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PRESENTATION BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE KEMPENFEST (BARRIE) INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONCERNING THE KEMPENFEST 2023 SPONSORSHIP REPORT
Bob Stone, Chair of Kempenfest (Barrie) Inc. introduced the Board members for Kempenfest (Barrie) Inc. to members of Committee.
Mr. Stone and Paul Fairley, Marketing and Sponsorship Coordinator, provided a presentation concerning the Kempenfest 2023 Sponsorship Report, plans for Kempenfest 2024, and the sustainability and future longevity of the festival.
Mr. Fairley and Mr. Stone discussed slides concerning the following topics:
• An overview of Kempenfest, Barrie’s signature festival;
• The following data collected from the 2023 festival:
o Tourism attendance vs. local attendance;
o Tourist overnight stays at short term rentals, family and friends, hotels and other;
o Audience Demographics;
o How patrons heard of the event;
o The Marketing Reach through Meta and YouTube and digital campaigns;
o What patrons liked and disliked about the event;
o Audience Approval 2023;
o Daily attendance;
o Patron Group Sizes; and
o Total economic impact.
• The Board’s goals to make the 2024 Kempenfest event better, not bigger;
• The budget balanced financial forecast or balanced budget for 2024 passed at the Board's January meeting; and
• Funding to hire a researcher to do a comprehensive analysis of Kempenfelt 2024 by gathering data at this summer's event.
Members of Committee asked a number of questions to the Board members of Kempenfest (Barrie) Inc. and City staff and received responses.