LAKE CHAMPLAIN MARITIME FESTIVAL LED BY INCOMPARABLE TEAM
Four Marketing and Event Pros Guarantee an Exceptional Event
Burlington, VT (July 9, 2008) Chittenden County will benefit from the successful and seasoned experience of a quartet of event and marketing professionals as they collaborate on production of Burlington Waterfront's Lake Champlain Maritime Festival, August 15-17, 2008. Activities for all ages include boat building; hands-on exhibits for children; volleyball; canoe and kayak races; music, including Waterfront Park Concerts with Grace Potter and Derek Trucks; wine tasting, and affordable gourmet food sampling. Perkins Pier; King Street Ferry Dock; Maritime Museum; Burlington Boathouse; ECHO Center; U.S. Coast Guard Station; Community Sailing Center, and the Park will bring the Waterfront alive, and more information can be found at www.lcmfestival.com . The Festival has been designated as a Special Quad Event of the 2009 Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration, and the collective expertise of Kevin Margolin, Jerry Rafoul, Mike O'Brien and Kevin Cheney guarantees an impressive celebration of all things maritime.
Kevin Margolin brings over twenty years of live production experience to Lake Champlain Maritime Festival. A successful small business owner with production management roots, Margolin's rental company, Atomic Professional Audio, Inc., provided the sound system for Linkin Park's Project Revolution Tour - U.S. leg in 2007, and regularly works with national acts throughout the northeast. Road-educated and wielding a to-the-point professionalism, Margolin confronts each part of the production process with technical precision to achieve the highest of quality for each concert, festival, and special event. Over the last two decades Margolin could be found at top levels of production for The Grateful Dead, Phish, The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival and Champlain Valley Expo.
A native Vermonter, Jerry Rafoul has worked with events and marketing for over twenty years. He has produced events and marketing programs for products such as Absolut, Kahlua and Grand Marnier. He was site manager for the 15,000-capacity Stowe Performing Arts Center, the Grateful Dead, and Another Roadside Attraction both at Highgate, VT, Lollapalooza at Pownal Vermont and other events in CT and NY. Jerry was often the top selling vendor at the Burlington Chew Chew with his Cajun N' More booth. Rafoul currently sells event guide advertising for First Night Burlington and the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, and works part time for United Airlines.
Mike O'Brien has over thirty years experience in advertising, marketing and public relations, in addition to establishing a company in New York City. Specializing in sales promotion and special events, OBrien has worked with a wide variety of clients, from financial institutions to jazz festivals. Following his move to Vermont he became an active member of The Lake Champlain Antique and Classic Boat Society (LCACBS) and has served as the elected Vice-President for the last three years and is Chairman of the 2008 LCACBS Boat Show being held in Westport, New York August 8-9. He also serves as the Director of the Lake Champlain Burlington Boat Show. His interest in the waterfront and in maritime transportation inspired him to create The Lake Champlain Maritime Festival as a true destination event.
Also a native Vermonter, Kevin Cheney has over sixteen years experience in crowd management/security and event management, and has owned Green Mtn. Concert Services Inc. for twelve years. His projects have included security work on the road with Phishs multi-day music festivals, the Great Went, Lemonwheel, Oswego, Big Cypress, IT, Coventry, the first two years of Bonaroo, the Winter X Games, ESPN's Great Outdoor Games, Strangefolk's Garden of Eden Festivals, Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, and many other events. Cheney is on the Board of Directors of First Night Burlington. Noting this extraordinary collaboration of event pros, these business and community leaders say:
· This group of seasoned event producers brings a marvelous late summer gift to the Burlington Waterfront. The Maritime Festival promises great entertainment, gourmet food, exciting activities and a spectacular setting on the shores of Lake Champlain--Becky Cassidy, former Executive Director of First Night Burlington and Marketing Consultant to Church Street Marketplace.
· The Maritime Festival teams are all people who have been involved with different special events in our area for many years. It is exciting to find them all working together to produce what promises to be a spectacular weekend on the Burlington Waterfront. With their collective expertise, The Maritime Festival will be a professional, multi-faceted, unique community event --Nancy Bove, Special Events Coordinator, Burlington Parks & Recreation Department
· The Maritime Festival boasts some of the Northeasts finest event producers, a great musical lineup and one of the finest venues the East Coast has to offer - Brian Mital, Managing Director, Burlington Discover Jazz Festival
The Lake Champlain Maritime Festival is supported by sponsors Courtyard by Marriott; FairPoint Communications; WCAX-TV; Shipyard Brewery; Vermont Tent Company; WIZN-FM; WOKO-FM; 99.9 the Buzz; KOOL 105; WJOY-AM; Seven Days; City Market; PDI Creative; FedEx; Kinkos; Saint Michael's College; Casella; GearX.com; JFC International; Jolley Short Stop, and CAT Root Beer.