Council Gets Special Events Update

Director of Special Events Jasmine Lee and Accounting Supervisor Ashley Boatright presented the marketing, operational, and financial outcomes for Taste Addison and Kaboom Town! to Council at its August 27 meeting. Taste Addison was the first Addison festival in 2019 to utilize point-of-sale software in place of the previous Tasty Bucks ticket system. The feedback from participating restaurants and attendees was positive.

Taste Addison was impacted by rain on Saturday afternoon which affected attendance and revenue numbers. Event expenditures exceeded revenues by $650,000, which was less than 1% over the amount budgeted. However, it generated more than 2.7 billion impressions through media buys, in-kind media sponsorships, and public relations efforts, and booked 155 hotel room nights. You can watch the Council’s Taste Addison discussion here and read the presentation here.

Kaboom Town! attracted 25,000 people to Addison Circle Park, but more than 500,000 to Addison, and generated 735 hotel room nights. In an event survey, 97% of attendees rated Kaboom Town! as above average or excellent. Event expenditures exceeded revenues by $313,485, which was 25% under what was budgeted. You can watch the Council’s Kaboom Town discussion here and read the presentation here.

Ms. Lee also shared a preview of Oktoberfest 2019. The event will take place from September 19 - 22 at Addison Circle Park. Thursday and Sunday will be free and adult tickets are $10 on Friday and Saturday. Multiple ticket packages and hotel packages are available on the website at www.addisonoktoberfest.com. You can watch the Council’s Oktoberfest discussion here and read the presentation here.