HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010 VAD post event report to CSE
2010 Post-Event Report to Commission on Special Events
Event Dates: July 4, 2010
Venues: Parade Route: Golden Peak to Lionshead
Street Entertainment: Lionshead
Patriotic Concert: Ford Amphitheater (VVF)
Fireworks: Golden Peak
Estimated Attendance: 35,000 at Parade; 500 at Fireworks (weather)
Event Components:
Vail America Days Parade (61 entries)
Colo. Air National Guard flyover/Four bands—Two marching, two performance
Free Street Entertainment by various parade entertainers in Lionshead after parade ending
Vail America Days Advertising included “Master Calendar” listing of all Vail activities
for the holiday weekend featuring:
Patriotic Concert
Bravo! Concert
Lacrosse Shootout Tournament schedule
Dobson Skating Show
Vail Hill Climb
TOV Public Information
Fireworks
Sound systems along parade route on Gore Creek Drive and Lionshead Parking Structure
Parade sponsors were: Town of Vail, Gallegos Corporation, KZYR and Vail Daily
TV8 filming of Parade for re-broadcast
Event Marketing Plan
Breakdown of spending Vail America Days advertising dollars:
Vail Daily: Half - page; Full page, and Pull-out section ads/
14 days prior and leading up to July 4
Event Posters 500 (5 ½’x 8 ½”) pamphlets
Event Information Pamphlets: Distributed via the Information Centers and to all lodges,
Concierges, Front Desks – 10,000 total
Local Radio ads: 60 second spots/7 days prior and leading up to July 4 on all local
Stations including KTUN, KZYR, KSKE and JackFM
Town of Vail website Event schedule link
TV8 and Plum TV interviews on the holiday weekend
Event Strengths:
Parade participation—more Community floats than ever, business participation was up
Crowd participation and enthusiasm contributed to large attendance numbers (i.e. 900 cars parked on Frontage Road)
Internal departmental support—bus re-routing, public works, police, fire, communications all worked together for a positive guest experience
Advertising message from all entities was consistent with each other
Challenges/Suggestions for Improvement:
Parade management: Address safety issues in reference to the following: closing gaps in entries along route; candy-throwing; adding/changing location of performance areas; quantity
of entries
Fireworks show was inadequate
Potential funding for larger event
Event Survey Results:
Average Age: 47
Gender: 54% Male; 46% Female
Average Group Size: 5.42
Average Nights Stayed: 5.37
44.9% were locals; 24.3% were in-state day visitors; 30.8% out-of-state visitors
52% of those staying overnight were staying in Vail
Average spend on Paid Lodging in Vail: $656
Average spend on Dining/Drinks in Vail: $137
Average spend on Retail in Vail: $82
Average spend on Activities in Vail: $34
83% of respondents came to Vail specifically for the parade
Local Newspaper was selected most (80%) when asked How they heard about America Days
Overall satisfaction: 4.6 on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 = extremely satisfied)
Intent to Return: 96% rated Very likely or Extremely likely
If guests could make on change: Increase the pace, increase floats and marching bands, and tighten up the parade in general
Contribution to Sense of Community
Vail America Days contributes to Vail’s sense of community in the following ways:
1) Festival creates celebratory atmosphere throughout Town:
The Vail America Days parade attracts spectators from throughout the County. Spectators are visitors as well as residents of the area. The participation of the business community and
non-profit groups in the Festival theme keeps the parade vital and upbeat. The addition of music is important to keeping the parade fresh.
2) Working with local non-profit groups:
The Vail America Days committee invites local non-profits to team up with local businesses to participate in the parade. Approximately 50% of the parade entries continue to be non-profit
groups. The local veterans and community youth groups are the largest participants in the parade.
Vail America Days’ “Green” Efforts:
Free distribution of 2,500 packets of wildflower seeds, keeping with theme of “America the Beautiful”.
Distribution of reusable bags with event logo
Limited distribution of plastic water bottles along parade route
Recycling containers along parade route and in Vail Village and Lionshead by TOV public works department