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Mitchell festival organizers report strong concert sales, outline staffing and security needs
Summary
Committee members reported near‑record concert ticket sales for Scotty McCreery and Skillet, reviewed festival logistics including rides, vendors and a Meet‑the‑Astronaut appearance, and requested volunteers for ushering, scanning and security staffing.
Speaker 1 opened the meeting with updates on visitors and festival preparations and later told the group that year‑to‑date visitation is down about 5% from 2023 but that recent weeks were strong. "Year to date, we are 5% down from 2023," Speaker 1 said, summarizing the tourism metric the committee monitors.
The committee heard a concert sales update from Speaker 6, who said Skillet has sold nearly 900 tickets and that singer Scotty McCreery has sold close to 1,900. "We're about $1,500 short of setting an all‑time gross record," Speaker 6 said, urging continued promotional efforts and day‑of‑show sales to fill remaining seats.
Why it matters: The concerts are the biggest single revenue driver for the Corn Palace festival; organizers said strong ticket revenue helps cover the cost of free programming and rides and mitigates financial risk if other revenue streams lag.
Details and logistics: Organizers described several operational items that need volunteer support and pre‑planning. Speaker 1 outlined staffing needs for ushers, ticket scanners, wristband distribution and ID checks for alcohol sales, and proposed adding security personnel to monitor a newly fenced VIP 'party pit' near the stage. To improve on‑site identification, Speaker 5 recommended visible staff shirts; Speaker 1 agreed to provide shirts or lanyards to make volunteers easily identifiable.
Ticketing and merchandise: The committee discussed event merchandise and restrictions on bags. Speaker 6 said coolers will be sold for $10 and koozies for $4, and proposed a $10 concert special that pairs a cooler and koozie. Organizers said they are moving toward clearer bag policies and may pursue a no‑bag or clear‑bag approach as attendance grows.
Schedule and contingency plans: Speaker 1 reviewed the festival schedule and contingencies for inclement weather, saying light and sound crews are scheduled to set up with Mitchell Technical and that outdoor acts could be moved inside if necessary. Judging times, vendor setups and ride openings were finalized, and organizers asked members to sign up to staff specific shifts.
What’s next: The committee will reconvene after Labor Day with complete festival numbers and an updated volunteer sign‑up. Speaker 1 closed by asking members to recruit friends and family for ushering and ticket scanning duties.
Speaker attribution: Quotations and attributions in this article use the speaker labels recorded in the transcript (e.g., "Speaker 1," "Speaker 6") because the transcript does not attach full names or official roles to every speaker.
