing are awarded the winners. This year we decided to Facebook live the competition. Watch this video capturing the intensity of the competition and the ruthlessness of Frau Petersen. Congratulations to Mike Turner of Modern Mechanical and Mary Lester of the ABC CT for winning this year’s competition. The winners received a 4 or 6-pack of their choosing along with a Flowtoberfest shirt. All competitors received a Flowtoberfest shirt as a thank you for participating.
All that physical activity worked up an appetite for guests and the Cove Deli was there to satisfy everyone’s hunger. They prepared a delicious menu of German and Polish classics like, pretzels, beer cheese and perogies, as well as modern takes like, Ruben egg rolls and onion tarts. The food paired excellently with the beer. New this year was 2 types of homemade cookies from Huddies Cookies (12-year old boy, Hudson’s start-up). They were gone before the night was over! We’d like to thank ABB for sponsoring the food!
Every year we solicit our manufacturers to donate prizes for our raffle and they never disappoint. We’d like to thank the following companies for their contributions:
Aircuity, Inc. – Bushnell gift card
Air Monitor, Corp. – MAX Restaurant Group gift card
Caruso Electric – Nespresso Coffee Maker, coffee and cups
Cooney Technologies – Omaha Steaks gift card
M.K. Plastics – Amazon gift card
TAMCO – Butchers and Bakers Restaurant gift card
TMI Climate Solutions – Dewalt Drill and Circular Saw
TOXALERT – (2) Polo Shirts and (2) Padfolios
TrueFlow Testing and Balancing – Google Nest Basket
Every year we run a social media campaign, #TweetForACure, in conjunction with this event as as way to increase our social media followers and engagement, but more importantly, as a way to raise funds for the fight against breast cancer. During the month of October for every new follower we receive on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube, we donate $10 to the Susan G. Komen Cause for a Cure Foundation. For those already following us on social media but who still want to help, if they mention #Flowtoberfest or share a picture from the event we donate another $10.
We’d like to thank everyone who made it to the 6th Annual Flowtoberfest, all our vendors for your time and services and for our manufacturers for their generous donations/sponsorships. A special thanks to April Smith of April A Photography for capturing the happenings of Flowtoberfest with her exceptional candid photography! We’re looking forward to seeing you all at next year’s Flowtoberfest!
Nichole joined Flow Tech in 2013 as Director of Marketing. She leads our marketing communication initiatives including content marketing development, coordinating events and training, maintaining our digital presence and recruiting, as well as, some business development and office support. Nichole resides in Vernon with her husband Brian and two sons. She enjoys hosting parties, cooking and lounging on the beach.