GOVERNMENT
were questions about the community's commitment to the event's entrance fee and concerns about safety and cleanliness,” Konnold said. “However, our investment in an experienced event producer paid off handsomely in putting these concerns to rest.” Mayor Nancy Smith said she heard from quite a few people who didn’t attend. “They said, ‘I just didn’t know that it was for me. After reading the comments online, I feel like I really missed out,’ and I agree. They did miss out,” Smith said. Konnold pointed out that, after the event, the premises were remarkably clean and following the close of the festival, the parking lot was empty in 11 minutes, a statement echoed by Smith and Vitiello at a November city council meeting. Getting the word out An important part of any party is to get invitations out to the attendees. The first line of attack was to come through the city’s communications department, along with its communications channels, which include its social media accounts, email lists, a YouTube channel and official websites. Mara Klein, a spokesperson for SLE, said a major focus was keeping it local. “To appeal to residents and neighboring communities, we prioritized involving and understanding Maricopa on a deep level,”
While the contract was signed July 10, planning for the event started months earlier, according to Quinn Konnold, a spokesperson for the city. “In early 2023, the city council tasked city staff to mark Maricopa's 20th anniversary with a grand celebration reminiscent of Stagecoach Days,” Konnold said. “The goal was first outlined during the city’s annual Futures Planning Meeting in February.” Another challenge faced by the city and SLE might have been the relatively short period of time between the signing of the contract July 10 and the start of the event Oct. 13. The festival was announced July 26 and the partial lineup announcement came just weeks before the event on Aug. 24. In total, there were only 13 weeks to market the event. With a minority population approaching 25%, Maricopa is the most diverse city in Arizona, according to data from the U.S. Census. That means there are many tastes to take into consideration for the musical acts and attractions, along with the logistics of putting on such an event. “Organizing the festival was no small feat,” Konnold said. “Securing a qualified event production partner, enticing performers to captivate Maricopa's diverse population, and navigating regional marketing while prioritizing local engagement presented significant challenges.” Konnold pointed out other hurdles. “With all the unknowns of a first-time event of this scale, there
ADVERTISING EXPENSE
Social Media
Online (non-social media)
Television Radio
Outdoor
Direct
$750 PRINT
FLYERS
93%
SOCIAL MEDIA
$2,362
$6,876
$5,349 OUTDOOR
ONLINE (NON-SOCIAL MEDIA)
$6,518
RADIO
$5,635
7%
TELEVISION
$5,167
OUTSIDE CITY
MARICOPA BUSINESSES
Source: City of Maricopa
Table 1
InMaricopa.com | December 2023
10
Total
Powered by FlippingBook