(October 30, 2025) - At Western Insights Media, we believe that true fan engagement starts long before the gates open - and lasts long after the lights go out.
You can’t force people to show up. But if you give them a place to belong, they’ll build something bigger than your event.
That belief became the driving force behind one of my favorite event campaigns to date: The Pacific Northwest Stompeders, a dance team and cultural movement that grew out of the Oregon Jamboree’s 30th Anniversary celebration.
A legacy event meets a modern challenge
For the Oregon Jamboree’s 30th Anniversary, we faced a challenge that most legacy events eventually encounter: after three decades of music, memories, and massive crowds, how do you eep the energy alive and bring in a new generation of fans?
After the pandemic, many longtime patrons were hesitant to return to large gatherings. The event had deep roots in its community, but we needed t connect with younger audiences wo had grown up around it, just not necessarily inside of it.
So we asked the question: Where are they now?
After running social media polls and analyzing audience habits (because let’s be honest, this crowd wasn’t reading our email newsletters), we found our answer. The were line dancing at small-town bars, honkytonks, and community halls all over the pacific northwest.
From an idea to a movement
That discovery led to a bold idea: host a country swing and line dancing competition.
The concept was simple: build a series of bar stops and local qualifiers leading up to a final competition at the Oregon Jamboree itself. What started as a way to reach new fans quickly turned into something much larger.
A few weeks later, I opened our client’s Instagram’s direct messages to find a note from a dance director at Bushwhacker’s Bar in Tualatin, Oregon. She was interested in hosting “Oregon Jamboree themed dance nights.”
It was fate.
After one phone call, the idea took shape, and the Pacific Northwest Stompeders were born - a western swing and linedancing promotional team for the Oregon Jamboree that would host a dance competition series led by the powerhouse director of dance, Kat Nichols.
Building momentum
In just one month, the team hosted eight bar stops, filling every venue with energy and excitement.
A year later, nearly 100 dancers tried out to be a part of the team itself, and over 200 competitors from two states joined the 10-stop “Stompede Tour.”
By year three, the movement had grown beyond anything we imagined. The Stompeders launched their own convention, the Pacific Northwest Stompede Dance Festival, doubling their attendance goals and welcoming dancers from as far away as Canada, Texas, and Florida.
The team expanded into five states, won awards across multiple competitions, and made numerous appearances on both local and national television from Oregon to Nashville.
When a campaign becomes a community
Even after the Oregon Jamboree closed its doors, the Stompeders didn’t stop. They performed at the Reno Rodeo, appeared on The Cowboy Channel, competed at Worlds in Nashville, and continued to unite people through dance, music, and the western culture.
What started as a marketing campaign turned into something much more: a community, a culture, and a legacy.
lessons in fan engagement
The Pacific Northwest Stompeders are proof that the best marketing doesn’t just promote an event, it builds belonging.
People crave connectoin. They want to be a part of something meaningful, something they can contribute to and grow with. When your marketing invites people into a story rather than selling them a ticket, you can create loyalty that lasts beyond budgets, logos, or event the event itself.
That’s the magic of real engagement.
So whether you’re running a rodeo, music festival, or community event - or you’re looking to build a fan culture from the ground up - remember: People don’t just want to buy in. They want to belong.