Kegs with Legs. It’s a catchy name for an event that’s catching our attention.

Put in simplest terms, it’s a monthly happy hour event that promotes networking among creative professionals in the Denver/Boulder area.

A little get-together for creative professionals … okay, so what else is new?

Well, as it turns out, putting Kegs with Legs into simple terms pretty much removes all the imagination and ridiculousness that makes this event so unique and so popular.

With themes like “Paddle Battle,” “Carnival on Colfax,” and “Beer, Ball, and Beef,” Kegs with Legs promises to be the least lame networking event you have ever been to.

Of course, there is a keg involved. The “with legs” part comes into play because the event changes locations each month.

Rotating between Denver and Boulder, one creative agency hosts the event each month.

Kegs with Legs was founded by The Denver Egotist, an anonymously-run website that posts jobs and curates web content with the goal of nurturing the community of Denver creatives.

“Back in 2011 there wasn’t a good opportunity for the Colorado creative community to come together and drink beer on a casual basis,” said an anonymous member of The Denver Egotist’s staff.

“We had speaker events and award shows, but they made you do other stuff to participate—like pay and submit work.”

So, Kegs with Legs was born.

Sukle Advertising & Design held the first event for a group of 40 or so people. Now, a few years later, Kegs with Legs attracts up to 250 locals.

“We’re scheduled a full year in advance with agencies that want to host,” said Tonja Roth, executive director of Ad Club Denver.

“It’s a big deal to host one.”

Ad Club Denver came on board with The Denver Egotist after the 4th or 5th Kegs with Legs to help schedule, market, and fund the event. Using membership and sponsor funds, they provide a keg to each host for their event.

Kegs with Legs has also become a great way for agencies to show off their talent by designing and executing a slew of promo materials for their event.

Competition between agencies to host the best party is all in good fun—elaborate videos, memes, websites, and posters are just some of the ways hosts try to one-up their fellow creatives.

Check out a few of The Denver Egotist’s most memorable Kegs with Legs moments here and here.

Next up to bat is Zerosun Creative, a video production company located in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood.

Their “Welcome to the Universe” themed party on April 30th will be the 50th Kegs with Legs.

Interested in attending? Get the 4-1-1 here.

“In a city like Denver, it’s all about who you know and the relationships you develop, especially for vendors,” said Michelle Havemann, director of production at Zerosun.

“Hosting Kegs with Legs will provide Zerosun the perfect opportunity to show off our crew, space, and capabilities.”

The success of Kegs with Legs has other cities taking note.

San Francisco, St. Louis, and Austin have also started hosting Kegs with Legs events, as each city has their own “Egotist” site.

The whole network of Egotist sites is gearing up to do it eventually. Philadelphia will likely be the next city to pull the trigger, the Denver Egotist said.

With such great attendance, free booze, and viral-worthy campaigns, it’s not hard to see why Kegs with Legs has been so successful among Colorado creatives.

Not to mention it’s a great way for people new to Boulder and Denver to get a foot in the door in this highly competitive field.

“You meet up with old friends and you make new ones. It’s a no pressure networking environment and when people get liquored up they tend to want to make more business contacts.” Havemann said.

by Dani Shae Thompson