EPIC Entertainment Group, a producer of themed entertainment, live events, and immersive environments, has announced that it successfully brought in large crowds at recent foodie events across the US.
The company has seen a rise in attendance, with some of the big culinary festivals they partner with, produce, and manage reporting up to 40% growth over the previous year. This is despite Florida’s huge fall in tourism and outdoor attraction attendance during the “summer slump.”
Attendance surpasses pre-pandemic figures
One of the significant achievements was the EPIC-produced and managed Bacon & BBQ Classic at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which saw a remarkable 30% increase in attendance from the year before. The Garden’s annual Mango Festival also experienced a noteworthy increase in attendance of about 40% from 2022 to 2023. These numbers are evidence of EPIC’s commitment to creating extraordinary events for its clients and giving attendees experiences they won’t forget.
Taste of Downtown presented by Downtown Long Beach Alliance, a three-part series of food festivals in Long Beach that runs from May through August, also demonstrates EPIC’s dedication to producing excellent events. Thousands of people attended the “Taste of Downtown East Village presented by Downtown Long Beach Alliance” in May, coming close to the pre-pandemic attendance levels. Following that victory, “Taste Pine & Promenade” outperformed all predictions in June by drawing significantly more visitors than in 2019 and seeing a 100% increase in attendance.
The EPIC team is eager to wrap up the season on August 9 and 10 with the final “Taste” event of the year, which will be held on Long Beach’s Downtown waterfront. The live performances by Manuel the Band on Wednesday and Urban Society on Thursday promise to be enjoyable, in addition to a mouthwatering lineup of downtown restaurants and bars dishing up tastings of their best foods and drinks. The festival also offers a variety of family-friendly activities.
Creating memorable moments
Justine Nevarez, Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s community outreach & events manager, says: “Working with Epic Entertainment to put on one of Downtown’s most popular events has been fantastic. They make the process seamless and are so fun to work with. As the final Taste of the season at the most scenic location of the series, we’re expecting to see a great turnout as we continue to celebrate what has been an amazing summer in Downtown.”
Austin Metoyer, Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s president & CEO, also spoke about the importance of “Taste of Downtown” as a signature event showcasing the city’s vibrant culinary scene while bringing together residents and visitors: “Attendance at Taste Pine & Promenade, our second event of the series, surpassed pre-pandemic figures, and we’re expecting to see an even larger turnout for the final Taste of the season on Downtown’s waterfront.”
The fact that EPIC Entertainment was able to increase attendance in an unprecedented way despite a difficult tourist environment is proof of the firm’s dedication, creativity, and unrelenting commitment to providing festival-goers and families with lifetime memories.
As a multifaceted live production company, EPIC collaborates with renowned companies like Crayola, Hotel Del Coronado, Hershey Parks, and NightGarden, Miami’s most popular holiday light show. Additionally, EPIC is currently in charge of running the day-to-day operations for the renowned Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which USA Today ranked as one of the best national gardens.
Earlier this summer, blooloop spoke to Epic Entertainment Group‘s founders, to find out more about what makes a successful immersive brand experience.
Top image courtesy of EPIC Entertainment Group
