The Tailgate Tray

Hold Everything—Party Animals Discover The Tailgate Tray
Blue Moose Marketing Uses Vegas Event to Kick Off Strong '07 Sales
January 30, 2007

If you attended the Ultimate Tailgate Party in Las Vegas last November, then you know about the little company that saved the day. Blue Moose Marketing, maker of The Tailgate Tray, provided a thousand-plus party-goers with a way to carry their food, beverage, cutlery and napkin and still have a hand free to press the flesh. According to co-owners Kirk Febus and Rob Artz, the product was a huge hit, and generated “tons of traffic” at the Blue Moose booth the following day.

The Tailgate Tray is a sturdy, double-sided corrugated cardboard party tray designed to hold all of the aforementioned items easily and securely with one hand. The trays are themed to provide retailers with year-round selling opportunities, and include graphics for football, motor sports, birthday, wedding & anniversary, graduation, patriotic, and military events.

Bengal fans show off their Tailgate Trays before kickoff.

“Our best customers have been the different types of food and grocery stores, as well as party stores and, more recently, event planners,” says Febus. “The Tailgate Tray is perfect for the person who is putting together a themed party.”

Indeed, The Tailgate Tray is priced well for this market at $1.99 retail, and comes packaged in a shipper that quickly converts into a colorful, self-contained floor display with 100 trays.

“The shippers have been phenomenal for us,” says Artz. “The retailers love how quickly it sets up, and the merchandising flexibility it gives them.”

The Tailgate Tray is sturdy enough to make it through multiple parties, and is recyclable when the time comes to throw it away. According to feedback from retailers, male customers love the tray’s strength and functionality, while female consumers find the graphics highly appealing.

“We’re having a lot of fun and a lot of success with this product,” smiles Febus.