HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 Event Recap Spring Back to VailSurveyed Event Recap: Spring Back to Vail
June 6, 2018
Spring Back to Vail: March 31 & April 14 –15, 2018
Office: 970.476.6797 x702
Mobile: 970.331.5312
james@gohighline.com
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•Total estimated in -town attendance: 30,170
(based on event traffic, skier visits, merchant and
lodging data)
•Dates: March 31 & April 14 –15, 2018
•Estimated total media impressions: 1,978,152
•Locations: Vail Mountain: Mountain Plaza;
Golden Peak; Mid-Vail; Town of Vail: Vail Village
and Lionshead
Attendance Estimate
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•How would you impact attendance next year?
•Integrate innovative activations with partners
that increases event attendance and engages a
diverse range of guests.
•Re-engage the merchant and lodging
community by implementing a similar program
to the “Triple R” program used in 2017.
•Continue to expand ways to directly
communicate to all of the targeted audiences
specific to elements of the event. Through
targeted efforts utilizing traditional and digital
messaging, inform a wider audience of the
offerings at Spring Back to Vail.
•With Easter falling later in the season, on April
21, 2019, take a closer look at not only the best
date(s) for this event but also how to entice
overnight visitors and guests.
Visitor Type
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•Was this the visitor type split you expected? Why or why not? Please explain .
Yes. By hosting the concert, partner expo and on mountain music event on the busy Easter weekend,
there was a 10% increase in overnight visitors from 32% in 2017 to 42% in 2018. This increase
reinforces the importance of the Easter Holiday and guests visiting Vail in the spring. The approach to
marketing relied on a 360 degree approach to achieve a mix of guests shown below.
•What steps would you take to optimize visitor mix?
The approach for optimizing the visitor mix in the future would be to continue considering the visitor
type and what resonates with each one when planning upcoming events surround Spring Back to Vail.
Creating and engaging all interested parties to secure appropriate funding early will allow the program
elements to be vetted and directed to a
wide range of audiences. Also,
working with the event partners on
the timing of event communications
will allow the longest lead time
appropriate for each of the target
visitor.
Overall Visitor Profile
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•Who was your anticipated target demographic?
•Dynamic Families: Ages 35-54
•Super Boomers: Ages 55-65
•Active Professionals: Age 25-35
•Did you reach your target demographic? Why or
why not?
Yes. Both weekends saw a mix of the identified
demographic markets listed above. The diversity of
event elements during Spring Back to Vail helped
achieve this mix by offering different activities with
appeal to the different demographics.
•What would you change to reach that audience
next year?
Spring Back to Vail needs to continue to offer a
variety of event touch points knowing that some
consumers and guests associate this event with
traditional elements and some may be looking for
variety and something new / different.
Overnight Visitor Profile: Overnight Visitors & Seasonal Residents Only
Only
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•What measures did you take to incentivize
attendees to book lodging in the Town of
Vail?
Event programming encouraged guests to
stay in Vail and book lodging. Featured
lodging packages were highlighted on the
Spring Back to Vail website.
A variety of PR and Marketing tools (both
print and digital) were used to drive guests to
vail.com/springback and a variety of lodging
properties that offered specials during this
time.
There is opportunity to engage the lodging
community more to link and leverage
marketing efforts to fill their properties and
align more directly with Spring Back to Vail.
Role/Importance of Event in Intent to Visit Vail
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•What actions did you take this year to generate the number of overnight guests?
Splitting Spring Back to Vail between two weekends offered guests more options to take part in the
event. With the concert, expo and on-mountain music on one weekend and Pond Skimming, expo
and on-mountain activities on another, visitors were able to take advantage of the event elements
in Vail on one or both weekends.
•How would you increase the number of overnight Vail guests coming for the event next
year?
By continuing to provide a multitude of reasons for people to choose Vail in the spring, the goal will
be to utilize great programming, engage a strong marketing platform through several medias and
choose activities, bands and incentives for guests to overnight in Vail.
NPS (Net Promoter Score)/Likelihood to Recommend
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•Do you think the NPS scores reflect the attendee event experience?
No. The variety of events that make up Spring Back to Vail were designed to create a great
atmosphere and provide choices and opportunities for guests to enjoy their on and off mountain
experience. There is concern that the survey and sampling weren’t aligned with all elements at the
event so people may not have understood the scope of Spring Back to Vail with all the offerings.
•What steps would you take to improve the NPS scores for your event next year?
By working with Vail Mountain and the Town of Vail, the approach will be to create a cohesive, unique
and exciting event that continuously stays on pulse of popular entertainment, impressionable partner
experiences and new opportunities for guests within the budget and current goals.
Estimated Return on Investment (ROI) & Attendee Expenditures
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•What did your event do to encourage spending in
Vail?
The concert location at Solaris, in the heart of Vail
Village, directly impacted the foot traffic within the
Town of Vail and had a positive effect to increase traffic
to restaurants, retailers and bars.
The event website and vail.com promoted a wide
variety of additional activities, bar and restaurants
within the Town of Vail through content, links to deals
and more.
Estimated Return on Investment (ROI) & Attendee Expenditures
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•Spending and ROI was up across the board with the total economic impact per attendee day
increased by $91 vs 2017.
•Most notably recreation saw a 230% (+$20) increase in dollars captured.
Vail Brand Compatibility
The Premier International Mountain Resort Community
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The event met the standard of excellence by:
Spring Back to Vail continued to celebrate the close of the winter season by offering free,
accessible activities and events over two weekends.
By giving guests a reason to visit and stay in Vail twice this spring, visitors were able to enjoy
interactive expo villages where event partner activations like Bud Light, Helly Hansen, State
Farm and Gogglesoc gave away premiums for visiting their booth. Verizon connected Olympic
medalist Jonny Mosely with guests during an autograph session at Pond Skimming. Vail
Resorts Retail and Weston Snowboards offered free demos for consumers of this past year’s
skis and snowboards.
There was plenty of free music during Spring Back to Vail as this year’s headliner, SOJA, and
opening band, Houndmouth, rocked the Solaris stage and played to a crowd of thousands of
enthusiastic guests. Other musical shows throughout the weekends included Verizon’s Music
with a View at Sarge’s Deck at Mid-Vail and at Express Lift at the base of Gondola One.
The World Pond Skimming Championships signaled the annual closing day tradition and
animated Golden Peak with live music, a festive barbeque and included the return of the Bud
Light Bags Tournament.
Vail Brand Compatibility
The Premier International Mountain Resort Community
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The event met the standard of excellence by:
The marketing and PR campaigns were very successful featuring major coverage that
generated millions of impressions and well over $400,000 in value. The media included print,
radio, video, social and digital and more.
The collaborative efforts of the Town of Vail to bring additional event elements to the
excitement of the Spring Back to Vail weekend created a strong atmosphere for guests to
enjoy unique, memorable experiences.
Bold and consistent event branded signage and promotional materials throughout the Town of
Vail and Vail Mountain helped interconnect the multiple elements during this year’s Spring
Back to Vail. With a strong color palette and combination of skiing/riding images, concert
pictures and pond skimming photos, the Vail brand was once again at its best with the Spring
Back to Vail campaign.
Event Strengths & Weaknesses
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Measures that could be taken for event improvement:
Re-examine the dates and timing of Spring Back to Vail 2019 with regards to Easter,
college spring breaks, closing weekend and other end-of-the-season events to
maximize the potential audience targeted to visit Vail.
This event will take a closer look at the individual event components and determine
what is successful and what could be re-imagined and modified to appeal to an ever
changing audience and climate.
For repeat event, comparison to past years:
The concert continued to provide strong entertainment value with fresh talent and
offered a distinct variety for guests to enjoy between the two different styles of the
opening band and headliner.
Event Strengths & Weaknesses
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Exceeded expectations in these ways:
Spring Back to Vail remains on brand with both the Town of Vail and Vail Mountain
standards. The expectation of event quality and value remains a key part of the event.
Providing free, topnotch entertainment for locals and destination guests from all over
the world solidifies Vail as the leading luxury resort in the US. With the increase in
competition from other ski resorts/towns for the springtime destination guest, Vail
continues to be the front-runner in events and providing an experience guests can
customize and cater to their exact needs.
This year’s Spring Back to Vail saw strong national sponsorship and connected Vail
Mountain and Town of Vail with like minded brands such as Bud Light, Pepsi, GMC,
Red Bull, Helly Hansen, Nature Valley, Verizon, State Farm and Gogglesoc. Local
sponsors rounded out this year’s support with partners Vail Racquet Club Mountain
Resort, Colorado Mountain Express and Weston Snowboards.
Community Contribution
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Describe how the event impacted Vail’s sense of community:
Spring Back to Vail gives visitors and locals a reason to come out and celebrate the
season. The spring weather naturally supports an open and festive atmosphere to be
enjoyed by all. Providing the playground for friends and family to appreciate the best
of Vail with everything from free concerts, to sunny decks and closing days traditions
like Pond Skimming,
Topline Marketing Efforts –Front Range & National
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Media Tactic Size Impressions
Pandora :30 Spots &
Companion Banner
203,769
Facebook/Instagram In-Feed 679,681
Preroll Video/
Connected TV
:30/:15 115,742
Digital Display Var. Display 226,056
Westword FB4C 1x (175,000)
Vail Daily 1/2 Page, 4C 8x (280,000)
Vail Weekly FP4C 1x(20,000)
TV 8 :30 Spot 240 spots (240,000)
Radio (KZYR & KSKE):30 Spot 28 spots (28,000)
A full advertising, marketing and public relations campaign was executed surrounding Spring Back to Vail in
the Front Range and local media. Placements were made with print, broadcast and digital outlets.
Media impressions totaled more than: 1,978,152
Topline Marketing Efforts
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Total Social Impressions 1,026,480 Total Editorial: 469,000
Topline Marketing Efforts –Social Media
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Social media played a large role in spreading the word about
the event, as many of the artists and sponsors involved in the
event are very active on a number of social networks.
Facebook:
•Total posts: 5
•Total reach: 45,953
Twitter:
•Total posts: 2
•Total reach: 18,175
Topline Marketing Efforts –Social Media
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Instagram:
•Total posts: 8
•Total reach: 494,535
•Total impressions: 674,249
Topline Marketing Efforts –Social Media
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Instagram Story:
•Total posts: 9
•Total reach: 288,111
Verizon Instagram Story Contest:
•Total posts: 5
•Total Impressions: 233,887
Topline Marketing Efforts –Public Relations
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•A public relations campaign surrounding Spring Back to Vail was conducted, reaching out to
local, regional and national media outlets to enhance coverage of the event in the news
media.
o February 16: A press release was distributed to local and regional media to announce
operating times mentioning Spring Back to Vail.
o February 21: A press release was distributed to local and regional media to announce
the complete lineup for Spring Back to Vail.
o March 19: A press release was distributed to local and regional media on to
announce the complete lineup of spring events including Spring Back to
Vail.
•The public relations campaign resulted in local and regional mentions. A few of the top hits
can be seen below:
o Vail Daily (February 21) Readership: 59K
o Yahoo! Lifestyle (March 21) Readership: 285M
o Vail Daily (March 31) Readership: 59K
o Denver Life Magazine (April 1)Readership: 2K
o 303 Magazine (April 6) Readership: 62K
o Vail Beaver Creek Magazine (April 12) Readership: 2K
Total Editorial Reach: 469K
Topline Marketing Efforts –Rack Cards
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Topline Marketing Efforts –Poster
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Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure
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•Vail Mountain and the Town of Vail continue to be high end/ best -in-class brands that sponsors
want to align with and can easily relate to. By creating a comprehensive and distinct program
that represents Spring Back to Vail early in the season, partners can activate in a myriad of
ways to help monetize their investment with not only on site presence with consumers but also
media/marketing surrounding the event.
•Spring Back to Vail will encourage sponsors and national brands to actively co-promote the
event through their marketing efforts by using a variety of social/digital initiatives that provide
exposure for their brand as well as Spring Back to Vail, Vail Mountain and the Town of Vail. As
as an example, Verizon brought Jonny Mosley to Pond Skimming for pictures and autographs
which generated additional social posts/connections from not only Verizon but also individual
attendees to their booth.
Sustainability Efforts
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•Spring Back to Vail supports not only the Town of Vail’s sustainability efforts but also Vail
Mountain’s initiatives as part of Epic Promise. The event aligned with these sustainability goals
by:
o working with Town of Vail, Vail Resorts and Vail Honeywagon to recycle all event cardboard,
plastic and aluminum generated at the events;
o dedicating event staff to collecting and sorting trash and recycling;
o using reusable linens instead of disposable table cloths;
o serving beverages in recyclable or compostable cups;
o serving food products using compostable service ware;
o enforcing the no idling guidelines for any vehicle loading in and out of the event;
o encouraging car pooling and the use of public transportation with event staff and sponsors;
o reusing event signage and banners from previous years;
o using shore power/hard line power instead of gas generators whenever possible.
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 –Spring Back to Vail
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•Total event budget: $351,591.51
•CSE funds: $130,000.00
•Profit and loss: -$478.06
•Funding utilization:Overall Event & Talent Production
•Cash sponsorship:$205,034.09
* Event producer to attach detailed budget for recap
Additional Information/Appendix
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•Detailed budget in complete PDF
•Full version of the Survey Dashboard PDF in Appendix
Estimated Actual
Total income $371,650.00 $351,113.09
Total expenses $371,650.00 $351,591.15
Total profit (or loss)$0.00 -$478.06
Program Budget for Spring Back to Vail 2018
> Profit - Loss Summary
$340,000.00
$345,000.00
$350,000.00
$355,000.00
$360,000.00
$365,000.00
$370,000.00
$375,000.00
Es-mated Actual
Total income
Total expenses
Estimated Actual
Total Expenses $371,650.00 $351,591.15
Site/Location/Operations Estimated Actual
License/Permit/Venue Fees $4,350.00 $3,432.00
Labor $63,250.00 $67,259.04
Security/Medical $12,500.00 $10,428.69
Event Supplies $3,125.00 $2,278.86
Equipment Rentals $50,100.00 $39,285.99
Talent/Entertainment/Production $135,500.00 $134,287.91
Project Fee $57,000.00 $52,575.00
Insurance $7,500.00 $9,000.00
Administrative $675.00 $614.22
Total $334,000.00 $319,161.71
Food & Beverage Estimated Actual
Meals/Entertainment $175.00 $194.23
F&B Expenses $12,500.00 $9,800.28
Charitable Donation $1,000.00 $1,000.00
Total $13,675.00 $10,994.51
Travel/Lodging Estimated Actual
Lodging $5,000.00 $6,620.20
Total $5,000.00 $6,620.20
Branding Estimated Actual
Printing/Reproduction $1,200.00 $0.00
Signage $7,800.00 $4,682.06
Total $9,000.00 $4,682.06
Marketing Estimated Actual
Advertising/Marketing/Promos $3,225.00 $2,942.44
Total $3,225.00 $2,942.44
Sponsorship Implementation/Fulfillment Estimated Actual
$6,750.00 $7,190.23
Total $6,750.00 $7,190.23
Program Budget for Spring Back to Vail 2018
> Expenses
Estimated Actual
Total Income $371,650.00 $351,113.09
CSE
Estimated Actual Estimated Actual
0 2018 RFP Request $40,000.00 $30,000.00
0
Tickets/Admissions
Estimated Actual Estimated Actual
0 Pondskimming Entires $3,500.00 $3,450.00
0 $0.00
0 $0.00
0 $0.00
$3,500.00 $3,450.00
Revenue from other items
Estimated Actual Estimated Actual
Town Council Funding $100,000.00 $100,000.00
Vail Resorts/Vail Mountain $203,150.00 $201,734.09
Sponsorships [net]$10,000.00 $3,300.00
F&B, Merch Sales $15,000.00 $12,629.00
$328,150.00 $317,663.09
Program Budget for Spring Back to Vail 2018
> Income