PIG FARM INK

The Mission

To create an experience that engages both new and used fly fisher-people and inspires them to Go Outside and Get Involved.

Event Overview

Get Trashed is designed to be a "plug and play" one day event hosted at and supported by a local venue; fly shop, bar, restaurant, trailer park, etc.  Teams of "anglers" will "compete" for "prizes" while fly fishing and collecting trash in their local community.  Each team must have at least 1 newbie fly fisher person, but there is no limit on the size of the team.  Helping other teams should be encouraged.

Event management can be handled by one person, with the support of Pig Farm Ink, but it is recommended that 3-4 people tackle the project.  You are responsible to make sure that everyone adheres to all laws and local rules/regulations.  Pig Farm Ink, LLC (PFI) is a grassroots marketing company with literally $200 in the bank.  Our mission is to inspire people to Go Outside and Get Involved.  PFI cannot be held responsible for any "renegade" behavior.

Items Needed

  • A water system or area that has been beat like a video game addicted step child (or maybe just a fun place to hang out and fish that could use a little love)
  • Volunteer assistance
  • Locations for pre/post-fishing activities
  • Rules/Scoring Sheet
  • Flyer
  • Prizes

To Do

1. Secure Location(s), Times, Dates - Get Trashed is designed as a full day event that usually includes 5 hours of fishing/river cleanup and 3 hours of "festivities".

The Venue - Selecting a waterway that will serve as host to the event is paramount.  Ideally, an urban fishery with close proximity to meeting places is a great place to host a Get Trashed.  Identify an area that can use a clean up and try to set boundaries that promote team interaction.

Morning Meeting Place - Try to involve local businesses.  Ideally, somewhere that serves breakfast...and bloody Mary's.  Engage the business and see if they can accommodate.

Evening Meeting Place - Again, try to involve local businesses.  Find a place that serves food and plenty of alcohol, and has room to accommodate more people than attended the event.  Keep in mind that a bunch of people will be showing up with potentially tons of garbage. Make sure there is room to pile it up, and the ability to easily remove it.

2. Find Means of Garbage Disposal - This can be a real PITA but is vital to the event as well as the environment.  Depending on the venue, trash collection can be as little as a few bags to as much as a few dumpsters.  Try to identify the situation and plan accordingly.  Sometimes third party involvement is necessary, sometimes a pickup truck and a trip to the dump are all that is needed.

3. Design/Print Scoring System/Rules Sheet - Scoring systems can be adjusted for your demographic, and creativity is encouraged.  It is important that scoring encourages participants to have fun, build community, go outside, be aware of the environment, and inspire action.  Scoring is based on the honor system, and posting pictures on personal social media channels for scoring proof #pigfarmink #gettrashed #kickplastic #seewhatsouthere is a great way to keep track of it all and promote the message at the same time.

Scoring Suggestions

  • New fisherman's 1st fish - 25 points
  • New fisherman's second fish - 10 points
  • Every other fish - 1 point
  • Each Contractor bag of garage collected - 50 points
  • Garbage Items that wont fit in a bag - 30 points
  • Carp Bonus - 25 points
  • Action photos/videos of garbage you or your team has picked up with #gettrashed #kickplastic #pigfarmink on Instagram - 10 points
  • Caching a fish on one of your Iron Flies (if the event coincides with an Iron Fly) - 50 points for new anglers/tiers - 25 points for experienced anglers/tiers
  • PFI Shotgun Koozie action photos/videos #pfishotgunkoozie
  • Action Photos/Videos on Instagram of Plastic Garbage that you or your team have collected with #kickplastic #seewhatsoutthere

Each event is subject to local rules, and prizes will vary per event.  In some instances, there will be no prizes at all, as this is not a "fishing tournament".  Irresponsible behavior will be loosely tolerated and asshats kicked directly in the face.

Creativity should be applied in deciding who "wins".  "Winners" should be clearly defined in the rules sheet and based off of available prizes.  Suggestions include most points, most garbage, biggest piece of trash, biggest fish for a newbie, team "spirit", etc.  PFI has some prizes available, but you are encouraged to try to collect some on your own.

Update Scoring/Rules template to suit your needs.  Print enough so that each participant can have a copy.

4. Create/Print Flyer - The flyer is our main tool of communication for Get Trashed events.  Try to get creative and make your own.  It doesn't have to be fancy, just communicate the message effectively.  If graphic design is not your forte, PFI can provide support.  This flyer can and should be used for all physical and digital promotion.

DOWNLOAD FLYER TEMPLATE HERE (coming soon)

5. Promote - Promoting Get Trashed is pretty simple, and should be approached with a community aspect.   Once the details have been ironed out, send the flyer and event details to PFI, and we will distribute it through our network of Pig Farmers, post event to the calendar at pigfarmink.com, create the event on PFI's Facebook page, and post to PFI's Instagram and Twitter accounts.  Post to your personal/organization's social media assets and drive traffic.  Post flyers locally in key locations, and have your posse get the word out.

Teams

Teams should consist of a mix of personalities, but must include one person who has never fly fished before.  This is key to the success of the event as it allows newcomers to get a glimpse of a variety of things that fly fishing offers - recreation, community, conservation...all in one special day.

Break your fishing friends up and have them each build their own teams. Ask everyone you know to build teams. The more new fisherman your team has the more points are possible. If promotion is spread with the concept of FUN, PARTY, and LEARNING, your Get Trashed has a much better chance of success.

The Event

It is go-time!  Make sure you have all of the needed items ready to go. 

Morning Meeting - Plan 1.5 hours to get everyone "primed" and ready to go.  Try to encourage people to order breakfast, chainsaws, screwdrivers, mimosas, etc.  Make sure everyone involved signs a waiver (if necessary).  Pass out a copy of the rules sheet to every team, and make sure everyone is familiar with it.  Grab some pictures and some video (HD 16:9 format).  Equip every team with some garbage bags and send them off.  A small PA system may be necessary to fully get everyone's attention.

The Main Event - If possible, try to designate somebody to float around from team to team, aka the hype guy, to collect pictures and video and make sure everything is going well.  Give yourself enough time to get to the awards venue at least 1:30 minutes ahead of the designated check in time.  Ensure everything is prepared for what is to come.

Awards - Create an atmosphere of excitement.  Encourage people to drink and commiserate around the pile of trash (staging area).  Try to get pictures and video.  Size everything up, make sure that all teams have tallied up their scores.  Heard the crowd into the main presentation area and creatively recap the day, and lead up to the award winners.  Hand out the prizes, thank everyone and encourage people to hang out and enjoy themselves.

The Aftermath - Following the event, you will most likely be responsible for removal of the trash.  Please do so as soon as possible.

Follow Up

So now, all the trash has been removed and you are probably in need of a vacation.  Perhaps some fly fishing?  Go ahead enjoy yourself.  Pig Farm Ink, the fly fishing world and your community thank you for your efforts.  If you get a chance, can you please write up a short blog post, include your images, perhaps a video, and send it our way?  Content from these events help get people fired up to host a Get Trashed in their town, and we need all of it we can get.