Event Marketing Buzz: Tillamook Cheese Company scores big with the Tillaphone #ComfortCall, delivers grilled cheese to #FeastPDX attendees at 2am

Much of Portland is still recovering from Feast Portland (#FeastPDX), last weekend’s festival of Oregon food and drink that has been called “the SXSW of food”. As reports trickle in on which events generated the most buzz, one clear winner emerged in using FeastPDX as a marketing tool: Tillamook Cheese.

Photo via @joancirillo on Twitter.www.twitter.com/joancirillo

Photo via TripStyler on Instagram

Their PR department targeted chefs and VIP attendees, journalists and bloggers, and gifted the ultimate in swag: a charged-up phone marked “Tillaphone” that the recipient could use to call for a hot grilled cheese delivery, at any time during the festival up to 3am. Attendees using the service were told to use the hashtag #ComfortCall when mentioning the benefit over social medial channels.

And did they mention it! A quick search of the #ComfortCall hashtag shows dozens, if not hundreds of happy, satisfied tweets from influential chefs and bloggers; alluring Instagrams of gooey grilled-cheese sandwiches, and jealous tweets from people who went to bed early and missed out.

How Tillamook Cheese will measure the ROI from this clever marketing stunt, I do not know. All I know is that Sunday afternoon as I was doing my weekly shopping, I bypassed my usual brands of cheese and butter, and almost as if in a trance, put the Tillamook versions in my cart.

Feast Portland benefits two important charities: Share Our Strength and Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. To read more about the event, please visit the Feast Portland website.

{ Portland Wedding Venues } “Under the Radar” with the Portland Wedding Coordinator: Mazamas Lodge

Under the Radar is a blog series on Portland Wedding Coordinator, showcasing cool new or little-known Portland wedding venues that I’ve stumbled across recently. Many of our Under the Radar wedding ceremony and reception venues are ones you won’t yet find in the popular wedding guides. If you use one of these sites, please let them know you heard it here first!

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This week, we’re pleased to present to you Mazamas Lodge. The lodge has a maximum capacity for 120 for indoor events, and a large outdoor space for additional seating, or for ceremonies. Located right in Government Camp, with convenient access to the main strip of shops and restaurants, as well as Ski Bowl, Timberline Lodge, and Collins Lake Resort. This lovely rustic lodge offers a wonderful level of privacy and seclusion, and a 24-hour rental period, rather than a typical 4-6 hour period at many event venues. They do have exclusive on-site, in-house catering, but with an exclusive-use contract weddings are welcome to bring their own alcohol. It’s a lovely place for a summer mountain wedding. In winter, access is hike-in, so usage would be very limited. Finally, the upstairs sleeps 76 guests in (non-private) dormitory-style bunk beds, along with three private rooms.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Their office is only open Friday through Monday, so send an email or give them a call at 503-272-9214 if you’re working on your Mt. Hood-area wedding this weekend!

Next up on Under the Radar: Villa Catalana at Rare Plant Research. This one is really great, so stay tuned!

{ The Daily Reblog } Tips for a Disability-Friendly Wedding, from Offbeat Bride

Having a wedding is stressful enough. Add in health issues and different physical abilities, and the normal four- to eight-hour long celebration can prove to be a real strain. That’s why I’m so glad I stumbled across this blog post from Offbeat Bride that gives some great pointers to think about, from the bride’s point of view.

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We also have a post from a while back, about checking for accessibility issues at your wedding venue, so all of your guests can enjoy the festivities. You’ll find it here: Accessibility in a Wedding Venue

Are you making any specific accommodations for yourself or your guests at your wedding? How did you get what you needed from your venue or vendors? Please share in the comments.

{ Wedding Gown Cleaning & Preservation in Portland } What are you doing with your gown after the wedding?

Some people trash the dress. Others put it on eBay. If you are thinking of keeping your wedding gown to pass down to the younger generation, or if you want to get it in perfect shape for consignment, you will want to have your gown professionally cleaned and possibly preserved in an acid-free, archival container.

Wedding Gown Cleaning and Preservation in Portland Oregon
If you are just doing cleaning, your local dry cleaner may offer this service. Be sure to ask if it is done locally or sent out to a special service, and what is included. Gowns that will be stored for a long time should not be stored in plastic or vinyl which can come in contact with dress fabric and cause yellowing or discoloration. If a gown will be hung up, it’s best to store it in unbleached muslin fabric.

If your gown will be stored for a long time, hanging it can cause the weight of the gown to pull on the seams and stretch the fabric, causing damage. It’s best in this case to store it in an acid-free, archival-quality box.

At EJP Events / The Bridal Loft, we do offer this service not just to our own clients, but to anyone in Portland desiring cleaning and preservation of their gown. Simply call us at (503) 284-6756 or email info@ejpevents.com to make an appointment and we’ll take care of you. Pricing starts at $165 for cleaning and box only. I’ve attached links to the order form for those who are interested in the details.

In some occasions, dry cleaning may not be needed. There are some types of simple garments that can be dry cleaned at home. We learned a lot after reading this article on Tipsbulletin: How to Dry Clean At Home. If you decide on this route, you can still order the preservation service as described above, just let us know that the gown has already been cleaned.

No matter how you plan to have your dress cleaned, make sure to store it at room temperature and avoid places like attics, garages, and basements where temperature and moisture/humidity levels can fluctuate without your knowing. The top level of a closet in your house is a great spot.

Updated 6/28/2018