As founder and tournament director of the Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival, I combined competitive water polo with accessible inner tube games and drag entertainment, creating an engaging platform that introduces new players while strengthening the lgbtqia+ water polo community.
Pioneering an Inclusive Water Polo Event Experience
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My Role
Tournament Director & Marketing Lead
Team
4 Tournament Directors (Including Myself)
6 Committee Members
16 Day-of Volunteers
Design Timeline
2 Day Tournament
4 Nightly Social Events
8 Months of Planning
This is an image from the inner tube water portion of the tournament
Limited opportunities existed for LGBT athletes in mid-sized cities, particularly in water polo where inclusive spaces were rare and sustainability was challenging.
As a pioneering LGBT water polo team in the smallest U.S. city to have one, we faced unique challenges in establishing our presence and building lasting connections. I saw an opportunity to create more than just a tournament—a transformative annual event that could bridge communities and showcase inclusive athletics.
This is my latest logo design for RMOF
How might we create a sustainable, signature event that celebrates LGBT athletes while making water polo accessible to our broader community?
What innovative elements could help us build lasting partnerships with traditional water polo teams?
Prior water polo tournaments focused solely on competition, missing the opportunity to advocate for LGBT athletes and engage the wider community. We needed to reimagine the tournament format to create connections between competitive players, local teams, and curious newcomers while championing inclusivity in athletics.
As the smallest city in the United States with an LGBT water polo team, we needed to create a sustainable and distinctive tournament that would attract teams nationally while introducing water polo to our local community. Traditional tournament formats weren't enough—we needed to innovate to survive, activate our communities interest, and thrive.
Core Objectives
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Design a hybrid tournament format combining competitive water polo with accessible public participation
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Create an annual signature event that strengthens LGBT athletics in our region
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Build lasting partnerships between LGBT and traditional water polo communities
Project Stakeholders
Internal
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Denver Squid Water Polo Team
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Tournament Committee
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Volunteers
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Drag Performers
External
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Venue Partners
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Sponsors & Vendors
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Local LGBT Community External
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IGLA Water Polo Teams
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Local Water Polo Community
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Solution & Development
Creating a unique tournament experience revealed how critical innovative event design is in fostering inclusive sports communities. Getting the format right meant understanding not just how to engage competitive players, but how to make water polo accessible and entertaining for everyone.
I developed and executed key elements of the tournament:
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Designed a hybrid competition format combining traditional water polo matches with inner tube games
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Integrated drag performances as showcase entertainment between matches
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Created comprehensive registration systems and promotional strategies
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Developed tournament branding and merchandise design
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Founded a core dedicated team that could assist with managed volunteer coordination and event logistics
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Established partnerships with local aquatic facilities and water polo teams
This is a recap video I created from footage the videographer captured during RMOF 2022
My role encompassed both strategic vision and hands-on execution, from initial concept development through successful implementation. The result was a distinctive tournament that strengthens our team's presence locally, creating now one of the most renown adult's water polo tournaments nationwide, all while advancing LGBT inclusion in athletics.
This is the 2024 RMOF promotional Graphic & Logo redesign I created
Marketing & Brand Development
I seized a unique opportunity during COVID restrictions to establish distinctive tournament branding that would attract teams eager to return to competition. The cornerstone was our cleverly subversive name—Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival—playing on the local delicacy while creating an instantly memorable brand through an oyster logo featuring a water polo ball as its pearl.
My creative direction and execution included:
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Annual logo redesigns and branded graphics that captured Colorado's outdoor culture
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Development of merchandise incorporating the mountain lifestyle aesthetic
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Creation of social media campaigns mixing water polo culture with local humor
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Design of promotional materials embracing Colorado's iconic sticker art style
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Management of email marketing campaigns targeting IGLA teams and local players
The visual strategy deliberately merged water polo imagery with Colorado's distinct outdoor identity, creating marketing materials that resonated with both the local community and visiting teams. This approach helped establish the tournament as a must-attend event that balanced professional sports competition with playful, regional charm.
This is a 2023 graphic I developed experimenting with AI
This is the graphic style I created for the 2022 RMOF
Takeaways
The Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival has evolved from an innovative concept into a cornerstone event in LGBT water polo, consistently drawing teams from across North America for the past four years.
Our unique blend of competitive sport, inclusive gameplay, and entertainment has earned recognition as one of the nation's best-organized water polo tournaments. This success stems from both our dedicated organizing committee and strong international support, proving that innovative tournament design and thoughtful community engagement can create lasting impact even in unexpected markets.
Want to see more?
I am happy to talk through the marketing, event organization, and design work of the Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival during a scheduled call.