Photo Credit: Courtesy of The City of Fort Lauderdale
The city of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is known for great weather, pristine beaches, and something called “spring break”! Tourism is key to the area’s survival, and as in most places around the country, the economy has taken a toll. The city’s parks and recreation department--while faring better than most--has also had to do more with less and look for creative ways to reduce spending. Since heavily subsidized activities are usually the first to go, that meant special events in the agency.
There was a noticeable void around the city for major activities, especially after McDonald’s--the primary sponsor of the annual Fort Lauderdale Air and Sea show--pulled its sponsorship in 2007, ending a traditional and popular signature event.
In 2008, during preparations for the annual July Fourth beachfront fireworks event, the city commission debated if the cost of a fireworks show in this economy was worth it. Finally, the show went on … but no other activities took place. As I sat on the beach that night, my family and I marveled at the dynamic fireworks, yet I still felt the day could have been better with more daytime activities and excitement. I knew then that the paradigm to produce events had to shift if the city was going to be a relevant player in the area. This article hopes to share our approach and the lessons learned to help other agencies jump-start their event-sponsorship program.