City hires McKinsey pro bono to evaluate outdoor events permitting and support for producers

Staff for the Entertainment Commission said on Oct. 4 that the commission will work with the city's Civic Bridge program and McKinsey & Company (pro bono) to produce an evaluation report on improving and sustaining outdoor events.

Deputy Director Dylan summarized a workshop called ‘‘Improve Your Events’’ that attracted about 20 outdoor event producers who discussed permitting, fees, public outreach and revenue challenges. Staff said common ideas included a centralized online application with status tracking, interagency after‑action reports for recurring events and opportunities for event producers to comment on proposed department regulations that affect revenue.

McKinsey will help analyze permitting processes, customer service, funding streams and comparisons with other cities; staff said two McKinsey volunteers attended the workshop and that the evaluation will combine qualitative interviews with agency data. Interviews with agency staff and regulators are planned and the project manager said she will be the primary contact for McKinsey. The report is due in January, and staff said the commission will use the results as the basis for policy recommendations.

Commissioners asked about the data sources and whether McKinsey would interview producers; Dylan said he would conduct one‑on‑one interviews with agencies that regulate events and act as primary contact for interview scheduling. Staff agreed to circulate a recap of workshop notes and to provide forms and links to code for McKinsey’s work.

The timeline and outputs of the evaluation were presented as inputs to future commission policy work on permitting, fees and event sustainability.