Rotary Club recounts Taste of Clearwater turnout and lessons learned; board hears marketing metrics

Rotary Club representatives presented an event recap to the Downtown Development Board on June 1, describing the second annual Taste of Clearwater on April 18 and offering attendance, vendor and marketing metrics.

"We had about 2,000 attendees," Melissa Stamos said, describing the event on Cleveland Street and in Station Square Park, the live music lineup and a vendor‑focused format that prioritized downtown merchants. She said the Rotary emphasized turnkey booth opportunities at no cost to support local businesses.

Adam Blackwell, identified by the Rotary representative as the club president, said the Rotary has a long history of community fundraising and that events like Taste of Clearwater support scholarships and local organizations. "Without fundraising events like the Taste of Clearwater, that would be impossible," he said.

Rotary staff reported social‑media reach metrics (site visits and impressions) and noted an estimated total reach of about 23,051 across platforms and nearly 1,000 during the event. Board members asked follow‑up questions about how the attendance estimate was calculated and whether the peak‑hour number (641) represented only a single hour rather than the full‑day total; Rotary staff said the figure was an estimate based on a clicker and foot‑traffic methods and could not capture people entering from both sides of the street.

Rotary speakers identified operational challenges to address for next year — consolidating alcohol sales and improving signage, providing water sales to increase revenue, and shifting the event time later in the day to avoid peak heat. The board acknowledged the success while offering suggestions to improve revenue capture and attendee experience.

The presentation concluded with thanks to sponsors and city staff for support and a general invitation to continue refining the event format.