HomeMy WebLinkAbout 2015 Vail Symposium Winter Programming RecapSurveyed Event Recap: Vail Symposium Winter 2015
May 6, 2015
Vail Symposium Winter 2015
Dec. 18, 2014 – April 9, 2015
Tracey Flower, Executive Director
Office: 970.476.0954
Mobile: 970.331.1296
tracey@vailsymposium.org
2 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
Attendance Estimate
3 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
Winter 2016:
•Higher concentration of events in a shorter
timeframe (no programs earlier than December
15, none later than March 31, with the majority
in January, February and March)
•Increased market research and targeted
marketing based on previous audience
demographics
Visitor Type
4 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•As a community based organization with a strong local support base, this
visitor split is in line with expectations.
•However, the 9% of overnight visitors is unexpected and pleasantly
surprising.
•Increased research into overnight visitors (where they came from, why,
what topics they’re interested in) and marketing more to similar
demographics.
Overall Visitor Profile
5 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•Anticipated demographic is aged 55 or
older, educated, homeowner or second-
homeowner of the Vail Valley with an
annual household income of $55,000+.
•Reached target demographic, but have
identified a current goal as expanding this
demographic to include more young
professionals (18-35) and local students
and the survey results do not reflect us
having achieved that goal yet.
•Increased partnerships with local schools
and other youth-based and young
professional organizations
Overnight Visitor Profile: Overnight Visitors & Seasonal Residents Only
Only
6 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•Recommend all out-of-town
attendees stay at the Antlers at
Vail, the preferred hotel of the
Vail Symposium. The Antlers
offers a minimum 15% discount to
Vail Symposium attendees.
•Utilized Vail venues for programs
to encourage guests to stay within
the Town of Vail.
Role/Importance of Event in Intent to Visit Vail
7 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•The primary factor in attracting out-of-town visitors this winter was speaker
self-promotion (for example: Dr. Eben Alexander adding his Symposium
speaking engagement to the calendar on his website).
•A secondary factor was two-day speaker lecture/workshop events.
•Increased grassroots marketing support from speakers and more targeted
out-of-state marketing initiatives.
NPS (Net Promoter Score)/Likelihood to Recommend
8 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•This is very reflective of the average event experience.
•Working on improved speaker presentation coaching, continuing to secure the best
event venues and overall consistent quality.
Estimated Return on Investment (ROI) & Attendee Expenditures
9 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•Program attendees are encouraged to dine out
at local restaurants following a Vail Symposium
event.
•Post-program speaker dinners are always at a
Vail restaurant.
•Area for improvement.
Vail Brand Compatibility
The Premier International Mountain Resort Community
10
The event met the standard of excellence by:
•Superior level of speaker quality, including
nationally and internationally recognized and
respected individuals who are experts in their
fields.
•Diverse and balanced program topics, including
discussions on global, national and state
economics, environment, body image, nonviolent
conflict resolution, mind/body/spirit health, and
more.
•High-quality venues throughout Vail
•Creating a sense of community amongst program
attendees.
Eben Alexander, author “Map of
Heaven” | March 16, 2015
Esther George, President Kansas City
Federal Reserve | April 9, 2015
Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
Event Strengths & Weaknesses
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Exceeded expectations in these ways:
Out of town program attendees
Improved venue selection
Improved data collection from attendees
Increased level of excitement in the community surrounding Vail
Symposium programs
Measures that could be taken for event improvement:
Need to expand sponsorship opportunities and relationships
Improved marketing to destination guests
Growth currently limited by organization size & capacity
For repeat event, comparison to past years:
Winter 2015: 17 programs, 1,528 attendees
Winter 2014: 12 programs, 1,241 attendees
Winter 2013: 13 programs, 1,342 attendees
Winter 2012: 19 programs, 1,735 attendees
Community Contribution
12 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
Describe how the event impacted Vail’s sense of community:
Provided weekly opportunities for residents and guests of
the Vail Valley to convene together to learn about topics
they care about live, in person, and the opportunity to
discuss those topics with the speakers and each other.
Speakers in the Schools program brought all four Winter
2015 Unlimited Adventure speakers into Eagle County
Schools to speak to local middle school students (the goal
for Winter 2016 is to see all speakers visit local students).
“Your Body, Your Image” program sparked important
conversation in the community about a little-discussed
subject.
Topline Marketing Efforts
13 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•Winter program brochure reach 10,000+
•5,000 rack cards distributed throughout Vail
•Ad & feature in Visit Vail Valley magazine
•Ads in Mountain Living Magazine
•Over 50 ads and more than 20 articles in the
Vail Daily
•9 spots on 104.7 The Mile
•15 TV8 interviews
•1 program broadcast on C-SPAN
•1 blog post on Westword.com
•Increased social media presence (record
1,000+ followers on Facebook)
Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure
14 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•Increased number of programs per season.
•Presenting a multi-day event in 5 years.
•Strengthening partnerships for increased exposure and sponsorship
with: The University of Denver, The Women’s Foundation of Colorado,
Alpine Bank, The Bookworm, Denver Art Museum and other local and
statewide businesses and organizations.
•Working more closely with speakers in advance of their Symposium
talks to increase promotion to their fans and followers.
•Increased online presence with podcasts and, eventually, video
production of events.
•Researching and identifying markets outside of Vail with an interest in
coming to Vail specifically for a Symposium event.
Sustainability Efforts
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What measures were taken at your event to support the environmentally-friendly
goals of the Town of Vail?
•Recycling at program venues and in office.
•Recyclable and/or reusable plates and glassware used at program receptions.
•Programs that encourage conservation and an increased appreciation for nature
and the environment. (Example: “Down the Colorado River” with Zak Podmore
on January 15, 2015.)
The Town of Vail is committed to the stewardship and protection of our unique mountain environment. In consideration of both
our local and global impacts and opportunities, our environmental vision is to demonstrate and promote: renewable energy,
resource efficiency, ecosystem protection, and community awareness and education.
Event Budget
16 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
•Total event budget: $60,155
(total event expense December 2014-April 2015)
•CSE funds: $35,000
•Profit and loss: $16,000
(net income December 2014-April 2015)
•Funding utilization: Funds used for the speaker expenses, set-up fees,
production & marketing of of the 17 programs in the Vail Symposium’s
Winter 2015 season.
•In-kind sponsorship: $68,000
(total received December 2014-April 2015)
•Cash sponsorship: $9,500
(corporate underwriting & grants, December 2014-April 2015)
Summer 2015 & Winter 2016 Sneak Peak
17 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
Summer 2015:
17 Programs Total
More lectures & workshops from the
Consciousness Series
An outdoor film series presented in
partnership with Vail Film Festival
Talks on solar energy, Middle
East/West relations, education and
more!
Winter 2016:
20+ Programs in the works
Financial programs with an emphasis on
financial education for young adults
An all-female lineup of intrepid
adventurers for Unlimited Adventure 2016
Hot topic talks on legislation, politics and
the criminal justice system
Authors, consciousness workshops, an art
series, and more!
THANK YOU!
18 Town of Vail | CSE | 5/6/15
Without the support of the Town of Vail and the
Commission on Special Events we would not be
able to bring engaging, innovative, thought-
provoking speakers to Vail. Nor would we be able
to implement as many marketing initiatives
without your support.
We’re looking forward to providing the same
level of quality programming and diverse,
engaging subject matter in 2016, and to
increasing our demographic reach in 2016 and
beyond.
Our goal is to provide an event that not only
increases the sense of community and enhances
the quality of life for residents of the Vail Valley
but also attracts and serves destination guests.
9:00 AM
05/05/15
Cash Basis
Vail Symposium
Profit & Loss
December 2014 through April 2015
Dec '14 - Apr 15
Ordinary Income/Expense
Income
Total Event Sales 26,668.08
Fund Raising
Total Fund Raising Events 10,522.50
Total Fundraising-Giving 87,045.60
Total Fund Raising 97,568.10
Ad Revenue 1,500.00
Other Income 5,500.00
Total Income 131,236.18
GROSS PROFIT 131,236.18
Expense
Administration
Total Administration 20,559.27
Event Expense
Speaker Workshop Costs 3,840.00
Audio-Visual Rental 18.05
Food and Refreshments 9,657.76
Honorarium 650.00
Paid Dinners 2,348.95
Set-up Expenses 4,095.23
Speaker Travel 8,401.46
Venue Costs 4,215.00 *Event Portion of Payroll
Total Event Expense 33,226.45 26,929.83
Fund Raising Expense 14,993.58
Operating Costs
Advertising/Media 2,354.59
Postage 1,324.56
Web Site Maintenance 1,483.00
Total Payroll* Expenses 50,811.10
Total Operating Costs 55,973.25
Uncategorized Expense -9,527.00
Total Expense 115,225.55
Net Ordinary Income 16,010.63
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Day visitor
to Vail
Full-time
downvalley
resident
Full-time
resident of
Town of Vail
Overnight
visitor to the
region
Seasonal
resident of
Vail Valley
0%
20%
40%
60%
P e r c e n t R e s p o n d i n g 53%
23%
10%4%9%
Visitor Type
0%50%100%
Percent Responding
Age of respondent 25 - 34
35 - 44
45 - 54
55 - 64
65 - 74
75 or older
Gender Male
Female
Annual Household
Income
Under $50k
$50k-$100k
$100-$150k
$150k or more
State/Country Colorado
Texas
California
Connecticut
Florida
Minnesota
New Mexico
4%
12%
21%
31%
26%
8%
32%
68%
16%
30%
21%
33%
90%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
Overall Visitor Profile
0K
1K
2K
3K
4K
A t t e n d e e -D a y s
1.5K
Attendance Estimate
0%20%40%60%
Percent Responding
Are you staying:In paid lodging
Vacation home/timeshare
With friends/family
Other
How many people
are staying in your
accommodations
unit?
Myself only
2
3
4
5
6 or more
Nights in the area
this trip
1
2
3-5
6-8
9-14
15 or more
Where are your
lodging
accommodations
located?
Vail
Beaver Creek
Avon
Edwards
Eagle/Gypsum
Summit County
Other
38%
46%
8%
8%
15%
62%
8%
0%
0%
15%
15%
8%
31%
15%
0%
31%
56%
0%
13%
25%
0%
6%
0%
Overnight Visitor Profile: Overnight Visitors and Seasonal Residents Only
0: None, I
would have
come to Vail
anyway
1 2 3 4 5: Half my
reason for
coming to
Vail
6 7 8 9 10: My only
reason for
coming to
Vail
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
P e r c e n t R e s p o n d i n g
13%
0%
13%
0%
11%
75%
0%0%0%0%
44%
11%
22%
0%11%
56%
0%2%0%5%
0%
28%
0%0%0%0%0%0%
25%
0%0%
75%
Importance of Event in Decision to Visit Vail Today
Promoter Passive Detractor NPS
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
P e r c e n t R e s p o n d i n g [0 =N o t a t a l l
l i k e l y ,1 0 =E x t r e m e l y l i k e l y ]
65%
26%
9%
56%
Likelihood of Recommending Event to a Friend or Family Member
Total amount you
will spend today and
tonight
Restaurants/Bars/
Prepared Food
Vendors
Shopping Lodging Other items
excluding lodging
Recreation (skiing,
lessons, rentals,
etc.)
$0
$50
$100
E c o n o m i c I m p a c t
p e r A t t e n d e e -D a y
$32 $17 $5 $5 $4 $1
Direct Economic Impact to TOV per Attendee-Day
2015 Event funding
Direct economic impact to TOV
Economic impact payback ratio
(incremental community economic
impact per dollar of event funding)
$1.39
$48,565.44
$35,000.00
Return on Investment: Funding vs. Impact
Summary of Key Trip Characteristics and Demographics
2015 Event Visitor Summary: Vail Symposium, December 18 - April 9
The overall sample size for this post-event web survey is 96. Please note that sample sizes are smaller for subgroups.
Overnight only
Average
Day visitor
Full-time downvalley resident
Overnight visitor
Seasonal resident of Vail Valley 1.3
2.9
3.5
9.0