Consultants present preliminary estimate that Littleton arts sector supports about 316 jobs, but board flags data limits

BBC Research and Consulting presented preliminary results of an economic‑impact study to the Littleton Arts and Culture Board on March 12, estimating the city’s arts and culture sector sustains about 316 jobs, generates roughly $15.3 million in income and about $36 million in annual economic output.

"About 316 jobs are created and sustained by arts and culture, generating about $15.3 million in income and about $36 million in economic output," Michael Verdone, the BBC managing director leading the study, told the board while noting the figures are provisional and likely to change before the final report.

The consultants said they analyzed three pillars that drive impact — arts and culture businesses and organizations, events, and the board’s grant tiers — and used visitation data from Placer AI to estimate how many attendees come from outside the city. Based on the data presented, they estimated roughly 351,000 outside visits annually to a sample of venues and events, producing an outside‑visitor spending estimate of about $16.1 million per year.

Hudson Gardens accounted for a large share of the projected visitor spending in the consultants’ snapshot. "Hudson Gardens is responsible for the lion’s share of that," Verdone said, citing the garden’s large outside visitation numbers.

Board members and museum staff pressed the BBC team on methodology and data sources. A museum representative said the Placer AI figures have proven unreliable for local museum counts: "Placer AI is notoriously inaccurate with our museum numbers," the representative said, urging the team to cross‑check with organization records. Board members also questioned whether employment numbers counted part‑time roles and volunteers and how IMPLAN/sector models translate local expenditures into job and output estimates.

The consultants said the estimates intentionally reflect only activity they can attribute to outside visitor spending and to grant‑driven activity; they emphasized limitations and invited local organizations to submit their own attendance and budget figures for model refinement. BBC reported that roughly 21% of visitor spending in the snapshot was lodging‑related (about $3.4 million) and that a crude lodging‑tax effect tied to arts activity could be about $170,000 per year — a number the presenters warned is preliminary.

Next steps identified by the presenters include deeper vetting of Placer AI data with Placer staff, collection of direct visitor counts from local venues and organizations (museum, Town Hall Arts Center, libraries, festivals), and better representation of part‑time/contract employment. The team said it plans to present more refined results at a study session with city council tentatively scheduled for June 9.

The board did not take formal action at the meeting; members and staff offered to share primary attendance and budget records to help refine the model and improve confidence in the final estimates.