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Home My WebLink About02. i. Vail Jazz CSE RecapSurveyed Event Recap: Vail Jazz Festival Cultural, Recreational & Community Category Amanda Blevins, October 6th, 2021 Vail Jazz Festival: July 6th-September 7th , 2021 Amanda Blevins Phone: 970.479.6146 amanda@vailjazz.org 2 Overall Event Highlights & Successes 3 •Launched a brand new concert series, Jazz @ Solaris in the heart of Vail Village. Presented 8 concerts for FREE to the public with an educational component. •Safely executed all events keeping current with pandemic policies, pivoting to adhere to changes, implementing policies and diligently executing upon them, keeping the community health crisis top of mind while continuing to serve Vail’s elevated reputation of a premier destination. •NPS of 9.68 has greatly exceeded expectations while operating in a challenging and changing environment. We are very pleased to have given our patrons an exceptional experience, and anecdotal feedback mirrors this. •Grew $62k of sponsorship revenue related to free programming and educational series. •Successfully expanded event marketing footprint through a robust digital advertising plan paired with the debut of our new website. •Free and ticketed event attendance exceeded budget and forecasts. Questions from CSE 4 Attendance Estimate 5 •Labor Day attendance took a dip due to Covid related policies and national outbreaks impacting destination travel and overall view of safety concerns. •Jazz @ Solaris outdoor venue was at the mercy of inclement weather conditions for 3 of 8 shows, resulting in one performance forced to end earlier than scheduled. Vail Jazz @ Vail Square # of shows Venue cap Projected Total 8 320 2,560 Jazz @ Solaris 8 650 5,200 Vail Jazz Party- Lionshead Opening 1 360 360 Morning 1 360 360 Afternoon 4 360 1,440 Evening 4 360 1,440 Late Night 3 100 300 Gospel 1 1500 1,500 13,160 Vail Jazz Festival- Audience Attendance Total in person •Audience attendance exceeded expectations for free programming at Jazz @ Solaris. •Vail Jazz @ Vail Square ticket revenue exceeded budgeted revenue targets. •COSBS educational series was picked up by front range media outlets. Visitor Type 6 •Attendees who live outside of Colorado either full or part time amounted to 57% of concert attendees. This was as to be expected as we know many of our regular patrons travel to attend our concerts, particularly over Labor Day weekend. The Vail Jazz Party attracts mainly out of state visitors due to its reputation as one of the premier jazz events over Labor Day Weekend. Our survey and website usage analytics indicate that we have a more even spread throughout the festival appealing to in-state visitors drawing from the front range as well as locals and 2nd homeowner audiences alike. Overnight Visitor Profile: Overnight Visitors & Seasonal Residents Only Only 7 •40% of respondents stayed in paid accommodation (hotel, timeshare, short term rental) and 60% stayed in their second home. •For overnight guests over Labor Day weekend, we partner with the Marriott on group rates securing over 460 room nights. •Partnerships with the Lodge at Vail, Evergreen Lodge, Grand Hyatt and the Arrabelle are promoted throughout the summer to free and ticketed event patrons. •Targeted marketing engages digital and traditional tactics to deliver hotel offerings to out of state and front range patrons throughout the summer. Overall Visitor Profile 8 •Based on historic attendance and targeted marketing strategy, we anticipated an older demographic with a high household income and high level of education. •This year saw no difference with 73% of patrons over the age of 65, 75% of patrons with a household income exceeding $100k, and 98% with a higher education level. Role/Importance of Event in Intent to Visit Vail 9 •Vail Jazz boasts a strong following of community members and long- time locals in the Vail Valley with nearly 65% of attendees returning to events for 4 or more years. •Vail Jazz partnered with Evergreen Lodge, Marriott, Arrabelle and Grand Hyatt to advertise direct reservation systems partnered with unique tracking codes to convert our owned database into confirmed reservations. •How would you increase the number of overnight Vail guests coming for the event next year? We hope to increase our event footprint back to pre-covid numbers by adding programming back in with out hotel partner venues, translating to greater opportunity to support block reservations and partner cross marketing activation. NPS (Net Promoter Score)/Likelihood to Recommend 10 •NPS: 9.68 (Weighted average 1 –10 likely to recommend). We were pleased to see that scores exceeded expectations. Anecdotally we heard very positive feedback from patrons at events, and people were pleased to have a return of live music. •Open ended responses reflected this sentiment and overall satisfaction with the event scored very high (weighted average 4.68 out of 5). Estimated Return on Investment (ROI) & Attendee Expenditures 11 Average Spent on Lodging for Visit (Overnight visitors): $4,040 Average Spent on Other Expenses for Event: $268 per day of stay Insights: The timing and location of the Thursday evening and Sunday evening performances are designed to encourage an evening out, and recommendations on local dining and overnight stay options begin with our sponsor and partners. Sunday evening performances encourage al fresco dining at Bol and Matsuhisa, and dining out following performances at Vail Village establishments. Local business sponsors and underwriters are prominently displayed and promoted from the stage, and in printed and digital marketing tactics to encourage patrons to support local businesses. Event Strengths & Weaknesses 12 •How did the event exceed expectations? Both free and ticketed performances exceeded budgeted audience size and revenue. Feedback from our patrons was overwhelmingly positive, and our partners also reported high patron conversion into customers of their respective businesses. •What are areas for event improvement? Opportunity to secure venues was delayed this year due to the pandemic. We also had a tough time keeping our events staffed. Both will be areas of focus and improvement to plan accordingly for 2022. •How did this year’s event compare to previous years? Comparing 2021 to previous years events is a challenge. We had a significant uphill battle due to the pandemic. Overall, we are very pleased with the amount of activities we were able to execute at the elevated experiences our patrons expect from the Vail Jazz brand. Vail Brand Compatibility 13 Town of Vail: The Premier International Mountain Resort Community Vail Jazz, Vail Jazz Festival, Vail Jazz Party, Vail Jazz @ Vail Square, and Vail Jazz @ Solaris are all branded to be closely aligned with the location of Vail itself. These premier events leverage Vail as a premier destination for a premier experience and the demographic of the destination visitor and the Vail Jazz patron are closely aligned. Vail Mountain: Like nothing on earth The Vail brand sets an expectation of unmatched experiences of world-class quality, and the Vail Jazz staff is aggressively working towards realizing this goal each year with live performances and educational programs that inspire and entertain to that degree. With a vast array of entertainment opportunities to choose from in the Vail Valley, Vail Jazz strives to set itself apart by providing spectacular listening experiences in each of its venues, leaving guests with lasting memories of stunning jazz performances in a unique mountain setting that only Vail can provide Community Contribution 14 •Each Thursday and Sunday, repeat patrons come together at Vail Square and Solaris Plaza to meet with their friends to enjoy music. The free Sunday family friendly events at Solaris are designed to bring the community together, and were marketed to both destination and local patrons. •Sharing these performance series across video assets on YouTube, social media, TV outlets, and digital media tactics helps engage an audience that is here now, and potential visitors before they get here, and continues to deliver the story to them after they depart. Once you experience our festival, culture and community, you are reminded of those fond memories until you return again the following year. •Jazz @ Solaris venue is free and intended to encourage guests to stay in the village for an extended period of time-increasing the goods and services that will be purchased during before and after event attendance contributing to the strength of the local economy and small businesses. Topline Marketing Efforts 15 •High profile, premium quality brand/festival visibility in Vail and Lionshead Villages stage banners, marquis banners, a-frame signage, Lionshead Village entrance banner, and signage with brand messaging and sponsor recognition. •TOV was prominent on all Vail Jazz Festival signage. Topline Marketing Efforts 16 •Newly developed and launched custom website designed to educate and inform audiences, with an objective to convert ticket sales and event attendance. •Digital marketing strategy targeted to specific segments including local community, drive traffic from Front Range, and visitation from repeat destination guests. •Please attach complete marketing plan to end of presentation. Potential for Growth & Sponsorships/Media Exposure 17 •How do you see the event evolving or growing next year? We plan to expand Vail Jazz Goes to school to a statewide initiative through a potential media partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS. We also plan to deliver an additional free “club” style performance series during the summer festival. •What sponsors do you plan to target next year? National sponsors are starting to take note of our program and are interested in sponsoring our events to get in front of our unique audience. Rolex, Patron Tequilas, and United Airlines are three major sponsors currently in discussion. •How will you leverage media exposure and extend the marketing reach next year? We will continue to leverage media exposure and sponsor partnerships through our newly expanded website, robust social media following, large e-newsletter database, and award winning program. Our virtual concert series, Jazz Interludes, and focused social media growth campaigns will engage larger sponsors as the audience and reach will multiply across many tactics with opportunity for national reach. Sustainability Efforts 18 What measures were taken at your event/program to support the environmentally- friendly goals of the Town of Vail? •Vail Jazz upgraded our ticketing system this year; attendees are encouraged to not print tickets at home. What waste reduction methods were used during your event/program? •All events provide marked trash and recycling containers. •Significantly reduced the number of event programs produced from 10k to 6k. Made a smaller size and shortened the number of pages to reduce paper use. •Worked with the Arrabelle to produce branded reusable cups for the bar to reduce waste at the bar. How could you improve on sustainability efforts for next year’s event? •Continue a to shift advertising tactics to digital media over print. Event Budget 19 * Event producer to attach detailed budget for recap Item $ Total Event Budget:$ 990,000 CSE Funds:$75,000 (TOV) + $10,000 (CSE) Cash Sponsorship (not CSE):$100,000 In-kind Sponsorship:$125,000 Marketing Budget:$50,000 Profit & Loss:$ TBD How did you use the CSE funds? (marketing, operations, staff, venue, etc.) Marketing,new venue acquisition in Vail, enhanced free public program offerings. Additional Information/Appendix 20 •Provide detailed budget in the Appendix •Provide final marketing plan in the Appendix •Provide full version of the Survey Dashboard PDF in Appendix •Provide any additional information or marketing materials you think the CSE would benefit from