City Council
MEETING DATE: 6/14/2017
TITLE:
Title
Contracts for Special Events
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FROM:
Chris Parman, Communications / Events Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council approve a contract for services agreement with deHarte Group, LLC for Cathedral City LGBT Days; a contract for services agreement with Fantasy Balloon Flights for the Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival; and a contract for services agreement with Mr. John Hall for Snow Fest.
Body
BACKGROUND:
In the 2017-19 Biennial Budget, Council approved funding for the Cathedral City LGBT Days and Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival. During the Council's goal setting meeting at the end of January 2017, Council directed staff to move forward in contracting with a third-party to manage and operate these two events for two important reasons. First, these festivals had grown over the past three years where the City needed to either hire additional staff to properly implement them or risk failure if the events manager would become incapacitated for any unknown reason. Second, the preparation time to implement these two signature festivals was monopolizing the vast majority of the Communications / Events Manager's time and the City needed to better balance its efforts focused on the Communications side.
Snow Fest is a brand new event approved by the City Council and scheduled for December 9, 2017. It includes all the activities of the previous event entitled, "Seasonal Lights, Santa & Skating on Ice," as well as new activities, such as a holiday lights parade, holiday arts & crafts vendors, and the illusion of snow in Town Square Park.
DISCUSSION:
Ron deHarte of deHarte Group, LLC has been the manager and organizer of the Greater Palm Springs Pride since 2010 and serves on the InterPride board of directors as a regional director and co-secretary of the Consolidated Association of Pride. The Greater Palm Springs Pride has grown over the years and currently attracts 125,000 visitors each year. Ron has the ability to utilize his resources and cross promote both, Cathedral City LGBT Days and the Greater Palm Spring Pride as the first Pride and the last Pride of the Year in California.
Steve and Cindy Wilkinson of Fantasy Balloon Flights have been a partner with the City over the past three years for the Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival. This family-centered event has garnered the most attendance of any of our City events and has the promise to become one of the Valley's largest events filling hotel rooms in Cathedral City and beyond. Fantasy Balloon Flights had previously managed the balloon pilots and their activities, but are now willing to manage the entire festival from A to Z. Fantasy Balloon Flights are offering many similar activities as in previous years, but are also looking to expand the festival by bringing in special shaped balloons, additional musical acts, a banana balloon drop of candy for kids, a classic car show, kite show, and offering a free 35-hot air balloon glow Saturday evening at 6 pm followed up with LIVE musical entertainment and a fireworks show at 9:00 pm.
John Hall has been a professional fundraiser for several decades and raised tens of thousands of dollars for the "Festival of Lights Parade" in Palm Springs for more than a decade. He is offering his service to raise the revenue needed to put the holiday lights parade together for Snow Fest in Cathedral City.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City of Palm Springs currently sponsors the Greater Palm Springs Pride event at $85,000. Ron deHarte has agreed to manage and operate Cathedral City LGBT Days for $50,000 plus some in-kind services to take this growing annual event to the next level.
Fantasy Balloon Flights has agreed to manage and operate the Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival for $100,000. This includes all aspects of the festival including recruiting the balloons, lodging and meals for pilots, securing all sponsorships, and bringing in new activities. The Hot Air Balloon Festival is Cathedral City's largest event and when you compare funding for it versus other main events in the Valley, the price is comparable. For example, Palm Springs sponsors its largest event, the "Palm Spring International Film Festival," with $350,000 in cash and $50,000 for in-kind services, for a grand total of $400,000. The City of Palm Desert sponsors its largest event, "Fashion Week El Paseo," at $200,000 and its second largest event, "Palm Desert Food & Wine Festival" at $100,000. Finally, the City of Indian Wells sponsors its largest event, "Wild Lights" at $60,000 as well as sponsoring the Indian Wells Golf Resort for its residents at $645,000.
Mr. John Hall has offered to provided his fundraising services for Snow Fest at a cost of 20% of the total cash sponsorship he personally brings to the City.
ATTACHMENTS:
deHarte Group LLC Contract for Services
Fantasy Balloon Flights Contract for Services
Mr. John Hall Contract for Services