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Council reviews ScottFest three-year promotional license; members press for attendance, hotel-room data and possible two-year compromise
Summary
Staff recommended a three‑year promotional license agreement with ScottFest Inc.; the promoter described volunteer-run operation and lower recent attendance, while councilors pressed for hotel-room counts, shuttle and marketing data and suggested a two-year option if concerns remain.
City staff presented a proposed three-year promotional license agreement with ScottFest Incorporated and recommended authorizing execution. Rocky Hinkle introduced the item and said staff recommended approval and that "mister Morrison, the promoter, is here to answer any questions you may have."
ScottFest promoter (self-identified as Scottish, and referred to in the packet as the promoter) described the event—s volunteer board and charitable status, saying, "We're entirely a charity. Not nobody's paid." He said ScottFest brings pipe bands, Highland dancers and athletes and that the group purchases locally when feasible.
Council discussion focused on attendance decline in the most recent year after a location change, the event—s hotel-room impact and logistics including parking and shuttles. The promoter said that in 2022–23 ScottFest recorded closer to 750 hotel-room nights (he corrected an earlier misstated 600-room figure) but that last year the event did not have an accurate hotel-room count because the venue was selected late. He told the council, "We sold about 24,000 tickets across those 3 days," and described ticketing changes and a new marketing partner intended to increase outreach.
Councilors sought clearer data about rooms and shuttle ridership. The promoter said some third-party shuttles (for example, River Spirit) were paid by partners and that the city-paid shuttles covered Central Park, NSU and hotel routes; he said the shuttle operator did not have reliable usage data to share at the meeting.
Councilors asked why a three-year agreement was proposed rather than annual renewals. Tourism staff said ScottFest had been renegotiated into signature-event status in 2022 because the event received more city assistance (cash and in-kind) and that signature events sometimes have multiyear agreements. Several councilors said they supported keeping ScottFest in Broken Arrow but one raised concerns about the dollar level of city assistance versus measured outcomes. A councilor suggested a two-year agreement with an option for a third year at the city's discretion as a compromise.
No final roll-call vote on the license agreement is recorded in the transcript excerpt. Staff recommended authorizing execution and the promoter left the meeting after answering questions.
