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Festivals and events get a boost

Council approves an extra $820,000 for the Festival Events and Animation program

Council has approved the allocation of $820,000 of Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) funds to the Festival, Events and Animation (FEA) program to boost Whistler's cultural offerings into the fall and winter.

While the province has yet to officially sign off on the funds, it has allocated $7.5 million to Whistler - $1 million more than expected - through the program, with the understanding that the town will use it to draw in more tourists.

In his presentation to council June 21, Bob Andrea, manager of Village Animation and Events, said that programming throughout the village is vital to making that happen and, in the process, "get Whistler back to where it should be."

"The idea is that we're going to build on the momentum that we built during the Games," he said. "The way we're going to do that is through cultural tourism. It's a big opportunity."

Staff requested the additional funds, which would bring the FEA budget up from $2.1 million to $2.92 million, to augment existing programming during popular events like Whistler Holiday Experience, Whistler Children's Festival and First Night, while adding programming to key travel weekends throughout the fall, including both Canadian and American Thanksgiving, Cornucopia and Halloween. Plans are also in the works to add stargazing at Rainbow Park into the mix, along with lighting displays and artisan markets and workshops at Whistler Olympic Plaza.

The original funds were set to pay for programming throughout the summer, tripling the budget for village animation over previous years, along with other administrative costs for Olympic Plaza - which will support much of the programming - and communication. The programming schedule is available through whistler.ca. The website shows events happening four to five days every week, leading off with a four-day Canada Day celebration.

Of the new allocated funds, $450,000 will be spent on programming, $260,000 (?) will be spent on plaza and pavilion improvements to enhance "programmability and flexibility" that will include a moveable screen at the pavilion, and other costs associated with running the plaza.

Jan Jansen, the RMOW general manager of resort experience, said the extra $820,000 already exists within the RMI program but will be reallocated from the $680,000 day parking Lot 5 paving project, originally set for fall but now on hold, to animation. Another $140,000 will come from the RMI reserves.

Councillors voted unanimously to amending the budget, though Councillor Eckhard Zeidler expressed concern about his uncertainty around managing the high costs of FEA programming. The municipality has budgeted RMI contributions in the five-year financial plan at $6.5 million every year, but Zeidler said there is no certainty that the province will provide that kind of money in the future.

He then asked, "What's the management thinking around this? Like, if we get the money we're going to have a six-ring circus and if we don't we'll have a two ring circus?"

Andrea responded, "We want to establish a base level of programming so that we can bring in sponsors, so we don't always rely on provincial dollars. But I think the province is committed to doubling tourism and this program is designed for that. We would like to show them that we're helping them meet that objective, but of course we need to develop this program, build a reputation and have something to show potential partners and investors."

Councillor Chris Quinlan said that he "wholeheartedly supports" the program and believes that it's the events that will lure regional visitors to Whistler over any other destination.

He said, "When people make a decision whether they're going to go to Harrison for the weekend or go to the Cloverdale Rodeo, they'll say instead, 'Let's go to Whistler because something's always going on there.' That's going to be the difference."

Mayor Ken Melamed said that there's been "tremendous excitement" among council over the possibilities for how the RMI funds would be used, adding that it's the RMOW's goal to demonstrate success through the program to the point where the province cannot say no to providing them with the same level of funding in the future.

"That's the incentive," said Melamed.

"If we don't drive room nights, we're not entitled to the money."

The RMOW's primary goal through the FEA is to boost room night bookings in Whistler and while Andrea said he hopes the program takes off immediately, there is an understanding and expectation that building Whistler's reputation as a go-to destination for outdoor events and concerts may take some time. He told council that the FEA, and cultural tourism in general, is not a "silver bullet" and the planning RMOW staff has undertaken is all about steady, long-term growth.

"It'll be a process," he told Pique in a phone interview. "We expect success this summer but I think we'll see even greater levels of success. (We will) build each year and become an establishment so to speak on the entertainment tour."

Andrea said the RMOW is working closely with Tourism Whistler to gather anecdotal evidence through surveys to gauge the success of the FEA in bringing tourists in. He said the tracking mechanism through the two per cent hotel tax would allow the RMOW to compare this summer with previous ones, which will give some insight into how successful the program is.

"It's bit more complicated than that. You need to look at trends and all these sorts of things. You've got Tourism Whistler who does pace reports and all that sort of thing (but) we do know when an event drives additional traffic through those sorts of research mechanisms."

He told council that the RMOW is seeking partnerships with Granville Island and the City of Victoria, which have robust events and animation programs, to help them bring in acts that Whistler might not otherwise be able to afford.