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Local promoter objects to changes at Hampton Jazz & Music Festival; city offers to collaborate
Summary
A local event promoter said the festival's new organizers duplicated events and lacked transparency; city staff said promoter changes were made by the festival organizers and offered to work with local stakeholders on future events.
A local promoter told the council he was forced to relocate his long-running events after a new promoter for the Hampton Jazz & Music Festival subcontracted convention-center activities to another party.
Johnson Tirado (speaking as a local event producer) said he has produced events in Hampton for more than 15 years and donated more than $20,000 to local nonprofits and scholarships. He said the festival's change in promoter this year resulted in duplicated events at the Hampton Coliseum and that local stakeholders who had supported the festival long term were not given adequate notice or transparency. "I feel the way this transition was handled lack[ed] transparency and consideration for the local stakeholders who have consistently supported the enhancement of the festival experience," he said, and added he wanted to be part of a solution, not the problem.
City Manager Bunting responded that the city and Hampton University changed promoters for the festival for a variety of reasons, and that the city was willing to work with displaced local promoters. Bunting said the city had offered to work with the promoter who raised the concern and had suggested other event opportunities across the city. He also thanked council members who had responded promptly to the promoter's outreach.
Ending: The city offered to meet with the local promoter and representatives of festival organizers to explore collaborative options for future events and to discuss ways to include long-standing local partners.
