Inglewood lays out event strategy emphasizing community engagement, financial sustainability

Christina Underhill, director of Parks, Recreation, Library and Golf, presented the city’s event strategy to the City Council on July 21, describing goals to offer “vibrant, engaging” events that prioritize safety, financial responsibility and participation from all parts of the community.

Underhill told council the 2025 event lineup is set and that the city uses a tiered event classification — specialized, neighborhood, community and signature — to guide planning, staffing and revenue expectations. She said the city currently offers more than 80 events and estimated roughly 8,500 participants across those programs but also reported “over 60,000 visitors to Inglewood events annually,” noting the higher figure reflects nonresident attendees at multiple activities. “The primary goal is to offer events that are vibrant, engaging, prioritize safety, and are cost effective and financially responsible, and most importantly, engage all members of our diverse community,” Underhill said.

The presentation explained how the city distinguishes event types by typical attendance and service needs: specialized events (usually under 200 attendees) involve minimal departments and little revenue, neighborhood events start around 200 attendees, community events draw larger crowds and some neighborhood disruption, and signature events attract 5,000-plus attendees and require extensive city services. Underhill cited the July 4 block party as a recent signature event she estimated drew “about 20,000 attendees” across Cornerstone and Bellevue Parks and required street closures, police, public works and parks staffing. Revenue sources named included vendor fees and sponsorships; Underhill said sponsorships often cover event costs and that Tony Arnaldi, events supervisor, has secured new sponsors for 2025.

Council members pressed staff on methods for measuring success and for soliciting community input. Member Chelsea Noonankamp asked how staff know whether events meet broad strategic-plan goals such as community well-being or engagement. Underhill said staff rely on attendance figures, on-site conversations, emails and social media feedback and noted the city uses QR-code surveys at events to gather participant input. “If attendance is low, either we’re not offering what people want or the timing or amenities are wrong,” she said.

Members also questioned the balance between vendor/sponsor presence and a community experience. Underhill acknowledged the tension, saying sponsorships help fund programs and that staff try to balance commercial vendors with local, mom-and-pop vendors to preserve a community feel. Member Kim Wright urged prioritizing the city’s “bread-and-butter” events and combining smaller events where possible — for example pairing neighborhood nights with sunset concerts or kids-stage programming — to preserve staff capacity and reduce duplicative effort.

Council also discussed coordination with other event organizers in the city, including the Downtown Development Authority and informal car shows and festivals. Underhill said the city is implementing a new event-processing system so planned activities across the city can be tracked and potentially coordinated or partnered with. She added that a future study session could review specific budget impacts and contemplated changes for the 2026 event season.

Council did not take formal action on the strategy; the presentation closed with staff seeking direction on priorities and possible consolidation of smaller programs into larger, better-supported events.