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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03. EE 2019 Vail Symposium Event Recap No Survey 8.1.19Event/Program Recap: Event Name Education & Enrichment Category August 7th, 2019 Thomas Hoenig, Former Vice Chairman of the FDIC, chats with Richard Bard on Feb. 28, 2019 Vail Symposium: 2019 Winter Series Kris Sabel Phone: 970-47600954 ksabel@vailsymposium.org 2 Overall Event or Program Highlights & Successes 3 •Net Promoter Score (NPS) 70.04% •95% of audience satisfied or very satisfied with quality of events •78.5% of audience (100% likely to attend in the future) 20.4% of audience (75% likely to attend in the future) •Increased attendance by 50% over previous year •More than 20% of surveyed attendees were new attendees (did not attend a program Dec. 2017 –Oct. 2018) •Presented 20 programs on a variety of important topics, providing an opportunity for our community to gather, learn new ideas and have a dialogue Program Impact, Testimonials & Observations 4 •Excellent speakers and Q and A. Time allotment perfect. •Very credible presenters. Very informative. Brought thoughtful insight to a current issue •Quality of presentations has been great, and a good variety of topics. Some were particularly good at drawing out relevance to this community. •When I learn something new I feel like it’s time well spent. •I felt the speakers and format were very interesting. I would have liked to attend at least six other events but had other engagements or was out of town. •Good speaker, interesting topic, with strong scientific/research support. •Topics were covered thoroughly and extremely relevant to current in today’s world. Estimated Attendance Results 5 •Estimated attendance: •2,515 attendees for 17 events in the winter season (Jan-April) average 148 attendees per event. •Number/percentage of people who came specifically for event/program: The majority of our audience are local or second homeowners who come to Vail regularly. Due to the weekly schedule of our programs, I would say the majority come specifically to our events. •Number/percentage of people who attended the event last year: 78.5% of the audience attended an event last year. Estimated Attendee Profile Results 6 The majority of our audience are local or second home owners. This is our target audience as our mission is to provide programs for our community members to enhance the quality of their lives and make our community a more desirable and diverse place to live. •18% Vail •62% Edwards to Avon including Beaver Creek and Mountain Star •5% Eagle/Gypsum •15% Other guests to the valley (regional, national and international) Estimated Spending Results 7 Estimated average spending per person: •There is an inherent challenge in this question since the majority of our attendees live in the valley. Their responses to the survey questions regarding spending are often incomplete, making it difficult to provide meaningful data. It is clear that many attendees have dinner and drinks and pay for parking when they don’t use the TOV parking structures. Beyond that, the money they spend in the town is related to their living in the valley—not our programs. •The out of town/guest attendees are typically here for a longer stay/vacation so their spending is not specific to our events. They are coming to Vail for all it has to offer: lodging, skiing, dining, shopping. NPS (Net Promoter Score) 70.04% 8 How likely is it that you would recommend this event/program to a friend or colleague? 0-Not at all likely 0.00% 0 1 0.00% 0 2 0.00% 0 3 0.00% 0 4 1.03% 1 5-Neutral 4.12% 4 6 1.03% 1 7 8.25% 8 8 10.31% 10 9 6.19% 6 10-Extremely likely 69.07% 67 TOTAL 97 Event Strengths & Weaknesses 9 •How did the event/program exceed expectations? As a brand, the Vail Symposium reputation continues to improve. This translates to larger audiences and increased donor support. Each of these groups are attending more programs on a regular basis. •What are areas for event/program improvement? We strive to present the best experts and scholars on timely topics; this is an area that can always grow and improve. We also work with our speakers to make sure their presentations are the best they can be. Adding even more quality interviewers and moderators will improve the overall experience for audience and speakers alike. •How did this year’s event/program compare to last year? In terms of format and number of programs, the series is similar year to year. The content is always evolving and our Hot Topics and Geopolitical programs strive to cover the latest and most relevant content. Vail Brand Compatibility The Premier International Mountain Resort Community 10 How did the event /program support the Vail Brand? •Vail’s brand is based on being the premier international mountain resort community. By building community through our programs, the Vail Symposium is elevating the educational offerings available in town for both residents and visitors. •Additionally, as Vail is an international destination, we have a series focused on international issues, events and topics that allow our guests to learn about these global topics from experts. •The Vail Symposium is a unique non-profit: There are no other non-profits like us in mountain communities. Therefore, we feel we support the brand positioning of Vail Mountain –”like nothing on earth.” Community Contribution 11 How did the event/program impact Vail’s sense of community? •By choosing topics that are of interest and concern to the Vail community, we provide a place where friends and neighbors can not only learn about a topic, but also hold discussions with community members. •Vail Symposium also has a series called “Speaking Locally” which specifically focuses on topics that are important on a local level. These might include affordable housing, local economy and conservation. •Additionally, by partnering with other local organizations like the Vail Valley Partnership, Walking Mountains Science Center, Vail Health and B’Nai Vail, Vail Symposium impacts many different circles in the community. Topline Marketing Efforts 12 What are the top 3 successful marketing tactics, executions or results from your event/program? •As our target audiences are locals and second home owners, we see the most impact from grassroots and community marketing efforts. Advertising and editorial coverage in the Vail Daily is an important method of outreach for us, as is word-of-mouth from program attendees. •Our email marketing efforts are also impactful: Our performance averages are consistently above 9.2 and our open rate is 25% or greater. •We also continue to grow our social media presence though the majority of our audience makes their decisions based on word-of-mouth, email marketing and news from the Vail Daily. Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure 13 •We have increased the budget by 20% over the past two years and, in the process, have greatly improved our programs. Based on our strategic plan, we are not looking to make any major changes to how we operate for at least one to two more years. Our goal is to build loyalty and donor support for our mission and current programs. Once we have demonstrated our ability to sustain the current growth, we will look to how we might expand in the future. However, we will continue to enhance and improve our programs within the scope of the current plan. •We are constantly working to cultivate and solicit new donors and sponsors to support our mission. We are currently working to expand our venue partners for in- kind accommodation support for our speakers and program venues. •How will you leverage media exposure and extend the marketing reach next year? As the topics and speakers that we engage for programming continue to rise in stature, we will cast a wider net for audiences from surrounding mountain communities (like Aspen and Summit County) and Denver. However, our focus on serving the Vail community remains our priority. Sustainability Efforts 14 •What measures were taken at your event/program to support the environmentally- friendly goals of the Town of Vail? We do not generate a large amount of waste at our programs, except for our pre-reception food and beverage. More than half of our events are in local hotels, so the plates and glasses are washed instead of being thrown away. •What waste reduction methods were used during your event/program? For the waste we do generate at our pre-receptions, we use recyclable and compostable cups and plates. We use water stations rather than bottled water and encourage out guest to bring their water bottles; we do our best to separate trash from recyclables. •How could you improve on sustainability efforts for next year’s event? We will need to give this more thought. 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, Event Budget Snapshot 15 *Event producer to attach detailed budget for recap Item $ Total Event/Program Budget:606,200 CSE Funds:39,500 Cash Sponsorship (not CSE):351,700 In-kind Sponsorship:143,000 Marketing Budget:86,150 Profit & Loss:11,880 How did you use the CSE funds? (marketing, operations, staff, venue, etc.) Operations Additional Information/Appendix 16 •Provide detailed budget in the Appendix: We provide the budget for our entire operation, since our program is not an isolated event but an ongoing series. The included budget is our most recent forecast. We can provide actuals at the end of the fiscal year. We also recognize the Town of Vail as a Key Sponsor at all of our programs winter and summer,which is a total of more than 45 programs each year. •Provide final marketing plan in the Appendix: Included Estimated Actual Total Expenses $594,320.00 $0.00 Site/Location/Operations Estimated Actual Food & Beverage Estimated Actual Venue rental fees $8,000.00 Social food + Beverage $12,500.00 Insurance $4,500.00 Non-social food + Beverage $12,700.00 Sound/AV $1,500.00 <insert Other>$0.00 Construction or Equipment $6,000.00 <insert Other>$0.00 Licenses and Permits $650.00 Total $25,200.00 $0.00 Dues, Subscriptions Conferences $950.00 Labor $291,670.00 Program/Lodging Estimated Actual Misc. Fees and Dues $1,400.00 Entertainment $0.00 Bank Fees and Interest $400.00 Speakers $2,000.00 Office space, Equipment and Supplies$27,000.00 Travel $27,500.00 Computer Services $2,000.00 Hotel $4,500.00 Credit Card Fees $3,700.00 In-Kind Event Goods&Services$85,000.00 Accounting and Tax Preperation Fees $3,200.00 Other Event expenses $2,500.00 Fundraising Events Expenses $5,500.00 Mileage $2,000.00 In-Kind Administration Services $3,000.00 <insert Other>$0.00 Total $359,470.00 $0.00 Total $123,500.00 $0.00 Marketing Estimated Actual Prizes Estimated Actual Advertising - Radio $0.00 Prizes $0.00 Advertising - Print $1,500.00 Cash Purse $0.00 Advertising - Social Media $2,000.00 Total $0.00 $0.00 Public Relations $0.00 Sales Team Expenses $0.00 Media TV, Production & Distribution $0.00 Graphic Design $2,400.00 Website $3,000.00 Collateral Materials $1,250.00 Printing $18,000.00 <insert Other>$0.00 <insert Other>$0.00 <insert Other>$0.00 <insert Other>$0.00 Total $28,150.00 $0.00 Marketing Estimated Actual Telephone/Internet $0.00 Photography $0.00 Transportation $0.00 Permit Fees $0.00 Postage/Shipping $3,000.00 In Kind Trades $55,000.00 Supplies-Office or Other $0.00 Demographic Survey $0.00 Sales Tax $0.00 <insert Other>$0.00 <insert Other>$0.00 <insert Other>$0.00 Total $58,000.00 $0.00 Vail Symposium 2019 > Expenses Estimated ActualTotal Income $606,200.00 $0.00 Tickets/Admissions Estimated Actual Estimated Actual 0 Adults @ $5.00 $0.00 0 Children @ $2.00 $0.00 0 Ticketing fees $1.00 $5,000.00 0 All event admission $0.00 $67,000.00 $72,000.00 $0.00 Programs/Advertising Estimated Actual Estimated Actual 0 Covers @ $0.00 $0.00 0 Half-pages @ $0.00 $0.00 0 Quarter-pages @ $0.00 $0.00 0 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00 0 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00 0 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Exhibitors/vendors Estimated Actual Estimated Actual 0 Large booths @ $0.00 $0.00 0 Med. booths @ $0.00 $0.00 Small booths @ $0.00 $0.00 0 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00 0 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Revenue from other items Estimated Actual Estimated Actual 0 Cash Sponsorships @ $0.00 $8,700.00 0 In Kind Sponsorships @ $0.00 $143,000.00 0 Individual Donations @ $0.00 $225,000.00 0 CSE Funding @ $0.00 $39,500.00 0 Grants @ $0.00 $94,500.00 0 Fundraising event $0.00 $21,000.00 0 Beverage sales $0.00 $2,500.00 0 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00 $534,200.00 $0.00 Vail Symposium 2019 > Income Estimated Actual Total income $606,200.00 $0.00 Total expenses $594,320.00 $0.00 Total profit (or loss)$11,880.00 $0.00 Vail Symposium 2019 > Profit - Loss Summary $0.00 $100,000.00 $200,000.00 $300,000.00 $400,000.00 $500,000.00 $600,000.00 $700,000.00 Estimated Actual Total income Total expenses 2019 Vail Symposium Marketing Plan June 28, 2019 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, including geotargeting to specific neighborhoods. • Running ads in the Vail Daily 150 of 365 days a year (one 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. • Social media: Increase social presence on Facebook through partnerships and paid promotion for event. Utilize Instagram account to help target and appeal to more expanded audience. • Online calendars: Vail Symposium ensures that we are included in as many local calendars as possible including Everything Vail Valley, Vail Valley Partnership, Swift publications, etc. • Appear on TV8 the day before each program. Print Biannual 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 and delivered directly to Vail and Edwards Post Office boxes • Distribution at all programs • Distribution to concierges at strategic locations • Distributed to Vail Welcome Center 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 2019 - 2020, the Vail Symposium plans to release in the Vail Daily: • Season release articles in Winter and Spring • 50+ press releases submitted as unique content for each program typically featured in the Vail Daily and Vail Daily online. • Letters from the Board of Directors Chair, Dale Mosier, as appropriate. • Work with the A&E editor to assign additional stories based on Symposium events (including stories covering the event). • 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. • Inclusion in the weekly calendar of events. • The Vail Symposium also participates in the annual “GIVE” magazine. 40,000 copies of GIVE are printed; the Vail Symposium has a one-page promotion of the organization and our upcoming programs. Digital Email marketing Vail Symposium currently has a database of more than 5,000 contacts that receive our weekly newsletter and reminders for upcoming programs. Our emails perform above the average for general emails: We have a more than 25% open rate and between 3%-5% click to open rate. Though it’s difficult to correlate all types of outreach directly to sales, we see a consistent spike in tickets sales directly following the email distribution. Thus, this remains one of our most important ways that we communicate. Social media Facebook proves to be an incredibly useful and informative tool for informing the community of Vail Symposium events. The Symposium Facebook page has more than 1,500 followers/”likes.” Organic posts usually reach 900 or more people in one week, resulting in 50 post engagements. Programs that are boosted also receive 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 2019, the Vail Symposium plans to: • Continue expanding Facebook engagement with posts and strategic promotions that both promote the organization’s page as well as boosts ticket sales for particular events. • Continue to utilize the target marketing tool to increase awareness and drive event traffic • Target particular age groups to continue our success in attracting a super boomer audience as well as targeting millennial achievers. • Collaborate with other groups in the valley, like the Vail Valley Partnership, Walking Mountains and the Vail Library, to cross-promote events where we see synergies. • Engage with users to increase community reception and appeals The Vail Symposium also created an Instagram account is actively curating an account that showcases the programs that we present as well as drawing on the history of our organization to interact with our audience in a new way. We have grown that audience to more than 300 followers and utilize the #fortheloveoflearning on each post. Other Media Television The Vail Symposium will again work with TV8’s Good Morning Vail show which is available to more than 900,000 Comcast subscribers throughout the state. • The Vail Symposium utilizes this medium to promote program on the day before 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. We then post the video clips to social media to help expand the marketing reach. Grassroots Partnerships The Vail Symposium has been working on expanding our network within the community, leveraging relationships where there is cross-over in terms of focus. In addition to working with concierges in hotels to distribute our information for inclusion in guest communications and suggesting programs when guests inquire about things to do, we will continue to work with other non-profit and for-profit organizations to ensure their members are aware of programs of interest. We have worked on identifying various community groups to ensure that they are aware of, and are sharing information about, our programming (for example, distributing information about health programs through Vail Health; partnering with Walking Mountains for our environmentally-focused programs, etc.). We will continue to 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