Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls welcome to the Nerdiest Show on Earth.

Wait, were you expecting me to say “spectacular” or “grandest”?

Sorry to disappoint, but this circus doesn’t come complete with lions, tigers and bears. Instead, you’ll find Apples, Androids and Developers, oh my!

Now that I have your attention, I must first apologize because the circus I’ve been referencing made its first and final debut at the 2012 WWDC Conference in San Francisco this past June. Big Nerd’s Big Top, the official moniker, began as a simple idea thrown out in passing banter during one of the Big Nerd Ranch PR/Marketing meetings. From the moment it was uttered, the idea floodgates were flung open. It was decided nearly immediately that a vintage vibe was the way to go as visions of fat ladies singing and men eating fire floated through our heads. Taking the plethora of ideas and channeling them into what became the Big Nerd Big Top extravaganza meant crafting a plan and developing designs that instantly conveyed the Big Top theme.

A mobile site was the first design to take shape, probably the most important component of messaging for a company who includes mobile app development as a core competency. The mobile site was essential in sharing information about the main Big Top event and the additional sideshow acts that also came to life as a way to extend the reach of the circus activities. All messaging and marketing efforts directed circus attendees to the mobile site, allowing a one-stop shop for gathering RSVPs, providing directions on the go and sharing the most up-to-date information.

With the mobile site in place, getting the word out was the next step in bringing the Nerdiest Show on Earth to life. Eblasts were created and timed perfectly to peak interest, Facebook had a vintage facelift with a cover photo designed to promote the Big Top Bash and regular reminders about the event and happenings kept attendees in the know.

Clearly we had the digital realm covered, but we had to also think about how to bring the vibe to real-life. Well nothing says circus like popcorn, cotton candy and carny t-shirts, right? That’s what I thought. The Big Top Bash featured traditional carnival food, live performers and custom carny tshirts.

Many more odds and ends from banner designs to nametags were created to add to the circus vibe. From start to finish, the entire process stretched our creativity, our Nerd IQ and proved that we can bring the circus to town, anytime. Although rumor has it we may be headed to the days of disco next year.