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Content for Part 1, Response 1 <br />The Ellensburg Downtown Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that leads with a historic <br />preservation focus to revitalize and support the historic downtown district. We do this by <br />following the National Main Street Center's 4 Point Approach to Downtown Revitalization <br />that includes design, economic vitality, organization, and promotion including events. The <br />EDA hosts upwards of 16 events each year, with this application pertaining to two events in <br />particular, Brewfest Comedy Kick off (in its second year) and the Girls Night Out <br />buses/ entertainment additions (in its third year). <br />Brewfest Comedy Kickoffs first year was in January 2018 and took place the night before <br />Winterhop Brewfest. We sold 70 tickets and those tickets sold out in le ss than two weeks. <br />This year, due to popular demand, we plan to host the event in a location where we can sell <br />upwards of 150-200 tickets. The event featured three comedians, a cash bat, raffles, and <br />giveaways. We cross promoted the event with Winterhop Brewfest using Facebook events <br />and our individual websites. We saw about 14% of our attendees come from 50 miles away <br />or more by zip code surveying as people checked in. We hope to increase that percentage <br />now in our second year, and look forward to selling more tickets. <br />Our main target audience is those coming in from out of town to attend Winterhop <br />Brewfest, encouraging them to come the night before the event. We will also be targeting <br />empty nesters and young adults looking for weekend travel. Lodging Tax monies would be <br />used to afford quality talent, venue costs including the rentals of necessary event items such <br />as chairs, tables, and sound equipment, as well as promotion of the event via social media, <br />radio, online advertising, and print advertising. <br />Girls Night Out, held twice a year in the spring and winter, brings about 1,600 attendees to <br />our small businesses. The EDA added new additions in winter of 2017 that have proven to <br />bring more people in from out of town and boost sales for out business center. <br />One addition was live entertainment in participating businesses. Not every business <br />participating can afford to hire entertainment for their location, which adds value to the <br />evening and increases interest in the event. We help fund the hiring of musicians, card <br />readers, hypnotists, and more to place in businesses who are interested in that feature for <br />Girls Night Out. <br />Another addition was a 55 person bus from Yakima to Ellensburg bringing ladies to our <br />downtown to shop and dine. This proved to boost sales, pushing us almost $10,000 above <br />our last Holiday Girls Night Out's sales, bringing in $45,000+ in just four hours to our <br />downtown core. With each event, we look forward to growing attendance by continuing to <br />thoroughly promote these additions. Our target audience for Girls Night Out, Spring and <br />Winter, includes women between the ages of 18-65, empty nesters looking for weekend <br />travel, those interested in heritage tourism, parents of CWU students, and those looking for <br />a unique holiday gift from outside their specific community. <br />Lodging Tax money would be used to help afford the bus from Yakima, entertainment, and <br />promotion of the event via social media, online advertising, radio, and print advertising.