It all started when…
Founded in 1998 by Chris Dailey, BCE was essentially created to save the Boulder Creek Festival®. By 1998, the festival was in danger of passing into Boulder history. Due to several different factors, the event had fallen upon hard times; it had become unsuccessful and had acquired much debt over the years. Although it was widely known that the festival required new management, no one wanted to take on the “burden” that the festival had become. At this point, Chris--who had become intrinsically familiar with the festival by volunteering as the logistics manager of the event, and then hired on as the operations manager--stepped forward and assumed the debt and responsibility of this beloved community event. And thus, BCE was born.
Today, BCE is a full-service event management organization that provides permit acquisition, insurance attainment, vendor enrollment, marketing services, entertainment coordination, volunteer recruitment and coordination, event logistics, risk management, sponsor recruitment and retention, accounting services, correspondence and collaboration with various city and county departments, and financial planning. Our abilities and talents in event planning and production can perhaps best be exemplified by the number of phone calls and inquiries we receive from potential event producers who have either been referred to us or have sought out our expertise in this field. We have responded to countless queries regarding everything from the musicians we hire to event layout advice and ice rink management, and we have shared dozens of contacts free of charge. In 2002, BCE was hired by the Chandler, Arizona Chamber of Commerce as consultants and managers of the logistics and operations for the 2003 Chandler Ostrich Festival, a community event featuring themed activities, along with national and regional entertainment and an estimated attendance of over 200,000. In 2011, BCE was contacted to manage the logistics and operations for the American Renewable Energy Day (AREDAY) Expo in Aspen, which includes local and national businesses that incorporate renewable energy technologies and green practices, products and services; in 2012, BCE was hired by U Cause Events for assistance in the production of the 1st Annual Fight Fire with Beer Festival at the Twenty Ninth Street Mall in Boulder. Over the past several years, we have assisted the organizers of the Louisville Street Faire, the City of Boulder’s Fourth of July celebration, the ice rink at the Promenade Shops at Centerra in Loveland, and the annual Boulder Polar Plunge, benefitting Special Olympics Colorado.
In addition to the full-time BCE staff members, another important element of our business model is our part-time and seasonal staff, a close-knit group who are a pivotal part of the significance and success of BCE’s management. Many of our staff members have been with us for over a decade, and have unique insight into both event operations as well as the importance of their direct role in our events. It is clear that the entire BCE staff takes great pride in our business, which is managed as a small, familial team with a strong sense of community and camaraderie. We truly enjoy what we do, and feel it reflects in the success of the events we are honored to produce.