by John Arthur
Writer for and on behalf of the City of Glendale
Infinity Park Event Center is no stranger to orchestrating talent and production during events, but is now conducting its own Glendale Throwdown Showdown Talent Show. (Photo by Seth McConnell)
The Infinity Park Event Center will host a talent showdown this December, celebrating a decade of elevated events and bringing three nights of exceptional entertainment to the Front Range. General Manager Bobbi Reed says that while the landmark anniversary is certainly significant for the venue, the Throwdown Showdown is less about the Event Center’s 10-year birthday and more about producing an in-house event that will not just showcase the venue itself, but also provide exposure to a broader audience: “We wanted to do an event here that we produced, since typically we’re acting solely as a venue. We wanted to build on the brand that we’ve cultivated in the last 10 years,” she said. “This gives us an opportunity to expose the Event Center to a different audience — maybe folks that haven’t been here for a non-profit fundraiser or a corporate meeting or even a rugby game. It gives us a chance to expand our exposure; and doing that through something that is entertaining and fun is good for us and the audience.”
Working with Imprint Events, a national event planning organization with offices in Colorado, Las Vegas, and Florida, Infinity Park’s Talent Showdown will take place December 10-13, capitalizing on the same competition model as that of the seemingly endless popularity of recent television programming like American Idol, The Voice, America’s Got Talent, and others. Imprint organizes events for hundreds of clients annually, and has connections to the high-end talent, recruiters, and promoters that will make the year-end event at Infinity Park a smash for audience members. Reed notes that recruiting call-outs began in early November, and are open to any number of disciplines, ranging from dance troupes to comedians, magicians to bands — among others.
The talent shows themselves will be held in Infinity Park Events Center’s 8,600 square foot International Ballroom, a space with accommodations for any number of performance types. In addition to elegant venue space, the ballroom includes state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities, including unique 360-degree surround screens, LED lighting, and in-house audio production. With capacity for 1,200 guests, there is never a bad seat in the ballroom. Reed expects that the Talent Showdown will likely become an annual event, and that the multi-day organizational model is designed specifically to build excitement for a crowd that might not typically find themselves at Infinity Park: “It’s all about spreading the brand. We don’t typically produce events, we’re more like real estate for rent, so this is an opportunity for us to put something on that will reflect positively on Infinity Park, on Glendale. This is something that we want to do for many years,” she said. “This is a chance for people to come and do something fun. It gets lots of people in here to see something different. We’re expecting some top-notch performers: the entertainment won’t be just the competition, but the acts themselves.”
Competition will consist of nine unique preliminary acts on each of the opening nights, with audience members deciding finalists via a mobile app designed specifically for the event. Ticket sales launched in early November, and everyone interested can visit the Infinity Park Event Center website to purchase. Multi-night tickets are available for a special rate. What’s at stake for participating talent contestants is considerable. Exposure through the wide-ranging web and social media reach of Infinity Park is perhaps the largest draw, but the likely presence of recruiters and talent scouts will only further that chance at exposure. All contestants selected to compete on finals night will be awarded nominal prizes, and the top three performers will receive additional prizes, some including cash.
Guests have a lot to look forward to. In addition to 18 separate acts over the first two nights, an additional showdown for the finals, exposure to regional talent, and available food and drink at one of Colorado’s premier entertainment venues, first-time attendees will get to experience three evenings of fun at Infinity Park Event Center. For a closer look at what Infinity Park has to offer, for updates on the talent participating in December’s Throwdown Showdown, and to purchase your tickets for the event, visit http://infinityparkeventcenter.com.
Please send audition tapes, bios and photos to auditions@imprintgroup.com. Questions? Call 303-623-1492 for more information. Application deadline Wednesday, November 21.