Rutland Herald
KILLINGTON — The town of Killington is
currently working on securing new events for next summer, including a
lively food and music festival and a Powerman competition, as part of an
overall goal to make the town a four-season vacation destination.
The Select Board meeting Tuesday night addressed the growing popularity of year-round events in the area, and took a closer look at the numbers behind each event.
Town Manager Seth Webb said about 80 percent of marketing and events investments are concentrated in the third quarter: July, August and September.
The other quarters are primarily driven by weather and skiing, which Webb said are not as reliable as they once were.
Vermont Business Magazine recently published research done by the University of New Hampshire on winter revenue across the country. The 2012 study stated that there has been a $1 billion loss, along with 27,000 fewer jobs, over the past decade nationwide because of decreased snowfall, changing the outdoor activities of many Americans.
Webb said this means the town should concentrate its events during the third quarter, as it has been doing for the past couple of years.
Those three months are also when the local golf course brings in roughly 65 percent of its revenue.
“We have increasingly seen that people do not just travel for golf,” Webb said. “Visitors want more activities.”
Since 2012, more restaurants have remained open during summer months than ever before.
Last summer, a total of 27 restaurants and delis remained open.
Amy Morrison, the town’s event and marketing coordinator, presented a slide show on the revenue that each event brought in for the town. She mentioned areas in which events could be improved to increase tourism, such as the hay festival.
“It’s doing well,” Morrison said, “But we need to work with it a little more to make it better and more appealing.”
Webb said the town is searching for more events that he called “low-hanging fruit,” meaning they are affordable to host and operate, and have beneficial outcomes for the region.
For example, The Biggest Loser 5K Run/Walk is sponsored at $4,000 and brings in an estimated 2,500 people for one to two days. Killington Restaurant Week is sponsored at $3,000 and serves anywhere between 750 and 1,000 meals in the Killington region.
The week is an event that not only attracts tourists, but allows locals to explore restaurants they have not yet explored themselves.
One of the new events that Webb introduced is called the Vermont Jerk Festival, which could be scheduled for August 2015. The event is based on a Caribbean-style meal with a wide variety of foods, drinks and music.
An estimated 5,000 people will attend.
The idea is to eventually expand the year-round population of Killington, Webb said, to increase the population of the schools, businesses and full-time employment.
bryanna.allen @rutlandherald.com
The Select Board meeting Tuesday night addressed the growing popularity of year-round events in the area, and took a closer look at the numbers behind each event.
Town Manager Seth Webb said about 80 percent of marketing and events investments are concentrated in the third quarter: July, August and September.
The other quarters are primarily driven by weather and skiing, which Webb said are not as reliable as they once were.
Vermont Business Magazine recently published research done by the University of New Hampshire on winter revenue across the country. The 2012 study stated that there has been a $1 billion loss, along with 27,000 fewer jobs, over the past decade nationwide because of decreased snowfall, changing the outdoor activities of many Americans.
Webb said this means the town should concentrate its events during the third quarter, as it has been doing for the past couple of years.
Those three months are also when the local golf course brings in roughly 65 percent of its revenue.
“We have increasingly seen that people do not just travel for golf,” Webb said. “Visitors want more activities.”
Since 2012, more restaurants have remained open during summer months than ever before.
Last summer, a total of 27 restaurants and delis remained open.
Amy Morrison, the town’s event and marketing coordinator, presented a slide show on the revenue that each event brought in for the town. She mentioned areas in which events could be improved to increase tourism, such as the hay festival.
“It’s doing well,” Morrison said, “But we need to work with it a little more to make it better and more appealing.”
Webb said the town is searching for more events that he called “low-hanging fruit,” meaning they are affordable to host and operate, and have beneficial outcomes for the region.
For example, The Biggest Loser 5K Run/Walk is sponsored at $4,000 and brings in an estimated 2,500 people for one to two days. Killington Restaurant Week is sponsored at $3,000 and serves anywhere between 750 and 1,000 meals in the Killington region.
The week is an event that not only attracts tourists, but allows locals to explore restaurants they have not yet explored themselves.
One of the new events that Webb introduced is called the Vermont Jerk Festival, which could be scheduled for August 2015. The event is based on a Caribbean-style meal with a wide variety of foods, drinks and music.
An estimated 5,000 people will attend.
The idea is to eventually expand the year-round population of Killington, Webb said, to increase the population of the schools, businesses and full-time employment.
bryanna.allen @rutlandherald.com
No comments:
Post a Comment