FoCo Fondo is a Fort Collins based event company founded in 2016 by Jake Arnold, Zack Allison, and Whitney Allison – three biking aficionados who wanted to organize and promote memorable gravel fondo events in their Northern Colorado community. Their focus is finding amazing gravel bike routes that highlight NoCo’s beautiful rural roads and local businesses.
FONDOFEST – A DAY BEHIND BARS WITH FOCO FONDO
In the past, FoCo Fondo has been centered on the company’s annual Bite the Bullet 100-mile gravel grinder, a ride they host every summer. But this year, Jake, Zack, and Whitney wanted to take the event even further by appealing to a wider range of people throughout the local community.
So, Bonfire Effect worked with FoCo Fondo to build and promote FondoFest, a fully-day biking adventure meant for anyone and everyone – from hardcore cycling enthusiasts to kids just learning how to ride. Coming together with the FoCo Fondo crew, Bonfire and their team created the vision and strategy for a multifaceted event – one that offered:
- A 100-mile Bite the Bullet Ultimate Adventure
- 50- and 25-mile Gravel Grinders
- A 12-mile Family Adventure Ride and Scavenger Hunt
- An on-site kids’ course
- Cold beer from New Belgium Brewing Company
- Food from FoCo-based food truck, Lit Food Co.
- Bike demos, gear giveaways, and more from a slew of awesome local partners, including Donnelly Cycling, Rebound Sports & Physical Therapy, Niner Bikes, Brave New Wheel, OtterBox, Associates in Family Medicine, and yours truly
- Live music by Cactus Cat
Bonfire crafted consistent designs, messaging, and content to elevate the FoCo Fondo brand, create a fresh cohesive look across platforms, and build excitement around their amplified event. From a newly designed website, emails, and social media to a complete sponsorship proposal and eye-catching posters, we handled every aspect of media and promotions for FondoFest 2018.
The Result
- Increase event registrations by nearly 300% from previous years
- Bring in 343 total registrants
- Attract 30 new young riders (plus their families) for the kids’ course and family ride
- Raise $1,532 for FC Bikes’ Safe Routes to School, enough to fully fund one to two new after-school programs
