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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.2 Winter Concert Series Update OF DlIB~L 19 82 AGENDA STATEMENT HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION MEETING DATE: April 8, 2010 SUBJECT: Winter Concert Series 2009-2010 Update Prepared by John Hartnett, Heritage & Cultural Arts Manager ATTACHMENTS: None RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report and provide direction to Staff FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: This was the sixth year that the City has offered the Winter Concert Series. The following is a re-cap of this year's Winter Concert Series program, some past history of the Series and suggestions for future events. In Fiscal Year 2004-2005, the Heritage and Cultural Arts Division of Parks and Community Services introduced a new concert series at Old St. Raymond's Church. The purpose of the Winter Concert Series was to offer additional performing arts programs as a balance to the Summer Concert Series and to also showcase the Heritage Center and Old Saint Raymond's Church to the general public. An admission fee has been charged through the years to offset most of the direct cost for the program. Promotion has included advertising in the Tri-Valley Herald, postcards and flyers promoting the concerts distributed at City facilities, press releases sent out prior to the beginning of the Winter Concert Series season and advertising in the Dublin Activity Guide and on the City's website. Staff has also used some other advertizing techniques, such as; notifying past participants via an e-mail list, producing individual flyers for each event, using a"Vertical Response" service (e-mail service to thousands of residents in specific categories), distributing flyers to local groups and organizations, e- mailing flyers to specific music clubs (ex: Jazz Clubs) and distributing flyers to local Coffee Shops and Music Stores. As shown in the table below which suimnarizes the last three years of events, attendance for the November and December events, in large part due to the popularity of the Hometown Heroes event in November and the Bay Bells event in December, remains steady. However, attendance at the January and February events has continued to decline each year, even with the expanded promotional efforts. COPIES TO: ITEM NO: 8.2 G:UIERITAGE COMMISSIOMAGENDA STMTS\2010\4-8-10 Winter Concerts Update.doc Event-2007-2008 Location Tvpe Date & Time Attendance Dave Rocha Heritage C. Jazz Trio Sat. - Nov.17 - 7 pm 66 Bay Bells Heritage C. Holiday Music Sat. - Dec.15 - 7 pm 107 3 O'Clock Jump Senior C. Swing Band Sat. - Jan. 12 - 2 pm 88 Melinda Morse Senior C. Piano Concert Sat. - Feb. 24 - 7 pm 48 TOTAL 309 Event-2008-2009 Location Tvpe Date & Time Attendance Hometown Heroes Event Senior C. Big Band Sun. - Nov. 9- 2:30 pm 100 Bay Bells Senior C. Holiday Music Sun. - Dec.14 - 3:00/4:30 pm 150 Lorin Rowan Heritage C. Folk Music Sat. - Jan. 17 - 7 pm 46 Belle of Amherst Heritage C. Theatre Performance Sat./Sun. - Feb. 14/15 - 7/3 pm 47 TOTAL 343 Event-2009-2010 Location Tvpe Date & Time Attendance Hometown Heroes Event Senior C. Big Band Sun. - Nov. 8- 2:00 pm 120 Bay Bells Shannon C. Holiday Music Sun. - Dea 13 - 4:30 pm 150 Pamela Rose Heritage C. Jazz Music Thu. - Jan. 21 - 6:30 pm 30 Valentines Concert Heritage C. Classic Guitar Sun. - Feb. 14 - 2:00 pm 30 TOTAL 330 Staff has come to the conclusion that offering musical events in January and February, even with extensive advertizing, is not a successful endeavor. Factors such as cold/rainy weather, recouping from the holidays and other reasons make it very difficult to draw a crowd. Even with ticket sales, the City has lost money on the January and February events the past two years. Staff suggests that for 2010-2011, plans be made to again bring back a military band and offer a free Hometown Heroes Concert around Veteran's Day in November at the Senior Center. Additionally, Staff plans to continue the tradition of bringing back Bay Bells for a Holiday Event in December, given the positive response they have received from the public. Each year, Bay Bells modifies their program to offer something new and different, and has expressed an interest in continuing a positive relationship with the City. Staff also suggests eliminating the January and February Winter Concerts and redirecting the Staff time associated with those concerts on the development of two small-cast theater productions in the Kolb Barn, that are a suggested high priority objective for Fiscal Year 2010-2011. This will result in no additional cost to the City, four events still being offered each year and an opportunity to showcase the Kolb facilities. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission receive the report and provide direction to Staff. 2 of 2