HomeMy WebLinkAbout02. a. Vail Symposium - EE 2021 Event Recap FinalVail Symposium Recap: 2021 Winter/Summer Series
Education & Enrichment Category
December 1, 2021
Vail Symposium 2021 Winter/Summer Series
Kris Sabel
Phone: 970-476-0954
ksabel@vailsymposium.org
2
Overall Event or Program Highlights & Successes
3
•List the top 4-6 successes you want to share with the CSE
•Presented 42 total programs including 12 live events this summer.
•88.23% Of attendees will or most likely will attend future live events.
•81.74% are very satisfied with virtual events.
•Received funding from the CARES ACT and a new grant from El Pomar Foundation
•Created new partnerships with TOV Art in Public Places,Summer Vail Arts
Workshop,Vail Alliance for Purposeful Living and Foreign Policy Association
•Maintained our donor base through more than a year with no in-person events or
cultivation events.
Program Impact, Testimonials & Observations
4
•Virtual events provided a way to connect with a broader audience nationally, and
to extend both the Symposium and Vail Brands. Virtual events also allow second
homeowners to stay connected to Vail when not in town. In person events provide
an opportunity for community to gather,engage and share.
•Always intelligent, informative, and well done.
•Ambassador Hill was incredible
•Programs are so relevant and interesting…I always learn a great deal! Thank you!!!
•I am so grateful for Vail Symposium. I’m inspired, informed, and delighted by the
presenters. I never miss an opportunity to tell everyone about you.
•great work curating talks which offer diverse topics of learning.
•You all do a great job. Very professional and high quality. Keep up the great work!
•I enjoyed being able to still participate in these wonderful, thought-provoking events
with being exposed to so many different people from all walks of life and areas of the
world.
COVID-19 Impacts
5
•Describe the changes made to the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks
were required. Reception food was individually wrapped. Catered Food for
special events was served outdoors.
•What learnings from COVID-19 do you foresee rolling forward into future events.
In addition to masks, proof of vaccination will also be required. We will continue
to fine tune how we provide food and drink in a safe and responsible way
•What were the biggest challenges cause by the COVID-19 pandemic. As concerns
with the Delta variant grew, we saw a reduction in attendance. Inability to gather
in homes with food and drink after the events. These post events are a major
opportunity to interact with current donors and cultivate new donors.
Estimated Attendance Results
6
•Estimated attendance:
•Average attendance for virtual programs in the winter 170 per event.
•Average attendance for virtual programs in the summer 120 per event.
Drop in attendance likely due to opportunities to get back into live
settings and some zoom fatigue.
•Average attendance for in-person events prior to Delta variant concerns
177 after Delta variant concerns 92
•Number/percentage of people who came specifically for event/program: Most
of our audience are local and second homeowners who come to Vail regularly
and come specifically for our events. Our webinars bring a virtual audience to
Vail specifically.
•Number/percentage of people who attended the event last year: 85.82%
Estimated Attendee Profile Results
7
•Where did attendees come from? (local, regional, out of state, international):
•Most of the audience (87%) are fulltime locals or second homeowners. This is
our target audience in line with our mission. We provide programs for our
community to enhance the quality of their lives and make our community a
more desirable and diverse place to live.
•Virtual programs expand our reach to a national and international audience.
These programs allow second homeowners to stay to connected to Vail while
traveling and away from their mountain home.In addition, virtual programs
attract a new audience (12%)who previously had no connection to Vail.
Estimated Spending Results
8
•Estimated average spending per person:
•There is an inherent challenge in this question since most of our attendees
live in the valley. 24% say they often have drinks or dinner pre or post
events.40%say they sometimes have drinks or dinner post event. Their
responses to the survey questions regarding dollars spent are often
incomplete, making it difficult to provide meaningful data. Many
attendees 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 lodging, skiing, dining, shopping.
•Three quarters of events this year were virtual which would include no
spending in the town.
NPS (Net Promoter Score)
9
How likely is it that you would recommend this event/program to a friend or colleague? NPS
62.04%
0-Not at all likely 1.46%
2
1 0.73%
1
2 0.00%
0
3 0.73%
1
4 0.73%
1
5-Neutral 3.65%
5
6 2.92%
4
7 5.11%
7
8 13.14%
18
9 13.14%
18
10-Extremely likely 58.39%
80
TOTAL 137
Event Strengths & Weaknesses
10
•How did the event/program exceed expectations? We had concerns about
attendance once we offered in person events again but were pleased with
the results, especially in July and early August. We maintained most of
our individual donor support despite limited opportunities to interact in
person.
•What are areas for event/program improvement? We continually look to
expand the reach of our programs. Success breads success, as we
continue to engage higher profile speakers it becomes easier to attract
better speakers which is a constant goal. Attracting a younger
demographic is always a goal.
•How did this year’s event/program compare to last year? The main
difference was presenting some of our programs in person after more
than a year of only virtual programs.
Vail Brand Compatibility
The Premier International Mountain Resort Community
11
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. With our virtual programs, even more audience members from around
the country (and world!) were introduced to Vail and the brand.
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, in our own way, we mirror Vail
Mountain in that we are “like nothing on earth.”
Community Contribution
12
How did the event/program impact Vail’s sense of community?
Vail Symposium impacts Vail’s sense of community by choosing topics that
are of interest and concern to the Vail community, providing an opportunity
for friends and neighbors to not only learn about a topic, but also hold
discussions with other community members, both in-person and virtually.
By partnering with other local organizations like the TOV Art in Public Places,
Summer Vail Arts Workshop, Vail Valley Partnership, Walking Mountains
Science Center, Vail Health and B’Nai Vail, Vail Symposium impacts many
different social and business circles in the community.
Our “Speaking Locally” series specifically focuses on topics that are important
on a local level. These have included affordable housing, local economy, state
of the valley and conservation.
Topline Marketing Efforts
13
What are the top 3 successful marketing tactics, executions or results from your
event/program?
As our target audiences are locals and second homeowners, 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. We’ve also secured placement in several magazines due to our
50th anniversary season.
Our email marketing efforts are also impactful: With an email audience of more than
5,000, our performance averages are consistently above 9.4, our open rate is 35%
and our click to open rate is 5%.
We also continue to grow our social media presence. However, most 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
14
•How do you see the event/program evolving next year?
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated changes that have ultimately been for the best.
We’ve seen that not only are our audiences loyal, but they appreciate the ability to
attend virtually and watch recorded programs. With online programming, we’re
cultivating new fans while reaching seasonal as well as year -round residents. Plans
are to provide an even split of in-person and virtual events.
•What sponsors do you plan to target next year? (Including existing and potential
sponsors) Nurturing current donors, sponsors and foundations is a year -round high
priority. We are constantly working to develop and solicit new donors and sponsors to
support our mission.
•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 continue to cast a wider net for audiences that can attend both
virtually and in-person events. However, our focus on serving the Vail community
remains our top priority.
Sustainability Efforts
15
•What waste reduction methods were used during your event/program? We do not
generate a large amount of waste at our events. 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?
Unfortunately, many of our speakers fly in for a few days, and much of audience
travel from down valley to Vail to attend our events.There do not seem to be
practical ways to reduce this footprint.
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 Snapshot
16
*Event producer to attach detailed budget for recap
Item $
Total Event/Program Budget:534,826
CSE Funds:31,000
Cash Sponsorship (not CSE):352,500
In-kind Sponsorship:53,000
Marketing Budget:24,305
Profit & Loss:51,162
How did you use the CSE funds?
(marketing, operations, staff, venue, etc.)
General Operating
Expenses
Additional Information/Appendix
17
•Provide detailed budget in the Appendix
•Provide final marketing plan in the Appendix
•Provide any additional information or marketing materials you think the CSE would
benefit from
Estimated Actual
Total Expenses $523,370.00 $483,663.68
Site/Location/Operations Estimated Actual Food & Beverage Estimated Actual
Rental fees $6,500.00 $1,000.00 Social food + Beverage $10,000.00 $7,000.00
Insurance $4,500.00 $4,500.00 Non-social food + Beverage $500.00 $250.00
Sound/AV $0.00 $0.00 <insert Other>$0.00
Construction or Equipment $3,000.00 $15,000.00 <insert Other>$0.00
Licenses and Permits $250.00 $220.00 Total $10,500.00 $7,250.00
Phone $7,250.00 $7,250.00
Labor $328,420.00 $335,611.23 Program/Lodging Estimated Actual
Offices Supplies and Equipment $13,750.00 $12,123.00 Entertainment $0.00
Office Rental $7,500.00 $7,500.00 Speakers $5,000.00 $0.00
Accounting and Tax Fee Preperation $3,200.00 $3,190.00 Travel $10,000.00 $6,000.00
Credit Card Fees $1,750.00 $5,007.02 Hotel $2,000.00 $1,486.00
Fundraising Event Expense $5,000.00 $12,401.46 In-Kind Goods & Services $60,000.00 $40,000.00
Computer Services $500.00 $500.00 Other Event Expenses $5,000.00 $300.00
In-Kind Administrative Services $1,000.00 $1,000.00 Mileage $750.00 $105.97
<insert Other>$0.00
Total $82,750.00 $47,891.97
Total $382,620.00 $405,302.71
Prizes Estimated Actual
Marketing Estimated Actual Prizes $0.00 $0.00
Advertising - Radio $0.00 $0.00 Cash Purse $0.00 $0.00
Advertising - Print $2,000.00 $2,000.00 Total $0.00 $0.00
Advertising - Social Media $0.00 $699.00
Public Relations $0.00 $0.00
Sales Team Expenses $0.00 $0.00
Media TV, Production & Distribution $0.00 $0.00
Graphic Design $1,800.00 $300.00
Website $2,500.00 $5,665.00
Collateral Materials $2,500.00 $2,500.00
Printing $7,500.00 $0.00
<insert Other>$0.00
<insert Other>$0.00
<insert Other>$0.00
<insert Other>$0.00
<insert Other>$0.00
Total $16,300.00 $11,164.00
Marketing Estimated Actual
Telephone/Internet $0.00
Photography $0.00
Transportation $0.00
Permit Fees $0.00
Postage/Shipping $1,200.00 $55.00
In Kind Trades $30,000.00 $12,000.00
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 $31,200.00 $12,055.00
Event/Program Budget for [Event Name]
> Expenses
Estimated Actual
Total Income $526,250.00 $535,858.00
Tickets/Admissions
Estimated Actual Estimated Actual
0 Adults @ $5.00 $0.00
0 All Event Admission $2.00 $25,000.00 $17,445.00
0 Ticketing Fees $1.00 $1,750.00 $1,192.00
0 <Insert Other> @ $0.00 $0.00
$26,750.00 $18,637.00
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 $11,000.00 $6,000.00
0 In Kind Sponsorships @ $0.00 $91,000.00 $53,000.00
0 Board Donations $0.00 $58,000.00 $56,532.00
0 CSE Funding @ $0.00 $35,000.00 $31,000.00
0 Grants @ $0.00 $94,500.00 $98,500.00
0 Individual Donations $0.00 $190,000.00 $192,500.00
0 Paycheck Protection $0.00 $0.00 $52,400.00
0 Fundraising Events $0.00 $20,000.00 $27,289.00
$499,500.00 $517,221.00
Event/Program Budget for [Event Name]
> Income
Estimated Actual
Total income $526,250.00 $535,858.00
Total expenses $523,370.00 $483,663.68
Total profit (or loss)$2,880.00 $52,194.32
Event/Program Budget for [Event Name]
> Profit - Loss Summary
$450,000.00
$460,000.00
$470,000.00
$480,000.00
$490,000.00
$500,000.00
$510,000.00
$520,000.00
$530,000.00
$540,000.00
Estimated Actual
Total income
Total expenses
2021-22 Vail Symposium Marketing Plan
Oct. 1, 2021
The Vail Symposium would allocate funding from the TOV to fulfill the following marketing and
communications efforts of the organization:
• Continue to update our new website which launched in June 2020. We’ve added elements that
make searching easier as well as adding new content highlighting our 50th anniversary season.
We also created a funnel for growing our newsletter audience and capitalizing on our program
video library.
• 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).
• Inclusion in the Vail Daily’s annual GIVE magazine.
• Submitting 50+ unique press releases to the Symposium’s media list. Fulfilling media requests
and pitching story ideas, highlighting Vail Symposium’s 50th anniversary season.
• Social media: Increase social presence on Facebook through partnerships and paid promotion
for event. We’re increasing our paid ads on Facebook to supplement our organic reach. We’re
also utilizing our 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 Facebook events, Vail Daily, Vail Valley Partnership, Swift publications, etc.
Print
Biannual Brochure*
The Vail Symposium produces a program brochure 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
*Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the conversion of many of in-person events to online events, we
are opting to refrain from printing our winter brochure and will utilize our new website, email platform
and social media for sharing the season line-up. By refraining from printing a brochure, we’re saving
money as well as retaining the ability to be nimble with our program lineup. It’s easier to update a
website with a new program that comes together quickly rather than a print brochure. However, we
also have a .pdf version of the season’s schedule for those who prefer hard copies.
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 2021-22, 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.
Editorial
• Vail Symposium also pitches stories to local media such as Vail Valley Magazine and other Vail
Valley neighborhood publications.
• Other editorial opportunities include front-range publications such as Denver Post, CPR and
Colorado Sun.
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 29% open rate and an average 7% 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. Email marketing remains one of the most important ways
that we communicate.
Social media
Facebook
Facebook continues to be an incredibly useful and informative tool for publicizing Vail Symposium
events. The Symposium Facebook page has almost 1,600 followers. 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. Our goal is to increase our reach by 5% in the next year. (We did
not quite reach this goal last season. Changes to Facebook’s algorithms might have been a cause.
However, we did increase our reach by 3% on average last year).
In 2021-22, 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,
Bookworm Edwards and B’Nai Vail to cross-promote events where we see synergies.
• Engage with users to increase community reception and appeals
• Continue to post our program videos on Facebook
Instagram
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 800 followers and utilize the
#fortheloveoflearning on each post. Though it’s not as robust as Facebook, it’s growing and it another
avenue with which to engage with our audience and potential attendees. Our goal is a 10% increase
over the next year. (We reached this goal over the 2020-21 season).
YouTube
As our programming was mostly digital this last year, we’ve posted more videos to YouTube to increase
our SEO, extend our Vail Symposium audience engagement and find new audience members. We’ve
established a benchmark and have a goal of a 10% increase of views over the next year. (We reached
this goal during the 2020-21 season).
Other Media
Television
As TV8 is back in the mix, we’re working with that outlet to increase our reach. We’ve also in talks with
High 5 Media to increase the reach of our video programming, reaching a new audience while providing
another avenue for our current audience to enjoy our programming.
Grassroots
Partnerships
The Vail Symposium has continually expanded 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; partnering with
B’Nai Vail, 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
Vail Daily | Monday, August 16, 2021 | B1ALL THE FUN STUFF
Carolyn Paletta
cpaletta@vaildaily.com
Over the past 50 years, Vail has
managed to transcend its image as
a ski resort and become a destina-
tion that caters to a wide variety
of interests and attracts a diverse group of
people. This transformation is not one that
many other mountain towns have under-
taken, but the vision of Vail as more than a
ski destination has been embedded in the
town’s ethos since the very beginning.
In 1971, Town Manager Terry Minger
started the Vail Symposium as an annu-
al think tank that brought town found-
ers, supporters and community members
together to formulate goals and ideas for
the future development of the valley. The
very first Vail Symposium took place July
30-31, 1971, and was convened around the
prescient topic, “The Role of the Moun-
tain Community in a Rapidly Urbanizing
America.”
Five decades later, the Vail Symposium
remains an active nonprofit organi-
zation in the valley. What started as a
once-yearly think tank has evolved into
yearlong educational programming that
aims to engage community members in
intellectual discourse on a wide vari-
ety of subjects. The Symposium hosts a
different event nearly every week of the
year, bringing in experts from around the
world to speak on cutting-edge topics in
geopolitics, environmental science, con-
sciousness, art, science, technology and
much more.
Kris Sabel has been the executive direc-
tor of the Vail Symposium since 2016. In
celebration of the 50th anniversary of the
first think tank, Sabel and his team have
kicked off a yearlong celebration that will
pay tribute to the history of the symposium
at events throughout the year.
“They asked those important questions:
How is Vail going to be more than just a ski
town, how is it going to be more than Dis-
neyland in the Rockies?” Sabel said. “Out
of that came the town of Vail’s first master
plan, which turned into things like Ford
Park, the bike system, the bus system, the
Dobson arena, and all these elements that
make our community unique.”
The Symposium also led to the forma-
tion of the Eagle Valley Forum, and was
Vail Symposium
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
of intellectual engagement
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY
Attendees at the second Vail Symposium convene to discuss the future of the town.
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY
The modern iteration of the Vail Symposium invites experts to come to Vail and speak
on a wide variety of topics that will provoke intellectual curiosity and conversation in
the community.
❱ Vail Symposium started as an annual think
tank in 1971 and has grown to provide weekly
educational programs on a wide variety of topics
SYMPOSIUM, B3
the platform from which President
Gerald Ford made a major energy
policy speech in 1976. Over the years,
it has brought people at the forefront
of politics, sport, science and beyond
to speak in the valley.
“It’s really incredible to look back at
the speakers that we’ve hosted — from
Robert Redford to Tom Brokaw, Sir
Edmund Hillary to Sir Ken Robinson,
Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell to
local athletes like Chris Anthony and
Josiah Middaugh and so many oth-
ers,” Sabel said. “It’s also interesting to
see where our speaker alums end up.
We’ve had speakers promoted to some
of the highest echelons of government
and raised on podiums for amazing
physical feats. Our speakers truly rep-
resent a spectrum of excellence that is
unparalleled for a community of our
size.”
The 50th anniversary celebration
began July 26 with a panel discus-
sion featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning
art critic Jerry Saltz and the found-
ing members of the Summervail Art
Workshop, which is also celebrating
its 50th Anniversary this summer.
Starting this week, the Vail Sympo-
sium’s summer programming will
be offering a new event every week
through mid-November, when it will
take a short break before resuming
winter programming in December.
This Wednesday at 6 p.m., the Sym-
posium is hosting a virtual webinar
on “The State of Democracy in Africa
and Expectations for the Future,” led
by Dr. Monde Muyangwa, the director
of the Africa Program at the Wood-
row Wilson International Center for
Scholars. Next Wednesday, Aug. 25,
veteran journalists Judy Woodruff,
the current anchor at PBS Newshour,
and Al Hunt, co-host of the 2022
Politics War Room, will be leading an
in-person discussion on “The State
of the Fourth Estate: News Media in
America.”
The topics the Symposium un-
dertakes are timely and sometimes
contentious. By bringing experts and
community members into a shared
space, the Symposium aims to create
an opportunity for deeper intellectual
engagement.
“If someone wanted to, they can
google it and get books and read
about it, but we create a gathering
place where people can come together,
get introduced to something, and ask
questions,” Sabel said. “We’re not an
advocacy organization, and we try
really hard to make sure that we pres-
ent a balanced picture of every topic.
Our job is just to make people more
informed so that they can decide how
they want to change their lives or the
world.”
Historian Clay Jenkinson rounds
out the month Aug. 30 and 31 with
back-to-back nights impersonat-
ing Thomas Jefferson and Theodore
Roosevelt, and September begins
with neuroscientist and futurist Dr.
Julia Mossbridge teaching about the
science of precognition Sept. 9 at The
Antlers.
The breadth of topics that the Vail
Symposium covers is vast, offering
opportunities for the community to
engage in new ideas and gain insight
and inspiration from experts at the
top of their field. Claire Noble has
been the program director at the Sym-
posium since 2018, and she makes it
her mission to find speakers who will
bring something new to the table.
“I’m looking to create programs
where we can go and hear things that
we haven’t heard before,” Noble said.
“People do a lot here in the valley to
exercise their bodies, and then we
provide an outlet to exercise their
brains. We offer the opportunity for
people to hear from experts in a lon-
ger format than on the evening news,
and give them the chance to question
the experts directly. It’s for people
who are curious knowledge seekers,
and it’s an intellectual outlet.”
During the pandemic, the Vail
Symposium began offering virtual
programming for the first time, invit-
ing people to join free Zoom webinars
from the comfort and safety of their
homes. The format was a success, and
moving forward, the Symposium will
offer about half of its programming
in person and half online. All online
programming is free.
“We’ve had viewers tune in from all
over the world,” Sabel said. “The virtu-
al platform has allowed us to expand,
and people who live all over can now
tune in whenever they want.”
Sabel has many ideas for the future,
and looks forward to leading the orga-
nization into the second half-century
of its existence.
“It’s exciting that we’re here 50
years later,” Sabel said. “ The Sympo-
sium is as strong now as it was 50
years ago in what it wants to provide
for the community. Our mission is
to provide education programs that
are thought-provoking, diverse and
affordable. There’s never a shortage of
topics for us. There’s always some-
thing new going on.”
For a full schedule of upcoming
events, and to purchase tickets or gain
access to the free online webinars,
visit VailSymposium.org.
SYMPOSIUM
From page B1
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY
The Vail Symposium began as an annual think tank to formulate goals and ideas for the future development of the Vail
Valley. Here, community members convene for the second Vail Symposium in 1972, titled “Agenda For Tomorrow — A
New Growth Ethic.”
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY
Historian Clay Jenkinson portrays John Wesley Powell in 2019 at SaddleRidge.
Jenkinson will be giving two performances on Aug. 30-31 of this year, one as
Thomas Jefferson and one as Theodore Roosevelt.
Vail Daily | Monday, August 16, 2021 | B3
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The 2021 State of the Valley,
hosted by the Vail Symposium,
brought together leaders from the
local business, government, edu-
cation and health care sectors to
discuss the most prevalent issues in
the valley and the initiatives being
taken to address them.
The panel discussion was held
in-person at Colorado Mountain
College on Wednesday morning,
and moderator Chris Romer, the
president and CEO of the Vail Val-
ley Partnership, led with a question
that has been at the forefront of
everyone’s mind following the pan-
demic: “What does normal look
like moving forward?”
Three common priorities arose
among all four of the panelists —
housing, staffing shortages and re-
tention, and mental health support
— and all made it clear that these
issues can only be addressed effec-
tively through collaborative efforts.
HOUSING
Affordable housing for em-
ployees has long been a barrier to
staffing recruitment for valley busi-
nesses and organizations, but the
pandemic has greatly exacerbated
the housing shortage. Each of the
industry representatives empha-
sized the need for a multi pronged
approach that involves master
leasing, housing development and
financial assistance for creating
viable and sustainable housing
options for staff.
Eagle Schools Superintendent
Philip Qualman represented the
school system on the panel. Before
the pandemic hit, Qualman said
the district had already developed
an ambitious 10-year master plan
for housing that was impacted by
the events of 2020, but the district
has still managed to make strides.
Pre-pandemic, the school district
had a master lease on 12 properties,
a number that it will more than
double next year with 30 properties.
District officials plan to acquire 70
master leases by 2023, with rental
rates adjusted to match an internal
metric of affordability calculated
off base salary. This will ensure that
staff are spending no more than
30% of their gross income on rent.
In addition, the board is in the
process of approving funding for a
new development of 37 units near
Battle Mountain High School in
Edwards, which utilizes a Certifi-
cation of Participation financing
system that is secured by lease
revenues. In the future, the plan is
to develop on the small parcels of
land that the school has received
from various developers to contin-
ue expanding housing options for
school staff.
Eagle County Manager Jeff
Schroll said that housing is the
county’s No. 1 initiative and priority
right now. An allocation of $10 mil-
lion has been made specifically to-
ward addressing the issue in various
approaches, and he expects more to
be made available down the line.
Vail Health CEO Will Cook said
that Vail Health is planning to put
aside $10-20 million for housing
development, and hospital officials
are looking at developing on mul-
tiple acres in the valley. The new
structures will be made exclusively
for Vail Health employees, in the
hopes that by giving workers ample
space it will free up existing struc-
tures for those in other industries.
Beth Howard, President and
CEO of Vail Resorts, said the resort
is pursuing a similar blueprint to
the schools, with an emphasis on
master leasing and development,
and this is an issue that will remain
the utmost priority, until it is final-
ly solved.
“We can do it; we just need to
keep it as our highest priority,
because it just keeps coming back
every year as the No. 1 priority, and
we haven't solved it yet,” Howard
said. “So I'm motivated.”
STAFFING SHORTAGES
AND RETENTION
The common causes of staffing
shortages across the industries were
the inability to secure J-1 and H-1B
visas to bring international workers
to the valley, the lack of housing and
the limited options for child care.
Leaders stress adaptability, collaboration in pandemic
STATE OF THE VALLEY
Housing, employment
issues also hot-button
topics at presentation
EAGLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT FACEBOOK/COURTESY PHOTO
Leaders from the local business, government, education, and health
care sectors speak at the 2021 State of the Valley panel.
STATE OF THE VALLEY, A13
Vail Daily | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | A3
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Howard said that Vail Resorts is restarting
its visa programs this winter, and it is ex-
pecting an influx of international employees
to start in the valley right before Christmas.
When asked about what Vail Resorts officials
are doing to retain employees, Howard em-
phasized maintaining a fun and inviting cul-
ture, while also providing leadership training
to ensure that employees are in the hands of
effective bosses who make their experience a
positive one.
Cook said that hospitals were already see-
ing a higher number of people retiring than
coming on board before the pandemic, and
this imbalance has escalated since last year.
The number of intensive care unit beds in
the state has dropped from 1,900 to 1,600
due to staffing shortages, and there is a 40%
vacancy rate in clinical assistance.
Cook also said that the Vail Health Hos-
pital is currently full, not with patients from
Eagle County but with spillover patients
from surrounding towns in the state that
have not been as effective in curbing the
virus as our community has. To address the
rising need for staff, Vail Health is working
with CMC to create ladders for local workers
and is bringing in staff from other parts of
the country to fill employment gaps, which
Cook laments costs two to three times as
much as resident employees.
Vail Health is also making it a priority to
reduce health care costs in the area so that
living here is a safe and viable option for
more people, and officials are also working
closely with insurance companies to offer
significantly more affordable benefit options.
Qualman said that the district set aside
more money for staffing than it has since
the Great Recession, but though it had the
money to hire sufficient staff, it didn’t have
enough people looking to fill the positions.
“We were looking forward to having small
class sizes and support for students coming
into this year, and then there was a staffing
shortage,” Qualman said.
The district started off the school year with
9% of jobs unfilled, and have since reduced
that number to 7% using strategies such as
salary adjustments, mid-year hiring bonus-
es and mid-year salary adjustments, a more
robust employee assistance program and
increasing the frequency and access to district
meetings to give teachers and administrators
a greater voice in the overall decision making
process. District officials are also looking to
take advantage of the renewed visa programs
to recruit teachers from Spanish-speaking na-
tions to work in the bilingual school system.
“We need to hear from our frontline peo-
ple what that experience is like so that we
can reflect on that and make the appropriate
changes,” Qualman said.
MENTAL HEALTH
The last common priority among the in-
dustries was ensuring that staff have access
to comprehensive mental health services.
All of the panelists expressed gratitude
that Eagle Valley Behavioral Health was
established right before the pandemic, and
they have been working with providers to
secure affordable, and often free, mental
health service to staff.
The need was most prominent for Vail
Health and Eagle Schools employees.
Cook said it was a clear priority for the hos-
pital staff, who have been burned out from
the COVID patient influx and frustrations
facing mistruths about the vaccine and the
virus. Qualman said that teachers and ad-
ministrators at the schools have never faced
the level of dramatic change and adaptation
that they have been forced to make last year
and this year, and making support for mental
and emotional strains readily available is nec-
essary for retaining and supporting his staff.
COLLABORATION IS THE SOLUTION
Across all four of the big industries in the
valley, the message was clear that the issues
most prominent in the current state of the
valley all require collaborative solutions, not
just between industries but between munic-
ipalities and towns throughout Colorado.
Housing, health care, child care, transporta-
tion — it all weaves together; if there is one
good thing to come out of the pandemic, it’s
that everyone learned that they need to work
together to keep Eagle County safe, function-
al and sustainable.
“When I started my career here in the val-
ley 30 years ago, we were all pretty isolated,
pretty siloed, and we are so connected now,”
Schroll said. “I would wait with anticipation
for some of the collaborations you’re going to
see with Vail Health, with the school district,
with Vail Resorts and with their municipal
partners.”
STATE OF THE VALLEY
From page A3
Vail Daily | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | A13
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