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Home My WebLink About02. b. OKT19_CSE Event RecapEvent Recap: Vail Oktoberfest™ Cultural, Recreational & Community Category November 6, 2019 Event Recap: Vail Oktoberfest™ Cultural, Recreational & Community Category Vail Oktoberfest™: Sept. 6-8 & Sept. 13-15 3 •Highlights: •40,000+ Attendance •7 Beer pouring stations •10 Restaurant & Expo displays •Print: 189,900+ impressions •Digital: 239,319+ impressions •PR: 11,298,300+ impressions Overall Event Highlights & Successes 4 •List the top 4-6 successes you want to share with the CSE (consider this a snapshot for your recap). •Vail Oktoberfest continues to bring enthusiastic crowds of all ages to the streets of Lionshead and Vail Village to celebrate the world-famous tradition of Oktoberfest •The Vail Village configuration and layout shift allowed for additional viewing areas to the stage and utilized the wider streets on Willow Bridge Road and International Bridge to accommodate everyone attending the event. By providing additional seating near the stage, more people were able to experience the entertainment than in previous years •Programming and entertainment remained strong and proved popular with all in attendance. From Stein Lifting, Keg Bowling and Bratwurst Eating to the oom pah pah sounds of Helmut Fricker and The Rhinelanders, guests of Vail Oktoberfest were able to enjoy all aspects of the event. The nighttime entertainment had great crowds with plenty of high energy and dancing in the streets •In 2019, Vail Oktoberfest offered the ‘Refresh and Refill’ water refill stations again in both Lionshead and Vail Village. Guests were encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottle to take advantage of this offer. Event partner, Audi, was offering complimentary water bottles from their activation space which allowed more people to help reduce the number of single serve water bottles used in the venue. Event organizers were able to completely eliminate selling single use water bottles on site. Attendance Estimate 5 •The weather impacted attendance in Lionshead this year due to rain, thunder/lightning on both Friday night and Sunday. Vail Village attendance was slightly higher than last year and better than anticipated by event organizers. •How would you impact attendance next year? •The demographic that attends Oktoberfest is diverse. Modernizing the outreach and targeting marketing efforts to reach consumers with a wider lens will continue to bring in a broad range of guests. •Vail Oktoberfest will continue to find ways to enrich the guest experience for those who attend. The Saturday crowds on both weekends are very large so finding ways to extend their length of stay at Vail Oktoberfest is a focus for the future. By offering additional options for seating, food and making it more accessible to buy beer and cocktails, the goal is to increase the level of service for those who are at the event. Visitor Type 6 Was this the visitor type split you expected? •Yes, the event continues to appeal to the out of town/overnight visitors as well as locals. •What steps would you take to optimize visitor mix for future events? •Continue to promote the event to a variety of people through grassroots, print and digital marketing efforts. •Focus outreach and marketing efforts outside of Colorado, especially in markets where direct to Vail flights may still be flying to make the ease of getting to Vail easier and more tempting. Overnight Visitor Profile: Overnight Visitors & Seasonal Residents Only 7 •What measures did you take to encourage attendees to book lodging in the Town of Vail? •Vail Oktoberfest official lodging partners Vail Racquet Club Mountain Resort and Vail Marriot offered incredible lodging deals throughout both weekends. Marketing efforts to communicate these opportunities came in print, social and website inclusions. •Event organizers reached out and encouraged the local lodging community to cross promote and reach out to guests with information about the event by providing the Vail Oktoberfest toolkit. Overall Visitor Profile 8 •Who was your anticipated target demographic? Did you reach your target demographic? •Yes. Vail Oktoberfest reached its target demographic: •Affluent luxury travelers •Cultural enthusiasts •Values: live music, outdoors, and gathering among friends to celebrate the changing of seasons •Beer drinkers and Oktoberfest fans •What would you change to attract that audience next year? •Vail in the late summer/early fall has so much to offer visitors so by tapping into other reasons to come to Vail like the outdoors and active lifestyle options, the hope would be to bring new guests to Vail Oktoberfest. NPS (Net Promoter Score)/Likelihood to Recommend 9 •Do you think the NPS scores reflect the attendee event experience? •The event was enjoyed by all attendees and the vibe was enthusiastic and pleasant, this score is higher than 2018 which is good but we would always like this number to be higher. One note from past surveys: when there has been weather that has caused delays or cancelation in programming, like the first weekend at Liosnshead, the NPS has skewed lower. •What steps would you take to improve the NPS scores for your event next year? •Continue to look at ways to enhance the guest experience including more seating, smoother flow throughout the venue, value through programming and consumer pricing and event authenticity. Estimated Return on Investment (ROI) & Attendee Expenditures 10 •What did your event do to encourage spending in Vail? •The location and flow of the event brought animation to Lionshead and Vail Village for two weekends during a slower time of year. Positioning infrastructure and event elements in a strategic manner, whenever possible, allowed merchant’s entryways and windows [where possible] to remain open and inviting for guests. Event promoters watched the flow of traffic into retailers within the footprint and noted that people did visit merchants and shops during event hours. •Local Vail Oktoberfest restaurant partners commented that their businesses continue to gain exposure and they see positive benefits throughout the event and through increased reservations. •Vail Oktoberfest is presented as weekend long events which support the goal of encouraging overnight guests and longer stays in Vail. Event Strengths & Weaknesses 11 •How did the event exceed expectations? •Guests love Vail Oktoberfest. From the pagentry to the entertainment to the competitions provided by the event to the Bavarian attire attendees come to Vail in, this fall tradition is truly like no other. This event appeals to a wide demographic and Oktoberfest brings everyone together and allows guests to feel a part of the community. •This year, event producers worked extremely hard with merchants, retailers, hotel properties and restaurants within the event space to make sure they were heard and to accommodate requests, to the best of our ability, that they made. In some cases, starting more than 9 months prior to the event, this communication process continues to take priority to insure they were part of the event process. Following the event, event producers revisited several of the local businesses to finish the communication process. •The change to the set up in Vail Village this year was a big win and resulted in a better flow and more places to see the performances. By opening up the area in front and north side of the stage, there was significantly more viewing and areas to be part of the action by taking advantage of the wider areas in the Village. •The Saturday night bands were amazing this year and the crowd enthusiasm created a fantastic vibe in both Lionshead and Vail Village. The streets were filled with people dancing, laughing and enjoying the fantastic late summer weather. •Overall, the Vail Oktoberfest programming is still a huge hit with guests to the event. Contest participation and popularity remains extremely high. The uniqueness and spirit of the competitions brings participants and spectators together. To watch the crowds cheering for people they don’t know, is an amazing aspect of the event and contests. The sense of community and familiarity is a fantastic benefit for the event. Event Strengths & Weaknesses 12 •What are areas for event improvement? •Continue to look for ways to enrich the experience for attendees, local businesses and the event itself. •Being cognizant that people are looking for different ways to experience Vail Oktoberfest, space, flow and options are important. Some people want to be in the scene, close to the stage and a part of it all while others prefer a quieter place to grab a seat, enjoy a beer and food with family and friends. Providing options for guests of the event continues to be a challenge but important to the event brand and standard for guests. •Vail Oktoberfest remains committed to differentiating itself from other events and staying true to the traditions, roots and authenticity wherever possible. Vail Brand Compatibility The Premier International Mountain Resort Community 13 •How did the event /program support the Vail Brand? •Oktoberfest is a known and coveted celebration all over the world, bringing this festival of autumn, beer and food to Vail in an extremely authentic way •Vail Oktoberfest strives to stay on brand with Town of Vail standards and expectations through its pagentry, look, décor feel and vibe •Vail Oktoberfest supports and promotes the local lodging community, Vail Summer activities and vail.com •Event organizers continue to focus on the guest experience at the event to help differentiate itself from other Oktoberfest celebrations in mountain communities Brand Positioning: •Town of Vail: The Premier International Mountain Resort Community •Vail Mountain: Like nothing on earth Community Contribution 14 •How did the event impact Vail’s sense of community? •Vail Oktoberfest’s long standing event non profit partner, the Vail Veterans Program, is a local and prevalent organization supported by many that live and visit Vail •Locals make up a large portion of the event and Vail Oktoberfest provides a perfect gathering location and atmosphere for friends and family to enjoy •Integrating Bavarian local restaurants, vendors and entertainers showcases Vail’s deep rooted European heritage and keeps a great “homegrown” feel to the event •Embracing a time-honored-tradition from Munich, the Oktoberfest long communal tables encourage guests and visitors to interact and feel welcomed throughout the weekend Topline Marketing Efforts 15 •What are the top 3 successful marketing tactics, executions or results from your event/program? •Vail Oktoberfest was promoted through grassroots, print, digital, social, radio and PR marketing efforts. •Print: 189,000+ impressions •Digital: 239,319+ impressions •PR: 11,298,300+ impressions •Vail Oktoberfest is a proud partner of Vail Veterans Program and have supported the local non profit for more than 5 years. The Military Appreciation Program continues to be a strong promotion for the event and this year we saw a 15% increase of Military members joining the event. •Please see additional marketing details in the attached report VAILOKTOBERFEST.COM CALLING ALLVETERANS AND ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY! BRING YOUR MILITARY ID CARD TO THE TOKEN TENTS FOR YOUR COMPLIMENTARY BEER VOUCHER ENJOY YOUR FIRST BEER ON US! VAIL OKTOBERFEST™ LIONSHEAD | SEPT 6-8 VAIL VILLAGE | SEPT 13-15 Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure 16 •How do you see the event evolving next year? •Continue to focus on improving and enhancing the guest experience. As space governs how large the event can grow, the shift for 2020 will be on making small changes to elevate and enrich what guests encounter when they attend the event. •What sponsors do you plan to target next year? •In 2020, similar partners to the existing sponsors (Spaten Beer, Audi, Klement’s Sausage Co., Jagermeister) will be targeted in the following categories: consumer goods products, financial institution, airline, and more. •How will you leverage media exposure and extend the marketing reach next year? •Strategize on where and how guests are hearing about the event. By utilizing digital ads, social media and opportunities to modernize the approach, the goal will be to streamline not only the efforts but also the messaging. •Continue to showcase elements of the event including food / chefs, entertainers, and programming to appeal to a wide audience. Sustainability Efforts 17 •What measures were taken at your event/program to support the environmentally-friendly goals of the Town of Vail? •Integrated Green Team staff to help consumers on separating compost, recyclables and trash at the event •Trash/Recycle/Compost lids were made from recycled coroplast signs that were re-engineered into educational tops •Worked with vendors to require compostable service ware •Water refill stations positioned throughout the venue both weekends •Accessed shore power to avoid need/use of gas generators •Used re-usable table linens instead of disposable covers •Staff carpooling from Denver and within the valley during the event •Reused event signage and décor including roundabout banners, stage signage and informational/directional signage •How could you improve on sustainability efforts for next year’s event? •Continue to implement advanced trash/recycle/compost management efforts for all attending Vail Oktoberfest to include education, sorting and cost efficiencies Event Budget 18 * Event producer to attach detailed budget for recap Item $ Total Event Budget $323,389.97 CSE Funds $60,000.00 Cash Sponsorship (separate from CSE)$76,925.00 Other Revenue (Vendor Fees, Merchandise, F&B)$153,655.77 Marketing Budget $10,870.60 Profit & Loss [$32,809.20] How did you use the CSE funds? (marketing, operations, staff, venue, etc.)Operations, Logistics, Marketing Additional Information/Appendix 19 •Appendix A: Event Budget •Appendix B: Marketing Plan •Appendix C: Survey Dashboard PDF Thank you 20