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Staff outlines plan to reallocate Kids Fest funds to After Dark series, holiday displays, vendor systems and vendor development
Summary
Events and Recreation staff told the committee they plan to reallocate roughly $37,000 previously budgeted for Kids Fest into several program areas: the town92s After Dark concert series, expanded holiday displays, vendor-management software for markets and festivals, targeted advertising and enhanced farmer's-market programming.
Events and Recreation staff presented a proposed redistribution of about $37,000 associated with the town27s Kids Fest event and outlined changes to the town27s events calendar and vendor management approach.
Emily Dockery, Events and Recreation staff, said Kids Fest cost roughly $37,000 last year and that the funds would be reallocated to several priorities: more dates in the After Dark music series (each After Dark costs about $5,000 to produce), expanded Hometown Holiday displays and programming, a vendor-management subscription to streamline applications and documentation (budgeted at roughly $5,000 annually), enhanced advertising for the farmer's market and modest performance fees for additional musical entertainment at market events.
Dockery said the subscription would handle vendor applications, certificates of insurance and invoicing and would integrate with the town website. “It27s an annual subscription that does vendor applications. It does document management … and it's just shy of $5,000,” she said. The proposed plan also sets aside modest amounts for training, employee engagement and a one-time social-media/conference trip.
The nut graf: Staff framed the reallocation as a business decision to improve return on investment and event sustainability rather than an elimination of family programming. Dockery said the town will continue family-oriented activities in other formats (family days at the farmer's market, bounce-house elements at some After Dark events) and promised to report the reallocation to the full council so the public is aware of the change.
Several committee members asked for public notice and a formal agenda item at council so members of the public could comment directly on the changes. Dockery agreed to include the reallocation in her report to council and to provide supporting cost-per-attendee metrics.
Ending: Staff will proceed with the reallocation plan, advance the vendor-management subscription and return to the committee with more detailed event profitability data and any public feedback the council receives.
