1. OHHHH, BACON!

2. MISSION To improve the enjoyment of all things bacon by providing education, recognition, advocacy and research on behalf of the masses, everyone, everywhere, all of them. We are serious. Seriously, dudes. Seriously.

3. ABOUT The Worlds Premier Bacon Festival Unlimited sampling of bacon from the most extensive variety of bacon purveyors in one place Richest bacon educational lecture series in the known universe Largest gathering of bacon enthusiasts Unique bacon-inspired competitions and awards 10% of proceeds go to support local charities

4. HISTORY Summer of 2001 a group of men began celebrating bacon at an annual retreat in Spirit Lake, IA In 2007, the group earned All About Bacon Diplomas from Living History Farms On March 1, 2008, the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival was born at the High Life Lounge in Des Moines, IA On Feb. 18, 2012 the annual festival grew to accommodate over 4,500 participants

5. LOCATION Iowa is the number one pork producer in the United States and the top state in pork exports. At any one time there are over 19 million pigs being raised in Iowa. Des Moines, Iowa

6. THE FESTIVAL Tickets Tickets sell out quickly every year. In 2013, the total of 8,000 tickets sold out in just over 3 minutes in an online only sale. On the day of ticket sales the festival website attracted 16,234 total visits and 11,622 unique users. The average visit duration was 4 minutes and 38 seconds.

7. ATTENDEE GEOGRAPHY Bacon Lovers From 39 States & 7 Countries will be in attendance in 2013

8. ATTENDEE AGE & GENDER The Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival Facebook Page has 5,955 likes as of January 17, 2013. The largest group is the 25-34 age group (19% female 15% male), followed by 35-44 year-olds (12% female 9.4% male).

9. THE FESTIVAL Competitions A variety of competitions take place before and during the festival. Among them are: Bacon Eating Contest Bacon Song Contest Bacon Queen Pageant Best Bacon Award Best Bacon Inspired Dish Award

10. THE FESTIVAL Bacon Lectures The Bacon Lecture Series brings together some of the most brilliant bacon minds providing festival attendees with the opportunity to challenge their bacon knowledge and beliefs.

11. THE FESTIVAL Our Mascot A furry pig named, Blue, is the official mascot of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival.

12. THE FESTIVAL Bacon Showcase The popular Bacon Showcase provides individuals with the opportunity to sample the largest assortment of bacon brands and talk directly to brand reps.

13. THE FESTIVAL

14. The event, which sold out all 4,000 tickets in 25 minutes, offers something to make every swine lover swoon: unlimited bacon samples, a bacon-eating contest, educational lectures, a bacon-themed songwriting contest and crowning of a new bacon queen. Organizers plan to serve up about three tons of the fatty strips. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Jeannette Neumann Feb. 18, 2012 Ten Reasons To Visit Des Moines: #8. Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival-- Iowans know pork, and what better way to embrace it than in its most delectable form. USA TODAY Brooke Bridenstine, Special Correspondent March 12, 2012 IN THE NEWS

15. The simple pleasure of gripping a fistful of bacon strips in one hand, and an ice cold beer in the other. THE DES MOINES REGISTER Jens Manuel Krogstad Feb. 18, 2012 Des Moines Welcomes Thousands of Bacon Fans: Only in Iowa will people come together to eat a bunch of bacon-covered bacon. NPR Renee Montagne Feb. 20, 2012 IN THE NEWS

16. Single-Food Festivals Worth a Thousand-Mile Journey: IN THE NEWS What is Better than Bacon? The folks in Des Moines, Iowa have The Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival is a down-home, turf-kicking party. JustLuxe Lena Katz Feb. 1, 2012 come up with an idea. They want to pay homage to a breakfast food. Man, ohhhh, man. ESPN First Take Jay Crawford March, 2012

17. The mother of them all (bacon festivals) is the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival. IN THE NEWS Described as the Mecca of All Bacon Festivals. The Atlantic David Lepeska April 19, 2012 CNBC.com Cindy Perman May 24, 2012

18. OUR COMMUNITY We take our community seriously. Seriously, dudes. Seriously. Thats why a portion of event proceeds along with auction packages have gone to support the following local non-profits: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa Blank Childrens Hospital Boys & Girls Club Central Iowa Shelter Services Childrens Cancer Connection ChildServe Des Moines Derby Dames John Stoddard Cancer Center Habitat for Humanity Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute Hanawalt Elementary School The Iowa Culinary Institute Leukemia Lymphoma Society Mentor Iowa The Principal Charity Classic Salisbury House TRHS Foundation Variety – The Childrens Charity

19. OUR COMMUNITY Over $45,000 raised so far… OHHHH, BACON!

20. THE TOUR The Blue Ribbon Bacon Tour Promotes the Festival Around the World The Tour has Hosted Events In: Keystone, Colorado Nampa, Idaho Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Phoenix, Arizona Reykjavik, Iceland

21. THE TOUR

22. THE TEAM A.K.A. THE IOWA BACON BOARD

23. BROOKS REYNOLDS President & Chairman of Bacon Favorite Festival Memory: The excitement from the first bacon- eating contest. It was such a nice day, we were all outside and it was like a mini bacon stadium. The fervor and what people did to try to win that contest was intense. Area of Expertise: The food guy. The face guy. And, the deal maker. Brooks pairs his talents in philanthropy and insurance sales with his passions for bacon and people to lead the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival into the future.

24. MARSHALL PORTER Chief Bacon Officer Favorite Festival Memory: At the 4 th Annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in 2011, I lead a group of people in executing the largest bacon parachute drop in the history of the world. 500 strips of bacon floating down from the sky. Needless to say, it was an emotional experience. Area of Expertise: The finance guy. The writer. And, the strategist. Marshall uses his talents in brand development and finance to manage the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival brand and keep the organization financially stable.

25. SETH HALL VP of Bacon Enjoyment Favorite Festival Memory: The first OHHHH, BACON! cheer at the First Annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival with 200 of our closest, newest, bacony friends. At that point we knew we had pulled something together special. Area of Expertise: The lets think about this, dude. Seth uses his business development skills and knowledge of the internet, to manage the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival ticketing and check- in systems. He also, keeps the bacon train on its tracks through his experience in managing rapid growth within an organization.

26. MARK PEDERSON Sergeant of Bacon Favorite Festival Memory: "In 2010, standing back and watching over 700 bacon lovers flow through the doors armed with Coors Banquets tallboys in hot pursuit of the Roller Derby Dames, who were rolling around with trays full of bacon burritos and maple bacon donuts." Area of Expertise: The logistics man and the Sergeant. Mark knows how to organize and manage multiple crews of people to accomplish a multitude of objectives. The owner and operator of a first class lawn service and snow removal company, Mark gets the job done. His motto, No one should stand in line for beer or bacon.

27. JOHN TIFFANY BACONnoisseur & Quality Control Favorite Festival Memory: "In 2009, when a group of bacon enthusiasts decided to turn the bacon lectures into a drinking game. When the Bacon Professor said 'bacon' everyone had to drink. Needless to say, I do not encourage this." Area of Expertise: As a Kansas City Barbecue Society Certified Judge, John oversees quality control. He ensures that the bacon is up to snuff. He also does his part in the bacon consumption department.

28. For More Information: Go to www.blueribbonbaconfestival.comwww.blueribbonbaconfestival.com Like Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival via FacebookFacebook Follow @BRBaconFest on Twitter