Commission reviews new branding for key events and parking; staff to refine designs

Communications Director Alissa Whissel presented a first look at a family of refreshed event brands meant to tie together the city’s three signature events — Concerts in the Plaza, Fireworks over the Matanzas and Light Up Night — and to better integrate park‑and‑ride and shuttle branding.

Whissel said the goal is a cohesive set of marks that can be adapted for annual tags and for collateral promoting parking and free shuttles. The Fireworks over the Matanzas patch drew positive comments for its festive look; commissioners suggested brightening the music notes on the Concerts in the Plaza mark and revising the Light Up Night art to emphasize trees and a lively vibe rather than a static star. Whissel noted coordination with the Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB) and Nights of Lights branding and said the parking mobile app icon was developed with a vendor and may have use constraints.

Commissioners asked staff to refine the visuals (scale of musical notes, star usage, and inclusion of the phrase “City of Saint Augustine” in some mark variants) and to continue coordinating with the VCB and stakeholders. The commission did not take a vote; staff will return with updated designs and recommendations for how to fold park-and-ride and shuttle identities into the family of marks.

Next steps: staff to revise designs based on commissioner feedback, coordinate with VCB and vendor constraints on parking app branding, and return for future approval.