Flagstaff’s 6th Annual Oktoberfest was a whirlwind of polka music, beer and chicken hats. Yes, chicken hats. As the lead intern at the merchandise booth during this event, I had one goal in mind at the start of the festival: sell ALL of the dreaded chicken hats. These goofy felt kid’s hats had been a bust at previous Oktoberfests, but I knew with enough determination and “a couple beers make these hats even more hilarious!” jokes, that these hats would sell out in no time. And they did! By late afternoon, all the chicken hats were sold out. It was awesome to see a sea of chickens in the crowds, jamming out to Polka Katzen.
Working the merchandise booth also included the task of recruiting participants for the two big contests at this year’s Oktoberfest: the bratwurst eating contest and the beer stein holding contest. This task was a great lesson in using persuasion—after all, who REALLY wants to shove bratwursts down their throat while a crowd of people watches? Overall, I enjoyed the interactions between myself and the guests. I was able to ask them what they thought of the event as it happened–this was something I hadn’t experienced yet as an intern with Peak Events. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’m already looking forward to next year’s Oktoberfest!
Amanda