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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.a. 2018 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 2 •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 3 •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 4 •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 5 •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 6 •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 7 •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 8 •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 9 •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 10 •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 11 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 12 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 13 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 14 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 15 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 16 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 17 Total Social Impressions 1,026,480 Total Editorial: 469,000 Topline Marketing Efforts –Social Media 18 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 19 Instagram: •Total posts: 8 •Total reach: 494,535 •Total impressions: 674,249 Topline Marketing Efforts –Social Media 20 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 21 •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 22 Topline Marketing Efforts –Poster 23 Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure 24 •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 25 •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 26 •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 27 •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