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Kearney staff used Placer AI to count 589 at Aug. 15 amphitheater concert; city says data will aid sponsorships
Summary
Parks staff reported using Placer AI geofencing to estimate attendance at the Aug. 15 amphitheater concert (589 people, average dwell time ~79–80 minutes). Board members said the data could help attract vendors and sponsors for future events but some noted privacy concerns.
City staff told the Park and Tree Board on Aug. 20 that they have begun using Placer AI, a cellphone‑geofencing analytics tool, to estimate attendance at parks events and that data could help with sponsorship and vendor recruitment.
"For Aug. 15 ... we had 589 people at the concert," Ryan (parks staff) said, adding the tool counts only devices on site for 10 minutes or longer and reported an average dwell time of about 79–80 minutes for that event.
Staff said Placer AI can store location data for up to three years and that the tool could be used to track attendance for larger events such as the Outlaw Music Festival. "It will capture them within a time frame," Ryan said, describing geofencing as useful for sponsorship and economic‑development planning. Some board members acknowledged the technology can feel intrusive but supported its use for practical event planning.
Board members said the metrics could provide better estimates of in‑person attendance than prior guesses, making it easier to attract vendors and sponsors who want reliable crowd numbers. Staff noted they have not publicly promoted the Chamber award nomination on the city's official page but have shared voting links informally.
Next steps: staff plan to consider using Placer AI for larger events and to apply attendance figures to sponsorship outreach and vendor recruitment; board members asked staff to continue tracking metrics and present results as events occur.
