On Tap Media
This month, the Tech Council brings you an interview with On Tap Media Publisher, Jennifer Currie and Key Account Manager, Tom Roth.
Tell us about On Tap Media.
On Tap was started by my [Jennifer’s] brother in 1998 as an entertainment resource for people living in Washington, D.C. When we started the magazine, the premise was “preview, not review.” We really just want to let people know what events are happening in the area. Our content isn’t opinion-based or partisan; we’re here to say, “Hey D.C., take a deep breath.”
The publication is print and web-based and the circulation is about 35,000. It’s distributed for free on the first Friday and Saturday of each month at 500 locations in the D.C. area. It’s also formatted for mobile on our website at www.ontaponline.com.
We have eight employees who work in the office here in Alexandria (not including Blue, a very friendly Australian Shepherd mix) and sixty who work virtually. Some of our clients are surprised to see a fully cohesive team show up at an event after we’ve planned all of the details virtually. We’ve always worked this way, so it’s natural for us.
In addition to publishing a local entertainment magazine,
you also manage events.
Yes, we’re heavily involved in event planning in Northern Virginia, Montgomery County, and D.C. This was a logical next step for us. We would host a party at a restaurant, for example, and then the evolution of that was to plan their next event and use our publication as a way to promote it. We plan, for the most part, free, non-ticketed events end-to-end which can include hiring bands, caterers, and photographers, executing and managing sponsorship agreements, marketing, and much more. We do a lot of grand opening events for developers and property management companies. Additionally, we are partners with Monumental Sports Network and we produce events for the Nationals and the Friday Night Concert Series in Yards Park.
What is the biggest challenge in event planning?
The biggest challenge is ensuring that we get a good crowd at each event. We take our commitment to the events very seriously, and our clients’ goals are our goals. If we plan a grand opening for an apartment building, we want to get the right people there so that they will rent those apartments.
What is the craziest event that you’ve been asked to produce?
Corona asked us to put together the Running of the Chihuahuas event for Cinco de Mayo. We’ve done it five years in a row now, and last year we had 96 dogs race with 2000 (human) attendees at The Wharf in D.C. It’s a fun event that raises money for local animal charities. We also did a fashion show in SE D.C. where we assembled a glass runway atop a pool. Just to push the limits a bit further, we even had a fireworks display lit from a barge off of the river.
How can you help Tech Council members?
We can help members create events or look for ways to get involved in their communities. The tech sector is a big draw for retail and housing, so we help those sectors reach the right audiences. We did an event for Mallory Square apartments in Rockville and in that case, we helped them connect with a demographic of people who would be interested in living there.
If readers are interested in having you plan an event for them, what is the next step?
They should email or call me at jennifer@ontaponline.com or at 703.465.0500 or Tom at tomroth@ontaponline.com or at 301.910.2784. We look forward to working with the Tech Council members.