About

copper_triangle

Event Marketing Group, LLC (EMG) was established in January of 1991. It is a diverse company that specializes in a range of events from Cycling Tours and Races, Runs/Walks, Multi-Sport, Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Races, Community Festivals, and Expos. Over 40 years of special event marketing and management, Mike Heaston, President and Owner of the Event Marketing Group, has produced, developed and managed over 650 events.

Currently EMG concentrates on STRATEGIC PLANNING consulting that assists organizations plan budgets, select sites, develop design layouts, obtain necessary permits and liability insurance, and coordinate logistics. EMG recognizes that not every event, group, charity, etc. needs full-service management so we offer affordable consulting services that can be arranged on an hourly basis or for a fixed price that will assist you in areas that may not be your level of expertise.

  • Co-producer of the Fruita Fat Tire Festival/18 Hrs of Fruita (2500-3000 cyclists).
  • Formerly the technical director for the Subaru Elephant Rock Cycling Festival, the Rocky Mountain Regions largest single day cycling event with over 7,500 participants annually held the first Sunday in June and co-founder of the ERock Sunrise – Sunset, a mountain bike race which averages over 90 teams/solo’s.
  • Co-founder of the Copper Triangle, with over 3300 cyclists riding from Copper Mountain, Leadville, Vail and return to Copper Mountain on this classic alpine ride.
  • Co-founder of Tour of the Moon in Grand Junction (2000 cyclists)
  • Founder of the Tour de Vineyards, held in conjunction with the Colorado Mountain Winefest (1000+ cyclists).
  • Produced and managed the popular running event, Run the Rockies from 1991-2012 in Frisco, CO
  • From 1983-1990 was partner in BKB Ltd. a running/triathlon management company that annually produced and managed 45-55 events.
  • Summer of 1993-Hired by World Youth Day to Consult and Coordinate the Pilgrimage for 200,000 participants in conjunction with the Pope’s visit to Denver. This entailed the design of two routes, working with multiple jurisdictions, volunteers, medical staffing, travel coordinators, as well as vendors in order to successfully direct the participants on a safe walk to the Cherry Creek reservoir in Denver.
  • Founded and managed the SALOMON Nordic Series, which, at the time, was the largest nordic series in the Western United States which saw almost 19,000 participants during its existence.
  • Former director of the Colorado Mountain Winefest from 1996-1999
  • Former consultant with the Grand Junction Downtown Association on the following: ATT Wireless Southwest Fest, Wells Fargo Art and Jazz Festival, Miller Lite “Art on the Corner Golf” Tournament, and the Parade of Lights.
  • Produced one of the first adventure races in the state, the Kokopelli Adventure as well as the original multi-day stage trail race, the Kokopelli Super Marathon, a 6 event, 5 day race from Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT.
  • Produced the 1st team relay and solo trail running event based on the popular 24 hr mountain bike races, the SALOMON 24 hrs of Frisco along with the accompanying SALOMON Six, a 6 mile race to compliment the endurance race.
  • Produced and directed Denver’s first Inline Skating Series, which ran from 1991-93. The series was sponsored by Rollerblade and was the largest in the state.
  • Worked with ESPN, Prime Sports Network (now ROOT Sports), and CBS, as well as many of the major television and radio stations in Colorado.
  • Consulted with the Town of Leadville and Rockport to develop the first 100-mile mountain bike race, which is held in conjunction with the Leadville 100 running event.
  • Directed running events ranging up to 6500 participants, including the Governors Cup, Run for the Zoo, LoDo 5280, Colorado Relay Classic, Aspen Race for the Cure, Girl Scout 5K and triathlons ranging from 2500 participants, including the Bud Light Triathlon Series, Governors Cup, Aspen “High Country” Triathlon, and the Avon “High Country” Triathlon.

In addition to the above, Mr. Heaston has also served as an adjunct professor at Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) instructing a course in Travel and Tourism marketing and was a contributor to Rocky Mountain Sports magazine (now Competitor Magazine). He has spent over 40 years in the field of recreation with a B.S. and M.S. in Recreation and Administration from the University of Kansas.

Please feel free to contact us to arrange for an initial meeting or phone call to discuss your needs. We look forward to assisting you in making your event a great success.