HomeMy WebLinkAboutFarmers Market RFP12Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
2012 June 17th
- Sept 16th
CSE Funding Application
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
Proposed Dates: June 17th- Sept 16th
2012 Sundays from 10 AM-3:30 PM (actual event)
Funding Requested: $44,000
Producing Entity:
Meadow Drive Partnership
1. President or Executive Director’s Name: Marc LeVarn
2. Name and Title of Person Completing the Application: Angela Mueller
3.Address: PO Box 1978 Vail, CO 81658
4. Contact Info: Telephone: 970-476-1281 Cell: 970-401-3320 FAX: 970-476-1281
E-Mail Address: mueller.a@comcast.net
5.WEBSITE:= www.vailfarmersmarket.com
6.Number of Years your organization has been in business:Ten years
7.Mission Statement: Promote and enhance business on Meadow Drive
Organization's tax status ____ Non-Profit*____ Not-for-Profit* X
Non-Profit (501C-3), or Not-for-Profit (501C-6) organizations, please attach current State
Department of Revenue Certificate with this application. See Attached
Tax payer ID#__74-3046250
Does the Event benefit a charity? Yes _____ No X
If yes, please name the beneficiary:
Vail Farmers Market and Art Show
Event Description:
1. Brief Description of Event and activities:
The Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show is the most well attended event
in Vail. The 2012 event had the parking garage full for 14 Sundays. The
market is also the largest in Colorado, with over 129 tents. We have a
variety of musical entertainment each week. The activities for children
are especially popular. They are diverse and include a mechanical bull,
free balloons, caricatures, train rides and more.
The market has created a sense of community in Vail. Locals enjoy
lunch and purchase produce and original crafts. Tourists enjoy the
colorful activities, and purchase items that will continue to remind them
of their special time here. We have not only brought people into Vail
every Sunday all summer long, we have provided them with an
enjoyable experience that we believe will prompt them to return.
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
2. Describe where event will be located within the Town of Vail:
The Market will be located on Meadow Drive from Vail Road to the Covered Bridge.
3. Will any portion of the event take place outside of the Town of Vail?
_______Yes X No If yes, please explain
4. Will additional in-kind services be required from the Town of Vail? Yes X No ____
If yes, please explain, including a description of anticipated impacts on Town of Vail
services: i.e. bus service, parking, traffic control, street closures, etc. The event
promoter will be charged for all labor, materials and equipment unless such services
are specifically exempted and approved as part of the Special Event Permit.
Meadow Drive will need to be closed to buses and vehicle traffic. The in kind funding was
requested from TOV Council for traffic control, temporary bus stop signs, parking signs,
trash and recycling pickup, electrical connections, etc. to run a large, successful market.
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
5. Is this a: New event ____ Existing event X Number of years in existence 10
Location(s) of event in previous years:
East Meadow Drive from Vail Road to the Covered Bridge and Willow Bridge Road to Check
point Charlie
6.People:
Number of participants (athletes, artists, exhibitors, etc.) anticipated 130
Number of volunteers needed 5 Number of event staff 4-5
Total Number of spectators anticipated 165,000
Local 20% In-state (non-local) 49% Out of State 31%
Based on survey results we compiled
7. Brief description of potential benefits to the Town of Vail, including an estimated # of
incremental room nights and increased spending generated.
The Market has made a genuine effort to advertise in papers we feel will bring in weekend visitors.
Our advertising included events happening in Vail, and this decision has definitely encouraged a
feeling of community.
We bring people into our community, and this summer alone, we have brought close to 165,000
people into our town. Tourists want to attend the farmers’ market during their visit. We often hear
people comment that they have lengthened their stay in Vail so they can attend.
We have seen an increase in locals from Gypsum and Eagle coming up to Vail to enjoy the day.
Many businesses tell us that Sunday is their busiest day and without the customers the Market
brings to town they would be suffering even more financially.
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
8. What mechanism are you using to direct non-local attendees to Vail lodging options?
We have advertised our event with Vail Resorts campaign, and the ads include a “call to action” with a phone number, website and hotel rate provided by the Vail Local Marketing District. Our advertising includes all local events, and that provides individuals with even more reason to come to Vail. The hotels have our information to give out to their customers. As stated above, the Vail Farmers Market gives tourists a reason to come into town for the day, it is not a concurrent event, but spread out. The Vail Farmers Market increased participation in all summer events by reaching folks who had never been reached before. Our ads encouraged folks to come to Vail for multiple days for multiple events and to stay overnight in Vail hotels.
9. What return on investment should the Town of Vail expect?
The sales tax number had had records for 2011. We know that the market brought in more people than we have ever seen. We have had 15 Sundays each summer, bringing in 8,000 and up to 14,000 people a Sunday. The advertising of Vail Events for the summer and early fall helps bring people into town. The Market has become a reason to come to Vail. The visitors shop and eat both at the Market and in the Village. Sales and taxes are generated by many other local merchants and restaurants that benefit from the thousands of additional visitors in Vail every Sunday.
Should the CSE decide not to support this event, will it still occur?
Yes _______ No X
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
2. Describe briefly how you will use the funds that you are requesting from the CSE.
The requested funds are the essential part of the Market’s 2012 budget. The funds allow us to advertise in the Mountain communities, Front Range and Western Colorado, and seven mountain newspapers and eleven radio stations. Vail is a tourist market and without the advertising, we would see a significant reduction in tourist visitors from our 2011 numbers. We use our funds to help advertise the Town of Vail, as a whole, while we advertise for the market. We include Vail Events in our ads. Examples would include the following:
the Summer Nights Free Concert
Vail Jazz at the Market
Vail Jazz at Vail Square
Vail Street Sale
Gourmet on Gore
Bravo
Vail Jazz Party
Rotary Duck Race
Lionshead Antique Show and Art Show
Oktoberfest.
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
We will use the funds from CSE and our sponsorships to ensure we do not run on a loss. We also invite local non profits to participate at the Market, with no vendor fee, only the sales tax license. We keep 1-2 tents a week for non profits such as
Betty Ford Alpine Garden
The Nature Center
Vail Rec District
the Rotary
Vail Gymnastics
The funds will allow us to continue presenting the event for 14 Sundays on Meadow Drive. The funds will help ensure our management team stays in place.
3. Should the CSE decide not to support this event, will it still occur? No
4. What % of the total event budget is the CSE being asked to fund?
34%
5. What is the $ amount of sponsorships from alternative sources reflected in the event budget?
$13,000
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
6. What % of the total event budget do you expect the event itself to generate? (i.e. ticket sales, merchandise, food and alcohol sales, etc.) 55%
7. If possible, would you intend to host the event in Vail beyond 2012? If yes, for how many years beyond 2012?
Yes, Annually for 14 Sundays a summer
8. Do you anticipate requesting funding from the CSE next year? If yes, given that the CSE encourages the development of additional sponsors in order to leverage their own investments, and anticipates that as events become established they will become less reliant on public funds, what %, if any, of the total event budget do you anticipate requesting next year?
Yes, Our goal has been to seek sponsorships that will allow our event to become less financially reliant on the town of Vail. For the 2012 season we will be relying on more sponsorship dollars. We have asked for exactly what we need to make the market happen. We request 34% of our budget from the Town of Vail for the 2012 Vail Farmers Market .
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
Marketing plan and detailed explanation of potential for sponsorships and media exposure
The marketing plan will be to continue our advertising in newspapers
•The Vail Daily we will run 6 full page ads per week,
•The Summit Daily 2 full pages per week,
• Leadville Chronicle 1 full page ad per week,
•Glenwood Post one full page ad per week,
•the Aspen Times 1 full page ad per week,
•The Ft Collins Now 1/3 page ad per week,
•the Greeley Tribune 1/3 page ad per week,
•the Sky Hi Daily News 1 full page ad per week
• the Grand Junction Daily News One full page ad per week.
•The radio stations that we are utilizing are Mountain Radio: KZYR, KRYSTAL, KSKE, KQSE, KTUN, JACK FM,
KNFO, KCMV.
•Press releases will be sent to concierges, visitor info centers, newspapers, radio, etc to gain the free word of
mouth and media exposure. Private newsletters (condos, real estate, etc.) have promoted the Market as an
exciting event in Vail. We worked this summer and will continue in 2012, advertising Vail:
•Vail Summer Nights Concerts,
•Jazz at the Market
•Jazz at Vail Square
•Vail Street Sale
•Bravo Events
•Gourmet on Gore
•Vail Jazz Party
•Rotary Duck Race
•Oktoberfest
• Lionshead Antique Show and Art Show are events included in ads to promote Vail Adventures.
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
We are working with some potential sponsors. We have seen that with the
sponsorships from the Vail Daily, if we were to pay for this we would be paying
$200,000. They have done an amazing sponsorship for our Market. We will keep the
town apprised of any corporate sponsors that may come through.
Previous year’s event evaluation, including income and expense statement
The 2012 Vail Farmers’ Market & Art show surpassed the 2011 event, which was a huge success.
The parking structure was full for 14 Sundays from June 19 till September 25. The frontage road
had cars to Gerald Ford Park. We have watched the market grow and bring more people in each
Sunday of the summer.. The sales for June and July have shown us that we have had a banner
year. The locals and business owners have said repeatedly this summer that they would not have
people in town without the market. The locals say that they enjoy coming into Vail with their
families. See the attached income and expense statement. (Page 5)
Past or projected demographics of event attendees and spending:
The surveys we did this summer showed us that the customer base was couples and families.
When we spoke with the businesses they expressed that the market has made their summer and
every Sunday they have traffic in their stores. The Market also generates a significant number of
visitors for every other Sunday event. We also noticed many visitors from Colorado coming to Vail
this summer. We watched more bags leaving Vail as the summer progressed.
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show
Organization rosters naming:
•President: Marc Levarn: Vail International Gallery
•Treasurer: Susan Rapson: Owner A Secret Garden
•Secretary: Court Fable, Owner Wine Shop, Marketplace
on Meadow Drive
•Board Member: Jonathan Staufer: Owner, Grappa
Vail Farmers’ Market and Art Show