Everyone who’s been to Tierras de Vida knows that it’s one huge production. The lighting, the sound, the pictures, all of it is a beautiful statement about what Agros does. The work and effort that goes into each TdV is incredible, with staff members and volunteers putting in countless hours to create an event that helps each attendee connect with Agros, our families, and our mission. As a lead-up to TdV, I thought it might be fascinating to explore how TdV is put together, and to share all of it with you. Spoiler alert: it’s a ton of work that never seems to end! But the payoff is incredible.

To start, here’s a short timeline of what’s already happened.

January 2016:

•  Laura, our live auctioneer, is hired. She’s already wowed us all with her boundless energy.

February:

• Fremont Studios secured as the venue

March:

• Work starts on the Impact Reporting Center, our interactive feature at TdV. Board member Zack Mazzoncini has been incredibly gracious with spearheading this project, and we’re psyched to see how it turns out.
• Valet secured

May:

• Sponsorship requests go out

June:

• Caterer contract signed (after a delicious tasting)
• Video crew TANACATANA hired to interview Germán and Ester and highlight Piedra de Horeb
• Salsa band confirmed

July:

• Auction items start coming in
• First table purchased!
• TANACATANA travels to Piedra to film TdV feature video
• Program brainstorming begins

August:

• Date for TdV 2017 is set
• Rough cut of TANACATANA film sent
• Second meeting with our auctioneer to nail down details
• More ticket and table sales confirmed (hooray!!!)

September (what’s left on the to-do list):

• Social media blitz
• Interactive Tableau finalized and tested
• Volunteers coordinated
• Program finalized
• Final number sent to caterer, along with meal preferences
• Final print materials completed
• Set up in Fremont Studios
   

There are a ton of moving pieces for TdV, and the to-do list never ends. When the day of the event arrives, everyone becomes an uber version of themselves and it’s amazing what can be accomplished. We’ve been thinking about this year’s TdV for over a year, and we’re so excited for it. The event-planning team at Agros is small and mighty, but we need help! If you’re interested in volunteering for TdV or know of a group that might be interested, please email Emily at emilyy@agros.org. We would love to be able to use your talents to benefit the work we do.

   Emily Yockey

Development Associate