Soaking in the views. Swaying to the music. Spilling drinks.
It’s part of the experience at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Frequent attendees of shows at the iconic concert venue, such as Megan Clark, have stories about beverage spillage, often a side effect of skinny, slanted rows and packed crowds.
Clark, who also works security at Red Rocks, has stories about fistfights over a recently purchased beer being knocked over. She’s picked up piles of wet blankets, beanies or sweatshirts left behind because, presumably, their owners didn’t care to carry beer-soaked belongings back to their cars.
“I worked 25 or so shows last season,” she said. “Every single show, there was some sort of issue.”
Clark saw a problem. Her solution? Red Rock Cup Holder.
She designed the device to clip into the venue’s wooden benches and hang below, carefully cradling a can or cup.
The custom cup holder isn’t affiliated with the amphitheater, but has been approved by Clark’s managers, she said. It will be sold, for $20, online as well as on site.
“When you’re spending $15 for a beer, it feels like a good enough investment,” she said.
Clark launched the product online in early April. Comments rolled in, saying, “Smart idea” and “I want one!”
Some friends have suggested pitching the product on a show such as “Shark Tank.”
“That’s great and all, but I literally made it for Red Rocks,” Clark, 31, said. “It’s such a unique niche thing.”
Clark spent the last several months working on the idea, which has come to life in time for the beginning of the concert season. She’s starting small, but she sees big potential for the cup holder. She’s donating 5% of sales to Friends of Red Rocks, which goes to the park’s conservation efforts.
“I want to revolutionize the Red Rocks experience,” Clark said. “I want to keep the magic alive. When you’re stumbling over beer cans, the magic kind of dies.”
For more info about the cup holder, visit stopwastingbeer.com.
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