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Longmont staff outline roles, transit and lodging plans as Sundance moves to Boulder
Summary
City staff and Visit Longmont described preparations for the Sundance Film Festival's move to Boulder and Longmont's role as a volunteer and lodging hub, noting RTD Bolt service during festival hours, about 1,000 local hotel rooms, a proposed short-term-rental pilot and remaining coordination questions on detours and capacity.
Assistant City Manager Jen Newton and Visit Longmont and transportation staff briefed council on regional coordination for the Sundance Film Festival, which will base some staff and volunteer operations in Longmont while events show in Boulder.
Newton said volunteer applications and lodging agreements are already moving forward and that Longmont has six hotels that have agreements to host staff or volunteers. "Longmont's really poised to be a place where the festival staff and volunteers would be located," Newton said.
Transportation planning manager Cammie Edson described a commitment from RTD to run the Bolt service between Longmont and Boulder during festival hours, plus a new airport bus to bring volunteers directly into Longmont. Edson noted regional coordination remains unfinished for some detours and construction-adjacent intersections, and she said staff would continue working with RTD and regional partners.
John Ricks, Visit Longmont's new CEO, urged the city to focus on supporting volunteers as "the backbone" of the event, and described marketing and visitor-education work aimed at converting festival volunteers into repeat visitors. He said Visit Longmont is preparing itineraries for visitors and training materials for local businesses.
Staff also described a short-term-rental pilot modeled on Boulder's approach to accommodate additional visitors and proposed wayfinding and marketing campaigns. Staff emphasized this first year will be a learning year and that more detailed operational plans (including detours and lodging patterns) will come as the festival releases schedules in the fall and winter.
Council asked staff to track lodging impacts, emergency-sheltering implications if hotels are full, and to coordinate with county and school schedules during January.
