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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3.4 - 1709 The Wave First Season Page 1 of 3 STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL DATE: November 21, 2017 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Christopher L. Foss, City Manager SUBJECT: The Wave - First Waterpark Season Prepared by: Damian Sandholm, Recreation Supervisor EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will receive a report on The Wave’s initial waterpark operational season. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with this report. Once the opening season financial books are closed, Staff will provide the City Council a first season financial performance. DESCRIPTION: The following is a summary of operations for the first season of The Wave, including park attendance, marketing reach, as well as information o n challenges faced and changes to expect next season. The Wave opened to the public on Memorial Day weekend May 27 -29. Daily operations commenced on June 3 to August 13, 2017. On August 19, the waterpark transitioned to a weekend operation through September 24, 2017. Attendance Total attendance for the season slightly exceeded the projections of 600 guests per day average with a total number of admissions at 50,995 people. The Wave Waterpark was open for a total of 88 days. Of those paid admissions, nearly three-quarters of those for were full-day entry. Page 2 of 3 Staff also kept track of the daily average attendance. As noted in the table, the average number of admissions dropped off during the middle portion of the week with larger attendance on the weekends, with Saturday being the most popular day to attend. Marketing The City utilized a variety of media channels and engaged in public relations efforts to market the facility, including a stand-alone website (thedublinwave.com), social media advertising, highlights in the City’s Activity Guide, and targeted radio advertising. Facebook, in particular, was a popular social media tool to market the facility. The City was able to generate more than 1,400 followers in the first season, posting nearly 100 times. The City’s social media efforts were managed by 3i Advertising, in partnership with City Staff. Customer Feedback The customer experience at The Wave was a priority for City staff. Staff regularly monitored social media review sites, along with feedback received from other channels. Based on the cumulative feedback received, Staff identified three main issues - shade, food options, and pricing. With respect to shade, the City worked during the course of the first season to add shade facilities, including additional umbrellas and luxury loungers. As the landscaping in the park matures, additional shade will be available. We will continue to evaluate additional shade options in the coming year. Food options were another main concern, particularly as it relates to the choice and pricing of food. In the coming season, it is anticipated that a new concession building will be operational, resulting in more family-friendly food choices. Lastly, feedback on pricing was also received. Some of the feedback was in relation to the additional amenities at The Wave, while others commented on the pricing affecting their ability to visit more frequently. Staff will be addressing pricing in the coming year, including an annual pass program, military discounts, and discount pricing days will also be included for the 2018 season. Page 3 of 3 Changes for 2018 Overall, the inaugural season at The Wave was a success. As with any new facility, Staff made continual adjustments throughout the season to help provide the best experience for the waterpark guests. These changes included the installation of new credit card readers to help speed up the ticket sales process, additional Staff was added to the waterslide tower to help the line move more efficiently, and the assi gnment of food trucks was adjusted to include trucks that provided more child friendly foods at prices that were closer to the expectations of the guests. In addition to the improvements already mentioned above, Staff is working on a better online ticketing experience, as well as better signage at the facility and around the slide tower. Lastly, Staff is recommending an adjustment of the outdoor operating dates based on the feedback received at the end of the first season. Starting the season on the weekend of Memorial Day and ending on the weekend of Labor Day will allow for better cost control as well as alignment with school summer break schedules. Staff will continue to promote rentals of the facility prior to and past this timeframe, but would cease daily operations of the waterpark amenities. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: None. ATTACHMENTS: None.