It couldn't have worked out much better, could it? Of course I'm talking, on the one hand, about the Packers and their Super Bowl conquest. Not only did they win, they did so in admirable style, with a forthright, bombast-free demeanor. The Packers and their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, made everyone in Wisconsin look good in the most-watched domestic telecast of all time.
Green Bay's victory was the result of a lot of effort and preparation by a lot of people coming to fruition, but it was Rodgers who was singled out as the Most Valuable Player. He played a masterful game, and since the quarterback position is the linchpin of a good offensive football team, he deserves a lot of credit - first among equals, so to speak.
So that brings us to the other hand. In the excitement of the last couple of weeks, I've overlooked the accomplishments of a valuable member of the Isthmus team. On Jan. 29 Isthmus threw its best Beer & Cheese Festival ever. We sold to capacity barely two hours into the event at the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall. The 70 or so beer and cheese exhibitors had all the attention they could handle. And the patrons were more than satisfied.
We can credit the over 300 volunteers and vendors who participated in staging the event, but our MVP would have to be Isthmus' marketing and events coordinator, Chris Majchrzak. (We pronounce it my-shak at the office, and he seems to respond to that.) Majchrzak joined us six months ago and has been wrapped up in events ever since. But Beer & Cheese was his big test - and he aced it.
His next major assignment is a new Isthmus event, Film Feast, on March 7, which presages the Wisconsin Film Festival. After that it's the biggie, Green Day, our annual eco-palooza, on April 16. Between now and then, look for Chris and/or one of his intern cohort at a local event manning an Isthmus booth. Next up: Wisconsin Public Television's Garden Expo at the Alliant Center this weekend, and the Madison Malt Society's Distill America next week at the Edgewater Hotel.
Our MVP's season is not over.
