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Nights Before Christmas sells about 3,169 tickets; organizers report strong hotel occupancy and volunteer support
Summary
Terry Suter reported that Nights Before Christmas sold about 3,169 tickets across two weekends, used a $15,000 JCPT grant for consolidated materials and marketing, and recorded higher-than-average hotel occupancy for the event dates.
Terry Suter, who coordinates the Nights Before Christmas tour, told the Jefferson County Tourism Board the event sold almost 3,200 tickets and drew visitors from regional and out-of-state markets.
"We sold, almost 3,200 tickets, 31 69," Suter said, describing the two-weekend tour of six private homes and multiple historic sites. She told the board the event relies on about 200 volunteers across the two weekends to operate the tour.
Suter said the boardfunded JCPT grant of $15,000 was used for two purposes: $5,000 helped consolidate the printed ticket and tour booklet into a single, more useful document and $10,000 boosted marketing, including cable TV spots, digital billboards, cooperative Visit Indiana marketing and paid social posts. She said that decision simplified visitor logistics and improved promotion.
Occupancy reporting from four hotels showed the region averaged 39% occupancy across the two weekends; the event's first weekend averaged 58% and the second weekend averaged 53% at those properties, Suter said. She noted these figures do not include VRBO or Airbnb stays.
Suter said organizers discussed digital-ticketing options but returned to a hybrid approach because many volunteers and some visitors prefer paper tickets. The group reported the consolidated print piece cost about $4,500 to produce and that the new videography assets from the grant will be reusable for future promotion.
Suter thanked tourism staff and volunteers and said Nights Before Christmas will continue to seek grant support and consider phased digital ticketing in future cycles.
