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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Special Events SurveyAGENDA STATEMENT PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION MEETING DATE: March 21, 2011 SUBJECT: Special Events Survey Report by John Hartnett, Heritage & Cultural Arts Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1. Day on the Glen 2009 Budget 2. Special Events Survey RECOMMENDATION: Receive report and recommend the preferred event theme to the City Council FINANCIAL STATEMENT: The net cost to the City for the 2009 Day on the Glen Festival was $65,600 BACKGROUND: At the March 16, 2010 meeting of the City Council, Staff was directed to discontinue the Day on the Glen Festival for 2010. It was felt that taking some time off from the event would allow Staff to survey the community and re-evaluate the event to determine if the funding allocated for the festival could be better spent on other programs or services. Staff has conducted a survey of the community, in which over 530 residents provided input on what they value about special events and festivals. The survey results demonstrate there is significant community support to continue offering a second festival in addition to Dublin's St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Staff recommends offering a second festival starting in fall 2012 that would incorporate some of the popular elements of Day on the Glen, yet have a new theme and features. DAY ON THE GLEN FESTIVAL HISTORY The Day on the Glen Festival (DOTG) was first held in 2001 as a one-day event at Emerald Glen Park. The preliminary goals for the event were as follows: • Plan and manage a family oriented festival that encourages visitors to remain at the festival for an extended period of time; • Create unique activities that will distinguish the event from other festivals; • Utilize the festival to acquaint new residents to Dublin and enhance community spirit; • Create significant exposure and awareness of the event in the community; • Provide professional entertainment for both children and adults; • Offer unique visitor experiences that are interactive; • Encourage participation by a variety of local restaurants; • Provide opportunities for non-profit organizations to provide festival workers as a fundraiser; • Create partnerships with the business community and encourage sponsor involvement in the event. In 2002 the event was expanded to two days and remained a two-day event through the 2009 event. The event was traditionally held in September of each year. COPIES TO: ITEM NO.: 8.1 G:\PARKS C0MMISSI0N\AGNDSTMT\2011\3-21 Item- Day on the Glen (2).doc The event was coordinated by Staff from the Parks and Community Services Department. Logistical support was provided by Public Works, Police and Fire. All other City Departments were involved in the City Hall Tent, which provided information on City services and updates on both City and private development projects. DOTG typically featured the following components: City Hall Tent; other Government Agency Booths (Dublin Unified School District, Dublin Public Library, Dublin San Ramon Services District, etc.); Children's Activities (Carnival Rides, Jump Houses, Games, Tot Play Area); Entertainment (Main Stage and Community Stage); Non-Profit and Commercial Booths; Sports Competitions (Skateboard, Volleyball, Basketball and Tennis); and Food Booths. Additionally an evening concert was held for four of the nine years of the event. With the exception of the 25`h anniversary concert and fireworks, the evening concerts were generally not well attended relative to the cost associated with the concerts. The following table captures key data for the last five years of the event (2005-2009): 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Theme None Fun For the 25` Anniversary A World of Fun Animal Whole Family Celebration Adventure Food/Snack Booths 11 12 10 12 11 Non-Profit Booths 19 24 27 26 30 Commercial Vendors 59 40 40 38 39 Sponsor $11,250 $21,000 $18,000 $17,800 $14,000 Income Estimated Attendance 10,000 12,000 13,000 14,000 13,000 The costs associated with the 2009 DOTG Festival are shown in Attachment 1. These costs do not reflect the Staff time associated with planning and conducting the event. It is estimated that 20% of a Recreation Coordinator's time was spent on this event. This time was reallocated during FY 2010-2011 to coordinate the grand opening of Fallon Sports Park and assist with preparations for the operation of the new Dublin Heritage Park and Museums. Furthermore, these costs do not reflect the Staff time associated with coordinating the City Hall Tent, which is done primarily by Staff from the City Manager's office with assistance by each operating department. COMMUNITY INPUT Once the decision was reached to cancel the 2010 DOTG Festival, the Parks and Community Services Commission and City Council suggested that Staff seek input on the community's vision for special events in Dublin to ensure the funds expended for DOTG best meet the needs of residents, who place a high value on events and festivals according to the 2008 Parks and Community Services Strategic Plan. It was felt that this would help the City better understand if there is a need to make changes to the Day on the Glen theme and activities, or if it would be better to realign these resources for other programs or services that would better meet the needs of residents. In mid November, Staff sent out the "City of Dublin Special Events Survey" (Attachment 2) to gather information and opinions from Dublin residents on City special events in general and specifically, on the past DOTG events. 2of5 A total of 539 survey responses were received, which is considered a good-sized sampling. The ethnic backgrounds of those responding seemed to be similar to the makeup of the community; although it was more heavily weighted by respondents who are female in the age range of 35-44 years. Overall, Staff considers the sampling to be representative of the community. In reviewing the responses, some of the key findings that caught Staffs attention are as follows: • The most important factors influencing respondents' decisions to attend a festival were time with family, affordability and entertainment. • 71% of respondents had attended the Day on the Glen Festival in the past (60% had attended the St. Patrick's Day Celebration) • 51% of those who had attended Day on the Glen rated it as good; 79% would have attended in 2010, had DOTG not been canceled • Of those who had not attended Day on the Glen, the number one reason was they did not know about the festival. The other significant reason was that the activities planned did not appeal to their household. • Respondents are most likely to attend events that have a theme around a holiday, music or food. They are least likely to attend a children's themed event. Art and culturally themed events were also rated a lower priority. • The following festival or special event activities were rated as the most essential in determining whether a respondent would attend an event in ranked order: 1) Convenient Parking 2) Children's Activities 3) Arts & Crafts Booths 4) Live Music 5) Restaurant Booths Some general comments from respondents suggested the following: • Provide more adult activities at the Festival • Have better food vendors (more upscale and local restaurants) and also make food affordable • Have a more culturally diverse presence with food booths • Provide more music of a higher quality and/or present local bands that have a following • Have a community cook off (such as a Chili Festival or BBQ Festival) • Have an event that reflects the City's heritage • Consider an arts & wine element • Have a higher level of arts & crafts vendors • Do a better job of marketing the event • Parking is perceived as an issue NEW FESTIVAL CONCEPTS Staff recommends reintroducing a festival during fall of 2012. The festival would have a new name and theme that have more of a hook than Day on the Glen. The event could have some of the popular components from Day on the Glen such as the carnival rides, children's entertainment and the City Hall Tent. In addition Staff would add new components related to the theme, as well as more adult activities. Based on the survey results the most popular event themes would be around a holiday, food or music. Therefore, Staff recommends two alternatives to Day on the Glen as follows: 1. Oktoberfest 2. Blues and BBQ Fest 3 of 5 OKTOBERFEST Dublin's Oktoberfest would focus on the German cultural aspects of this popular event and less on beer drinking. The event would have bands playing German music, and people could wander around listening to music, eating classic German and Bavarian foods, and looking at traditional crafts. An area could also be setup for tasting different German imported beers as well as local microbreweries. Event vendors, staff and those attending could dress in traditional Bavarian costume when they attend Oktoberfest, to get into the spirit of things. This event would draw on Dublin's heritage, which in addition to the Irish was also significantly German and Dutch. If this theme was selected Staff would consider holding the event the last weekend in September or the first weekend in October, which are the traditional dates for the event in Germany each year. There are some other Oktoberfest events in Bay Area cities including Oakland, Campbell, San Francisco and San Jose that may pose some competition for an event in Dublin. DUBLIN BLUES FESTIVAL Since musical events were popular with survey respondents, an alternative could be to create the event theme around a particular genre of music. If this is the preferred theme, Staff recommends a community celebration centered around one of America's most enduring musical forms-the blues. Staff recommends focusing on the blues genre because it has so many different sub-genres that can appeal to a wider range of musical tastes than other genres. This includes jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, zydeco and even bluegrass. Dublin has an active group of bluegrass enthusiasts that jam weekly at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums. This event could be a "Family Blues Picnic" since people typically attend music festivals for a full day. The family could base themselves on a piece of grass at the main stage, which would feature headline acts. Other activities and attractions would be spread across the park for people to go explore throughout the day and in between acts. A BBQ cook off would be held during the festival. Staff would strive to feature local restaurants and barbecue "pros" that could support the picnic theme. Some blues festivals feature a "Blues and Brews" theme. Similar to the Oktoberfest an area could be setup of for beer tasting and competition. Smaller stages could be setup for local entertainers, youth bands, music education workshops, children's programming and jam sessions with festival artists and special guests. There are over 10 cities in the greater Bay Area that host blues festivals throughout the year. The closest is in Pleasanton, which is held in conjunction with the Alameda County Fair for the Fourth of July holiday. SUMMARY Staff recommends not offering a new event until 2012 or later, when hopefully the City budget can absorb the additional costs associated with a major event. Staff anticipates that re-introducing DOTG or a second large-scale festival will cost more than in the past, since revenue from sponsors and vendors would dip in the first year, as the event establishes a track record. There would also be a need to budget more for advertising and promotion as evidenced by the results of the community survey. Re-introducing the event may also require a larger budget for entertainment and attractions to create more of a hook for the event. Pausing for one more year will also provide ample time to redevelop the festival around a new theme that provides entertainment value and attractions that will be well received by the community. In addition the new Farmers Market at Emerald Glen Park and the new special events at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums will provide many of the elements the community valued about Day on the Glen. 4of5 At this point, Staff is seeking a recommendation from the Commission for the preferred event theme, and on program elements that should be added to a new festival. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Parks and Community Services Commission receive the report and recommend the preferred event theme to the City Council. 5 of 5