Cal Poly won the Up & Up competition for the second year in a row. Matroda, an EDM artist, will headline at the Madonna Expo Center on Oct. 30.
The Up & Up Festival presale competition challenged college campuses nationwide to register the most presale tickets in 48 hours, with the top five schools earning a concert featuring an emerging EDM artist.
Cal Poly secured the top spot, along with the University of Oregon, Miami University, California State University, Fullerton and San José State University respectively.
The competition took place from Sept. 17-19, coinciding with Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome (WOW).
Mathematics junior Katie Pierce led the Up & Up Ambassadors events team and organized outreach events, specifically the “Week of Wubz” campaign during WOW.
The campaign featured ambassadors partnering with local businesses such as Deltina Coffee Roasters, Sun Day Carwash and Woodstock’s Pizza. Promotions with these partners offered students discounts with these local businesses, while also supporting the presale competition.
“This year, we relied heavily on our team of ambassadors and our network,” Pierce said. “I spent at least two hours every day texting every group chat I am in to get every person I am remotely connected to purchase a presale ticket.”
Most schools participating in the competition had already been on campus for a month due to the semester system. However, the majority of Cal Poly students were not on campus.
To further engage students, Up & Up partnered with Cal Poly’s New Student and Transition Programs and WOW. Ambassadors provided WOW groups with a $3 discount code, and the leaders with the most uses received one to two free tickets to the Matroda concert at the Madonna Expo Center.
“It gave incentive for freshmen participating in WOW and WOW leaders to tell their friends,” Pierce said.
Up & Up ambassadors are currently holding a DJ competition until Oct. 12 for student musicians to win a spot to open for Matroda. According to Up & Up SLO’s Instagram, applicants must submit a 20-minute mix showcasing their skills, along with any past performance experience.
Last spring, DJ Disco Lines headlined Up & Up’s Festival. Up & Up’s lead ambassadors for Cal Poly, communications senior Kailey Dodson and journalism senior Kate Lowpensky, aim to make this year’s event even better.
“I am excited to take it to the next level,” Dodson said. “There are so many unknowns about throwing together a show to this degree in SLO, especially EDM. Madonna Expo Center is a huge venue and that brings a lot of pressure.”
Matroda tickets are still available to purchase at the Up & Up Festival website for $37. Attendees must be 18 years or older, according to the website.
“I bought my ticket last year for Disco Lines and didn’t hesitate to purchase my presale ticket for Matroda,” economics senior Cindy Larios said. “I am so excited to be able to go to such a fun concert in SLO and support an up-and-coming artist.”