Staging Successful Festivals allianceadvantage@sympatico.ca
Special Events & Festivals What is a festival or special event? A festival/event is a themed public celebration offered for a limited time only, annually or less frequently Characteristics include it’s open to the public; has a predetermined opening and closing date; does not own permanent structures and occurs in a municipality or region Events can be 1 day to a month long including a variety of activities Nearly every community has some type of celebration and they all share one common identity; they bring together people to celebrate an event in the life of the community Benefits of Festivals Tourism Draw Creates Positive self-image for community Creates community profile Venue for community participation (Scouts etc.) Revenue generator for tourism activities
VISITORS BRING MUCH NEEDED $$$ TO TOWN In Ontario more than 1850 events generate $2.3 billion impact 50,000 year round jobs annually Tulip Festival - $10 Million Winterlude - $42 Million Plowing Match - $20 Million Pumpkinfest - $2.4 Million 55+ Senior Games - $3 Million 1812 Bicentennial – $25 Million
Understanding the Spinoff Factor 1 st $ is usually spent for food accommodation and transportation 2 nd $ is also major (i.e. waitress made increased tips, then bought paint) 3 rd $ is if enough waitresses bought paint, then paint store owner buys furniture or lumber etc. Pre $ spent on advertising, groceries, local subcontractors, facility rentals, part-time staff Non-profit groups sponsoring a fundraising booth will bring new $’s to the community
Pre-$$$ Direct Benefits of 3 Festivals Held in Owen Sound Materials & Supplies $36,000 Advertising/Marketing $42,000 Local Entertainers $20,000 Local Non-Profit Groups $13,000 Part-time Employees $ 6,000 New Facility Rentals $18,000 TOTAL $135,000
IPM Spending - $2 Million • Road preparation by local contractors • Major advertising on radio and in print • 80 area bands performed on 7 stages • Major construction of stages, stables, booths • Rental of community halls – 3 yrs. of meetings • Gardening companies had huge contracts • Major supplies needed to feed 1500 volunteers
Know Your Audience Attract them with a hook – Your theme Meet their Needs – Instant Gratification • Uniqueness • Value for their Buck • Fun or Wacky • Something for Everyone in Family • Educational or Heritage • Attack their Senses – sight, sound, smell Quality not Quantity Counts Timing & Length is Important • 1 day, 2 day or week • Pick a consistent date • Know your competition There should be total immersion into your package. Bigger’s not Better
Themes Harvest, Winter, Summer, the 50’s, Folk Music, Wind, Outhouses, Fireworks, Ice Cream, Xmas, Scottish, Jamaican, Flowers, Water, Agriculture, Car Shows, Teddy Bears, Strawberries, Canada, etc. List everything to comes to mind with your theme: Related Phrases Related Songs Related Movies Related Characters Related Props Related Foods Related Sponsors Related Colours
Black Fly Festival A Wind Festival Pop-Fly Ball Tournament Building & Painting “Fly In My Soup” Contest Windmills Flying Wind kites “Fly By the Seat of My Pants” Windsurfing Challenges Wind Chimes Fly Fishing Tournament Wind Turbines “Fly by Night” Dance Wind Farting Contests Kite Flying Contest Hot Air Balloons Shoe-Fly Bake Off Wind Instruments
Make sure your event is fun, family and affordable
Turn event grounds into a tent city & guarantee fewer weather worries!
TENTED CITY AT THE 2007 INTERNATIONAL PLOWING MATCH
Your Event Can Be Staged at Different Venues Throughout Your Town
Thousands of visitors enjoy a downtown Car Show
Craft Shows are popular with visitors & provide vendor revenue
Inflatables provide a great challenge especially for teens!
A Survivor Boot Camp Obstacle Course Can Be A Great Challenge
Providing a variety of fun, low cost activities keep families coming back year after year!
Do the little extras to make sure your attraction is special
Don’t be afraid to have some fun with your theme & do the unusual
Something For Everyone
The whole community pitches in - more than 2000 volunteers!
Fundraising Option – 90% Groups doing various types of fundraising - A Harvest Dinner - A Hot Dog Booth - An Evening Dance - Face-Painting - A Bake Table - A Raffle Groups totally arrange all their booth needs. The financial arrangement would be 90% to the group and 10% to event after expenses. This 10% is applied to the service contracts paid out to other groups.
Fundraising Option – 75% Groups appointed by event to run a direct event/attraction for the committee: - A Children’s Carnival - Lions Club Beef Barbecue - A Sports Tournament - A Haunted House Event organizers book the facilities, obtain equipment and advertise for the group. The financial arrangement is 75% to group and 25% to the event after expenses.
NON-PROFIT GROUPS OPTIONS Service Contracts G roups contracted by event organizers to perform a fee for service. Contracts can be for jobs such as: - Parking - Garbage Pickup - Installing Signage - Security - Site Cleanup
Community Volunteers Organizations at events who operate an info type booth, with no fundraising occurring, provide 3 hours of volunteer labour Individuals who wish to help with the event can do so in any capacity as a community volunteer or committee member. Put a priority on providing these volunteers with some form of appreciation
Types of Sponsorships
Sponsorship Opportunities Facility Rental Event Entertainment Event Radio Ads Event TV Ads Event Tickets Event Decorations Official Drink Supplier Info Booth Volunteer Appreciation Event Stage Event Program Event Music Event Lighting Event Title Event News Ads Prize Tables Guest Accommodations Guest Food
Create Partnerships That Benefit Both You and Your Sponsor
Unusual Sponsorships Make a Difference
Suggested Budget Categories - Admission Fees/Gates - Marketing, Promotion - Volunteer App. - Transportation - Signage - Staffing Costs - Site Setup - Administration/Office - Advertising - Medical/First Aid - Security - Public Relations - Sponsorship - Insurance/Legal/Permits - Facility Rentals - Vendor Fees - Food/Beverage
Accessing Grants • Ontario Trillium Foundation • Ontario Ministry of Tourism • Ontario Sport & Recreation Communities Fund • Ontario Sport Hosting Program • Ontario Ministry of Health – Healthy Communities Fund • Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities • Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund • Canadian Heritage • Ontario Arts Council
Staging Outdoor Events Event Site Requirements: Food & Beverage Power Parking Emergency Services Safety Fencing Portable Washrooms Concessions Gates Staging/Lighting Sound Tents Waste Management Signage Security Location Is Key: For Visitor Accessibility Noise – Pick a site to address your noise level Risk Management – Handling Crowds Safely Evacuation – Of visitors, volunteers, staff Weather Conditions – Cancellation - Tents Lay of the Land- Underground Services Permits & Licences : Food Handling – Health Department Parking – Police Department Occupancy & Pyrotechnics – Fire Dept. Special Occasion Permits – LCBO Music – SOCAN Street Closures, Noise, Hawkers/Peddlers – Town Council
Emergency Prepardness Do detailed layout of grounds & give to emergency personnel and security Assess the capability of your emergency team Identify who knows site setup Have a cell-phone & radio equipment on hand Assign spokesperson in case of emergency Whatever the situation – record details of it Expect the unexpected If serious injury – don’t hesitate – send to hospital Have a plan for extreme weather conditions When accident is over – convene key players together for facts & reports In evacuation – stay calm – move people quickly – no refunds at this time Prepare for excessive news coverage Prepare for a lawsuit Give out your emergency procedure to everyone
The Dream Became a Reality
Access Support Systems This Centre is now managed by volunteers from the Almonte Civitan Club in Almonte, Ontario Contact Mike at eventscentre@almontecivitan.com
Event Items that add to Event’s Success
Good Signage Makes A Huge Difference
A Huge Inventory that Grows Annually
Centre Offers Great Children’s Games
Rules of “DOVE” DELAY JUDGEMENT OFFBEAT Ideas VOLUME of Ideas EXPAND on Ideas
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