Click Here for Printable pdf Version of Community Festivals Workshop Client Success Story

Festival planners glean from ‘best practices’ workshops

Industry                                                                               
Municapalities

Company City
Various     

Company State
Various                                          

Company Name                                                                     
NA      

Project/Activity Year
Community Festivals Best Practices Workshop / 2008

Company Profile
NA

Situation
Nearly 100 event planners from throughout the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee participated in Auburn Technical Assistance Center’s (ATAC) eighth annual Community Festivals Best Practices workshops. ATAC hosted two separate events this year -- one at Auburn University in January and another in February at the Barber Vintage Mororsports Museum in Birmingham. The Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel provided support to this year’s events.

Solution

Nearly 100 event planners from throughout the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee participated in Auburn Technical Assistance Center’s (ATAC) eighth annual Community Festivals Best Practices workshops.
ATAC hosted two separate events this year -- one at Auburn University in January and another in February at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Ala.


Results
“Auburn’s annual event is the only known university conducted program focused on improving community festival performance and creating economic impacts.” said ATAC’s David Mixson in an event description provided to the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.

This year’s events received special support from the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. Attendees learned strategies for improving the success of community events from experts in such areas as volunteerism, sponsorship, promotion and publicity, and logistics.

“Community festivals are estimated nationally to be a more than $25 billion economic engine, attracting a combined attendance of more the 405 million people to them every year,” ATAC’s Festival Event Coordinator Talitha Norris said. “Each year, we assemble a panel of experts in the field to provide festival planners with tools and information and the ‘how to’ to make their event as successful as it can be.”

ATAC – which arguably is best known for its training and continuous improvement assistance provided to the manufacturing community – launched the Community Festivals Best Practices Workshop in 2000 as a means for making its outreach, training and economic development assistance initiatives available to a broader audience.

“ATAC provides business and technical assistance, customized training, and consultation in implementing value-added strategies to manufacturers and other businesses, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies throughout Alabama and the Southeast,” said Director Henry Burdg. “Our Community Festivals Best Practices Workshop is one of the programs we started to help Chambers of Commerce and other civic groups improve the outcomes of special events organized to promote their local economy.”
Testimonial
What participants said about the workshops:

“The presentations were very diverse and informative.”
-- Henrietta Anderson, George Washington Carver Arts & Crafts Festival, Tuskeegee, Ala.

“Totally empowering, entertaining and extremely informative.”
-- Joanna Brood, Panoply Arts Festival, Huntsville, Ala.

“Great ideas and very organized.”
-- Nicole Ells, Cullman, Ala.