HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017 Recap Vail Symposium WinterSurveyed Event Recap: Vail Symposium
July 5, 2017
Vail Symposium Winter 2017
Kris Sabel
Executive Director
Office: 970-476-0954
Mobile: 970-331-1084
ksabel@vailsymposium.org
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Vail Symposium Winter 2017 Highlights & Successes
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The Vail Symposium brought 20+ events and 27 local, regional and national speakers to Vail for
the 2016-17 Winter Season.
•The diverse schedule covered a variety of topics in the following series: Living At Your Peak,
Hot Topics, Unlimited Adventure, Finance, Speaking Locally and Arts & Culture, in addition to
a 45th anniversary celebration and TedXVail.
•We saw a 131% increase in our discounted tickets which are offered to students and
teachers, Eagle County employees, Vail Resorts employees and Vail Valley Young
Professionals, illustrating that we are succeeding in reaching one of our target audiences and
supporting the community.
•We also saw a 50% increase in attendance by donors, which shows that we are meeting our
mission of providing for stronger donor support.
•We had six sold out events including: our climate change program which consisted of
national, regional and local experts; Our near-death experience program that included three
doctors on the panel; an evening with Amory Lovins and a presentation by adventurer Eric
Weihenmayer.
•Vail Symposium continues to be an organization that grows organically, responding to and
providing a forum for the topics and conversations that matter to Vail’s residents and
visitors.
Questions from CSE
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Program Impact, Testimonials & Observations
5
•Based on the insightful and challenging questions our attendees ask, it is clear
they are engaged and want to know more. Many attendees stand in line to meet
the speakers and ask one-on-one follow up questions after the program.
•A number of our programs are cross-generational and include parents or
grandparents attending with their children.
•We receive immediate feedback as we interact with attendees at the end of our
events, this helps us improve the quality and content of our programs. Often
people make suggestions for future programs they would like us to present or
follow-up programs that would continue and enhance the discussion on the
program they have just attended.
•Attendee Testimonial: “I love the variety of the programs. I have learned so much
from attending the programs. The affordable prices have allowed e to attend as
many as I am to go to.”
Attendance Estimate
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•Attendance was approximately 1.4K people, a
17% increase per event over 2016.
•Year over year there was a 131% increase in our
attendance from groups like the Vail Valley
Young Professionals, teachers, students and VR
employees.
•Year over year there was a 50% increase in
attendance from our members who make
donations of $1,000 or more.
Visitor Type
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•As a community-based organization with strong local support, this visitor
mix is in line with expectations.
•We increased attendance slightly in both seasonal residents and full-time
down valley residents, which is in line with our mission to provide
educational programs for the Vail Valley community.
•We will continue to work to expand our audience of residents, as well as
trying to capture the attention of visitors as a secondary focus.
Overnight Visitor Profile: Overnight Visitors & Seasonal Residents Only
Only
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•We utilized Vail venues , which
made it convenient for guests to
stay within the Town of Vail.
•The number of people staying in
Vail increased from 60% to 75%
YOY.
•The Antlers offers a minimum 15% -
50% discount to Vail Symposium
program attendees.
Program Attendee Profile
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•The Vail Symposium’s anticipated
demographic is attendees aged 55 or
older; educated; homeowner or second
homeowner of the Vail Valley with an
annual household income of $100,000
or more.
•The Vail Symposium reached our target
demographic. We also set a goal to
increase our reach with attendees
under 55 by collaborating with partners
like Vail Valley Young Professionals, Vail
Resorts and Colorado Mountain College.
•We will continue to work with our
partners on expanding our reach to a
younger audience.
Role/Importance of Event/Program as Reason to come to Vail
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•As our mission is to provide programming for the community, we see the 54% as a
positive. These people may not have come to Vail for the Symposium, but they chose
to spend their time at a Symposium program.
•We have enjoyed a growing audience from the Front Range as well as some national
travelers who come specifically to attend our Consciousness Series. We also see a
small percentage of attendees who come to Vail because of their connections to our
speakers.
•We also continue to utilize local media to encourage guests to return for specific
programming.
NPS (Net Promoter Score)/Likelihood to Recommend
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•As an organization that focuses on providing thought provoking, diverse and
affordable programming, this score is a good reflection of our attendee event
experience. Due to the diverse nature of our programs, some are more controversial
than others, which addresses the remaining 28% . Though we hear comments that
we lean to far to the left or too far to the right, our mission is to always present a
balanced view.
•We are continually working on improving overall event production to ensure quality
events, as well as consciously designing programs to appeal to a wide variety of
residents.
Estimated Return on Investment (ROI) & Attendee Expenditures
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•Program attendees are encouraged to dine
out at local restaurants following a Vail
Symposium event.
•We also held more events in Vail during the
winter programming season, which can
contribute to ancillary purchases in the town.
Event or Program Strengths & Weaknesses
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Strengths
•The Symposium provides diverse programming that appeals to both
residents and guests.
•We have the ability to add programming, creating presentations and
events that are timely.
•We improve the quality of life for people who live in the Valley, providing
diverse, affordable programming for almost everyone, either for free or at
reduced prices.
Weaknesses
•More competition/increased programming in the valley.
•Turnover of staff.
•Lack of consistent funding.
Vail Brand Compatibility
The Premier International Mountain Resort Community
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The event met the standard of excellence in the “Premier International Resort
Community” by:
•Providing high-level speakers, including nationally and internationally
recognized and respected individuals, who are experts in their fields.
•Creating diverse and balanced program topics, including discussions on
global, national and state economics, environment, mind/body/spirit health
and more.
•Utilizing high-quality venues throughout Vail.
•Creating a sense of community among program attendees and starting
discussions that are of value to the community as a whole.
Community Contribution
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•The Vail Symposium’s Winter Programming impacted Vail’s sense of
community by:
•Providing weekly opportunities for residents and guests of the Vail
Valley to gather to learn about topics they care and discuss those
topics both with expert speakers as well as each other.
•Utilizing various locations throughout the valley, we give our
attendees, many who are down valley residents, a reason to visit
Vail.
•Developing and improving our partnerships with Eagle County, Vail
Resorts and Vail Valley Young Professionals Association to offer
employees and members specially priced or free admission to nearly
all of our programs.
Topline Marketing Efforts
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•Winter program brochure reached more than 6,000 people; distributed
throughout the valley.
•Targeted marketing outside of Vail Valley and Colorado, including increased
social media presence and direct marketing.
•Increasing our digital marketing initiatives as well as traditional marketing, such
as ads in Mountain Living Magazine.
•Local media efforts include 14 TV8 interviews, more than 50 ads and more than
30 articles in the Vail Daily.
•Please attach complete marketing plan to end of presentation.
Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure
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•Expand fundraising efforts to increase and improve programming; engage a broader
donor base to support our efforts.
•Program evolution: Increase collaboration and partnerships with other local,
complimentary organizations like Walking Mountains, Eagle River Watershed
Council, Colorado Mountain College and Vail Valley Partnership to increase exposure
of likeminded programs to make sure constituents are aware of, and taking
advantage of, programming.
•Pitch the Vail Symposium story to a broader media audience.
•Work with organizations like Vail Resorts and Vail Summer marketing to ensure that
Symposium events are included in their media efforts. Hosting visiting media at
Symposium events when appropriate.
•Work more closely with speakers in advance of their Symposium talk to increase
promotion to their fans and followers.
Sustainability Efforts
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What measures were taken at your event to support the environmentally-friendly
goals of the Town of Vail?
•We recycle at program venues and in our office.
•Provide recyclable and/or reusable plates and glassware at program receptions.
•Work with speakers and other organizations to provide programs that help
generate an awareness and appreciation for sustainability efforts across the
county, state and nation.
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
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* Event producer to attach detailed budget for recap
Item $
Total Event/Program Budget: including marketing $103,279
CSE Funds: $35,000
Cash Sponsorship (not CSE): includes donations,
grants, event sales
$63,328
In-kind income & expense: not included in this
specific report. Shows on annual budget.
Marketing Budget: also shown in total budget above $14,695
Profit & Loss: ($4,951)
How did you use the CSE funds? Speaker travel, venue, setup,
equipment rental and
marketing expenses.
Summer 2017 and Winter 2018 Sneak Peak
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Summer 2017 : 24 Programs beginning June 8 – November 2
Highlights include:
•Beyond the Bottle with Italian wine maker Chiara Boschis
•Tackling Depression and Mental Illness in Colorado, U of C Depression Center
•Searching for the Dead Sea Scrolls with archeologist Dr. Randall Price
•Vital Voices: The Power of Women Leading Change Around the World with Alyse Nelson
•Film Series: Outdoor adventure and consciousness focused, introduced by the
filmmakers
Programs in partnership with other local organizations include:
•Exploring Afro-Cuban Jazz with Vail Jazz
•The History and Future of the Eagle Mine with the Eagle River Watershed Council
•Forecast for the Future and Nimby Jamboree with the Vail Valley Partnership
•Equity and Deeper Learning – keynote speaker Pedro Nogurea with Eagle Co. Schools
Winter 2018: 20-25 programs December though April
Thank You!
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Our goal is to provide an event that increases the sense
of community and enhances the quality of life for
residents of the Vail Valley.
With the support of the Town of Vail and the
Commission on Special Events, we will continue to bring
high-quality, thought-provoking, diverse and affordable
programs to Vail.
We look forward to providing our community with the
outstanding programming focusing on diverse subject
matter that they have become accustomed to, both this
summer and in our upcoming Winter 2018 season.
Thank you!
Additional Information/Appendix
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•Detailed budget in the Appendix
•Final marketing plan in the Appendix
•Full version of the Survey Dashboard PDF
•Winter 2016-17 Program Calendar
11:16 AM
06/28/17
Accrual Basis
Vail Symposium
Profit & Loss
January through April 2017
This specific report does not reflect In Kind Donations or Expenses, which are reflected in our annual budget.
Jan - Apr 17
Ordinary Income/Expense
Income
Total Event Sales 26,350.84
Fund Raising
Fund Raising Events 12,047.79
Fundraising-Giving
Corporate Underwriting 2,105.00
Major Donors > $1000 22,350.00
General Donors < $1000 6,131.35
Grant Donations 27,843.00
Individual Underwriting 1,500.00
Total Fund Raising 71,977.14
Total Income 98,327.98
Expense
Administration
Accountant 300.00
Bank Service Charge 27.98
Credit Card Discount 1,042.39
Dues and Subscriptions 536.00
Insurance 636.96
Interest Expense 105.17
Meals and Entertainment 23.75
Office Expense 557.65
Professional Fee 109.12
Rent 3,125.00
Supplies 384.62
Tax 59.00
Telephone 1,165.71
Total Administration 8,073.35
Event Expense
Lodging 484.32
Speaker Fees/Promises 292.94
Audio-Visual Rental 1,851.33
Event COGS 1,386.53
Food and Refreshments 1,884.88
Honorarium 792.00
Paid Dinners 1,873.17
Set-up Expenses 140.86
Travel 5,831.83
Venue Costs 3,465.00
Presenter Pass-through Costs 90.00
Event Expense - Other 43.35
Page 1 of 2
11:16 AM
06/28/17
Accrual Basis
Vail Symposium
Profit & Loss
January through April 2017
Jan - Apr 17
Total Event Expense 18,136.21
Fund Raising Expense 10,446.97
Operating Costs
Advertising/Media 6,580.98
Brochures and Programs 6,092.56
Postage 1,200.02
Promotional Materials 460.00
Web Site 95.40
Web Site Maintenance 266.00
Payroll Expenses 51,927.04
Total Operating Costs 66,622.00
Total Expense 103,278.53
Net Ordinary Income -4,950.55
Page 2 of 2
2017 Vail Symposium Marketing Plan
June 28, 2017
The Vail Symposium would allocate funding from the TOV to fulfill the following marketing and
communications efforts of the organization:
Printing 12,000 brochures (6,000 in the winter, 6,000 in the summer) and distributing them
Running ads in the Vail Daily 150 of 365 days a year (1 unique ad running three days in the lead
up to each event for approximately 50 events)
Submitting 50+ unique press releases to the Symposium’s media list
Running two ½ page ads in two editions of Mountain Living Magazine as well as one ad in their
e-newsletter and appearing in several parts of their website
Implementation of e-commerce tracking and better web analytics structure to study ROI on
marketing efforts
Increase social presence on Facebook through partnerships and paid promotion for events,
seasonal releases and brand awareness
Engage Colorado Public Radio’s regional underwriting for the mountain region as well as the
Denver Metro area
Appear on TV8 the day of each program.
Print
Twice annual Brochure
The Vail Symposium has a program brochure produced twice each year. The brochure features program
descriptions, donation information, season recaps, letters from the board chair and program committee
chair, a volunteer spotlight, advertisements from businesses or organizations that support the
Symposium and other information for the community.
12,000 brochures printed
10,000 brochures mailed directly to Vail Symposium supporters or delivered directly to Vail Post
Office boxes
Distribution at all programs
Distribution to concierges at strategic locations
Distributed to Vail reservation center in Keystone
Vail Daily
15,000+ circulation daily newspaper with 300 strategically placed pickup locations in the community and
resort locations resulting in 91% penetration in Eagle County. In 2017 - 2018, the Vail Symposium plans
to release in the Vail Daily:
2 Initial season release articles in Winter and Spring (typically high life cover)
50+ press releases submitted as unique content for each program typically featured in the Vail
Daily and the Vail Daily Weekly.
Work with the A&E to assign additional stories based on Symposium events as appropriate.
One ad, typically running continuously from three days before an event until event date totaling
50 unique ads appearing 150 days in the Vail Daily.
Town Talk submissions including special event recaps
The Vail Symposium will also participate again in the annual “GIVE” magazine. 40,000 copies of
GIVE will be printed and the Vail Symposium will hold a one-page promotion of the organization
and our upcoming programs.
Mountain Living Magazine
This magazine, produced seven times each year, reaches an average print audience of 33,000 per issue.
The Vail Symposium is featured with a 1/2 –page ad in 2 issues, the January/December issue as
well as the May/June issue
These ads are utilized to distribute specific program information as well as promote brand
awareness to a target audience of super boomers
In 2017, the Vail Symposium will also receive one ad in Mountain Living Magazine’s e-
newsletter and an event rectangle appearing on their website
Digital
Website
The 2016 redesign of the website has proved very beneficial with more obvious linear navigation
patterns. That said, there is still room for improvement. In 2017, the Vail Symposium hopes to
implement:
Donor perfect ticketing software to integrate marketing and development efforts and
streamline communications processes in both departments
Implement e-commerce tracking for better indications of ROI
Use 2016 keywording experience to improve SEO so out of town guests looking for event
options in Vail through organic search are properly informed of Vail Symposium events
Social
Facebook proves to be an incredibly useful and informative tool for informing the community of Vail
Symposium events. The Symposium Facebook page has 1,300 followers. Organic posts usually reach 900
or more people in one week resulting in 50 post engagements. Particular programs that are boosted
(paid for promotion) have also received strong engagement, reaching more than 1,000 people in 4 or 5
days leading up to the event and receiving nearly 180 post engagements. In 2017 the Vail Symposium
plans to:
Expand Facebook engagement with posts and strategic promotions that both promote the
organization’s page as well as boosts ticket sales for particular events
Utilize the target marketing tool to increase awareness and drive event traffic from the Front
Range where other marketing efforts can be an expensive gamble
Target particular age groups to continue our success in attracting a super boomer audience as
well as target millennial achievers from Denver and Boulder for free programs.
Use strategy-driven campaigns to drive traffic to the website
Collaborate with other groups in the valley to cross-promote events where we see synergies.
Engage with users to increase community reception and appeals
Twitter continues to be a useful tool for engaging with visitors to Vail by trolling popular hashtags in the
region such as #Vail #VailLive #VailMtn. We use these tags to follow locals and interact with guests. If
they are interested in the programs, we direct them toward our Facebook or webpage.
Other Media
Radio
The Vail Symposium previously held a relationship with 104.7 the Mile before it came under new
ownership. In 2017, the Vail Symposium will seek out a new radio partnership for promotion of
programs, season releases and talk show slots
The Vail Symposium would also like to re-engage the underwriting services of Colorado Public
Radio’s regional broadcast and Denver Metro campaigns for the winter season. In the winter
season of 2016, the Symposium received 189 mentions on the regional broadcast and 12
mentions on the Denver-Metro broadcast. The Symposium was able to target the message at
primarily college graduates with an income of over $100,000 a year, equally mixed gender and
ages 45-64.
Television
The Vail Symposium will again work with TV8’s Good Morning Vail show that is available to more than
900,000 Comcast subscribers throughout the State.
The Vail Symposium utilizes this medium to promote program on the day of the program
through morning interview on Good Morning Vail. We often give tickets away or have the
speakers themselves address the community about their programs
Grassroots
Partnerships
The Vail Symposium will also work on expanding our network within the community, leveraging
relationships where there is cross-over in terms of focus. We will ensure that hotels have our
information for inclusion in guests communications; work with other non-profit and for-profit
organizations to ensure their members are aware of programs of interest; collaborate with other public
relations entities, like Vail Resorts and the Vail Local Marketing District, to ensure that our programming
is top of mind for visiting media and messaging.
Presented by Katie Coakley, Marketing and PR Manager
Total economic
impact per
attendee day
Admission Restaurants/
Bars/Prepared
Food Vendors
Recreation Other items,
excluding
lodging
Lodging Shopping
$0
$100
$200
Economic Impactper Attendee-Day$19 $19$44 $3 $0$2 $1
Direct Economic Impact to TOV per Attendee-Day
In commercial lodging
In rent-by-owner lodging
Vacation home/timeshare
With friends/family
Other
50%
50%
Overnight Visitor Profile
Myself Only
2
3
4
5
6 or more
25%
50%
25%
1
2
3 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 14
15 or more
33%
33%
33%
Vail
Beaver Creek
Avon
Edwards
Eagle/Gypsum
Summit County
Other
75%
25%
Under $50k
$50k-$100k
$100-$150k
$150k or more
11%
33%
18%
38%
Overall Visitor Profile
Under 18
18 - 24
25 - 34
35 - 44
45 - 54
55 - 64
65 - 74
75 or older
16%
29%
30%
11%
9%
5%
Male
Female
36%
64%
Promoter Passive Detractor
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%Percent Responding71%
22%
6%
Likelihood of Recommending Event to a Friend or Family Member
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%Percent Responding54%
17%
2%6%4%1%4%2%4%2%2%
Importance of Event in Decision to Visit Vail Today - Overall
2017 Event funding
Direct economic impact to TOV
Economic impact payback ratio $1.70
$59,330.27
$35,000.00
Return on Investment: Funding vs. Impact
Summary of Key Trip Characteristics and DemographicsAttendee Days0K
10K
20K
1.4K
Attendance Est
65%
NPS
Net Promoter Score
Overnight
visitor
Seasonal
resident of
Vail Valley
Full-time
resident of
Town of Vail
Full-time
downvalley
resident
Day visitor to
Vail
0%
50%Percent Responding15%20%
58%
3%3%
Visitor Type
Colorado
Florida
Connecticut
Iowa
California
Delaware 1%
1%
2%
2%
3%
86%
2017 Vail Event Visitor Summary: Vail Symposium, Jan. - Apr., 2017
Survey technique: Post-trip web. Overall sample size: 131 (Please note that sample sizes are smaller for subgroups.) Number of years event has taken place in Vail (including 2017): 47
Average
Overall
Overnight visitor
Seasonal resident of Vail Valley
Full-time downvalley resident
Day visitor to Vail 6.5
3.2
1.7
3.3
3.0
Are you
staying:
How many people
are staying in your
accomodations
unit?
Nights in the
area this trip
Where are your
lodging
accommodations
located?
Annual Household
Income
Age
State/Country
Gender
Nightly Rate (if Paid)
Average:
Median:$268
$268
Overall
Overnight visitor Overall
Vail Symposium Winter 2016-17 Program
12.01.16
Fears and Facts: A multidisciplinary approach to dementia
12.15.16
Beyond 7/2: Breaking the explorer’s grand slam world record
12.29.16
The maestro of Gen Y money: Making investments matter
01.05.17
DIRSUPTIVE ENERGY FUTURES with Amory Lovins
01.18.17
2016 key election ballot outcomes: What’s next?
01.25.17
The eye, inspiration and passion for collecting: C.M. Russell & the old American West
02.09.17
Hacking immortality: The science and science fiction of extreme human life extension
02.16.17
Bold impressions: Innovating the entertainment experience
02.23.17
The economics of beer
03.09.17
7 billion reasons to reconcile climate change, politics and human behavior
03.16.17
Physicians’ perspectives of near-death experiences
03.17.17
Workshop! Synthesizing science and spirit through near -death experiences
03.21.17
No Barriers with Erik Weihenmayer
03.23.17
45 Year Celebration of the Vail Symposium
03.30.17
Connecting the dots: Economic impacts of a new administ ration
04.06.17
SPECIAL ADDITION – Illuminating Life: An evening with Dr. Geoff Tabin and Timmy O’Neill
04.13.17
Military witness accounts, nuclear missile shutdowns and evidence of ET visitation
04.14.17
Workshop! Abductees and contactees: Are they ma king it up?
04.17.17
Living amidst nuclear nightmare: A chill in the air
04.20.17
Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind
04.21.17
Workshop! The nature of consciousness: can we reconcile scientific and experiential
perspectives