City communications team says limited ad budget constrains event promotion

San Angelo’s communications director told the Parks & Recreation Committee on Sept. 3 that the city’s ability to promote parks events is constrained by staff capacity and a small advertising budget.

"So I'm Brian Groves. I'm the communications director. We are a 2 person office," Groves said, describing an office that supports 20–30 departments and relies heavily on social media, press releases and media partners. He said staff use an internal request form that asks event teams for details — who, what, why, whether an event is free and a deadline — so the office can prepare appropriate outreach materials.

Why it matters: Several board members pressed for clearer, more strategic marketing for events such as Lilyfest and Riverfest. Committee members said marketing earlier and recruiting more partners could increase participation, while staff said they need complete event information to produce effective materials.

Groves cited Riverfest as a recent success: staff used targeted Facebook ads and coordinated with event organizers to increase website traffic. He also noted a persistent resource gap: "Our advertising budget for a year is 1000 dollars," he said, and the communications office supplements that funding with relationships with local media and with student designers at Angelo State University to produce graphics when an in-house designer is not available.

Board members asked whether the city has a strategic marketing plan; Groves said staff maintain daily plans but frequently must pivot for emergent events (floods, public-safety responses) and that a centralized, timely submission process is the best way to secure support.

What's next: Committee members encouraged earlier outreach and suggested spring marketing push and coordination with partners such as the Chamber and Keep San Angelo Beautiful. Staff said they will continue to rely on the internal form and will work on invitations to partners and student design resources.