Best festival last weekend?

[davideinstein]

Cast your ballots.

A. Mayfest
B. Blue Dome
C. HopJam

[sgrizzle]

Cast your ballots.

A. Mayfest
B. Blue Dome
C. HopJam

Without going to all three can't really rate.

I think Hop Jam didn't expect the crowd they would get.

[Conan71]

Without going to all three can't really rate.

I think Hop Jam didn't expect the crowd they would get.

Agree.

How many days did Hop Jam run?

And, FWIW, I'd be happy to see the BDAF move to it's own weekend, it seems to have no problem standing on it's own now and it's one additional festival weekend for Tulsans to enjoy.

[Gaspar]

Agree.

How many days did Hop Jam run?

And, FWIW, I'd be happy to see the BDAF move to it's own weekend, it seems to have no problem standing on it's own now and it's one additional festival weekend for Tulsans to enjoy.

I think it's easier for them, because they don't need to promote anything.  They just need to show up on the underbelly of Mayfest and put up a sign or two.  Mayfest spends tens of thousands of sponsorship dollars on advertising that brings the traffic to Blue Dome.  The example exists in nature.

[Conan71]

I think it's easier for them, because they don't need to promote anything.  They just need to show up on the underbelly of Mayfest and put up a sign or two.  Mayfest spends tens of thousands of sponsorship dollars on advertising that brings the traffic to Blue Dome.  The example exists in nature.

I honestly can't think of any Mayfest ads I heard unless they were buys around weather forecasts on the radio "Looks like a great weekend to get out to Mayfest...".  They get enough media attention starting a week or two out as it is I never have trouble figuring out when it is.

[Townsend]

Mayfest spends tens of thousands of sponsorship dollars on advertising

Who shoved that up your donkey so you could pull it out today?

[TheArtist]

I like that they created synergy between two areas of downtown.  Was nice to see that many people walking over such a large area.  But I can see the argument for having them be on different weekends as well.

What struck me though is now that I have spent more time in other cities around the world, what I saw during Mayfest/Blue Dome, the busy streets, the vendors and food, music, etc. would just be another average day.  What we saw this past weekend shouldn't be anything special, it should be the way downtown is most days... except busier with more people  and on more streets than just a few.

That's what it could be like if we develop our core well.  Every day would be a festival day full of energy, life and interesting things to see and do.  Regardless of whether you want to live in the midst of it, or out in the quiet burbs and occasionally come in to enjoy it.  

What can be difficult in our current stage of development is when there is a festival in one part of downtown, the other areas may be quieter than usual.  I know during the Friday and Saturday of last years  Center of the Universe Festival, we were as dead as if it had been a Sunday downtown. 80,000 people downtown, but you could hear crickets chirping on our side lol.  Btw, just signed up to be a vendor at this years festival.  

Even Mayfest doesn't do much for us, though everyone is only one block over lol.  Our sales are only a little bit more than an average Friday-Saturday would be for this time of year, however we are consoled that we do get a lot more people in the shop, aka a lot more people discovering us so it is good advertising. (had numerous people say our shop was the neatest thing they found at Mayfest   )    But, we would much rather Mayfest be where it is versus moving to the Brady Arts, for then it would not even be similar sales, but would be another dead weekend that would hurt us (there are only so many weekends in a year).  Also have noticed that sales the days before festivals are slower than average.  For instance this Wednesday was super dead and that is usually a decent day for us.  Will have to run the numbers to see if the festival over all is a plus or not.  Likely a wash to small decline for the week, but getting better exposure for the long run.

First Fridays also hurt our sales, and now that the East End is doing Second Saturdays, that too is starting to decrease sales during that weekend.  I keep thinking that the Deco District needs to do something once a month as well.  Wonder if it would be better to tag onto First Friday's and or Second Saturdays or do a different day entirely?  Whatever it is you do it takes a lot of extra work, coordination with other shops/restaurants, and promoting to pull it off well.  

[Gaspar]

Who shoved that up your donkey so you could pull it out today?

I could be wrong.  I was under the impression they sold sponsorships and had hundreds of thousands of guides printed.

Was the printing free?

Did Blue Dome pay for a sponsorship?

[Townsend]

I could be wrong.  I was under the impression they sold sponsorships and had hundreds of thousands of guides printed.

Was the printing free?

Did Blue Dome pay for a sponsorship?

You're wrong.

[Cats Cats Cats]

I like that they created synergy between two areas of downtown.  Was nice to see that many people walking over such a large area.  But I can see the argument for having them be on different weekends as well.

What struck me though is now that I have spent more time in other cities around the world, what I saw during Mayfest/Blue Dome, the busy streets, the vendors and food, music, etc. would just be another average day.  What we saw this past weekend shouldn't be anything special, it should be the way downtown is most days... except busier with more people  and on more streets than just a few.

That's what it could be like if we develop our core well.  Every day would be a festival day full of energy, life and interesting things to see and do.  Regardless of whether you want to live in the midst of it, or out in the quiet burbs and occasionally come in to enjoy it.  

What can be difficult in our current stage of development is when there is a festival in one part of downtown, the other areas may be quieter than usual.  I know during the Friday and Saturday of last years  Center of the Universe Festival, we were as dead as if it had been a Sunday downtown. 80,000 people downtown, but you could hear crickets chirping on our side lol.  Btw, just signed up to be a vendor at this years festival.  

Even Mayfest doesn't do much for us, though everyone is only one block over lol.  Our sales are only a little bit more than an average Friday-Saturday would be for this time of year, however we are consoled that we do get a lot more people in the shop, aka a lot more people discovering us so it is good advertising. (had numerous people say our shop was the neatest thing they found at Mayfest   )    But, we would much rather Mayfest be where it is versus moving to the Brady Arts, for then it would not even be similar sales, but would be another dead weekend that would hurt us (there are only so many weekends in a year).  Also have noticed that sales the days before festivals are slower than average.  For instance this Wednesday was super dead and that is usually a decent day for us.  Will have to run the numbers to see if the festival over all is a plus or not.  Likely a wash to small decline for the week, but getting better exposure for the long run.

First Fridays also hurt our sales, and now that the East End is doing Second Saturdays, that too is starting to decrease sales during that weekend.  I keep thinking that the Deco District needs to do something once a month as well.  Wonder if it would be better to tag onto First Friday's and or Second Saturdays or do a different day entirely?  Whatever it is you do it takes a lot of extra work, coordination with other shops/restaurants, and promoting to pull it off well.  

Thanks for telling everybody what it is really like owning a store downtown.  Lots of people think that if its open and downtown that it has to work or the owner is just doing something horribly wrong.  You are doing things right and its going but it would be better with more support from people who love downtown.  But it isn't all sunshine and rainbows downtown like so many on here want to believe. I think the downtown stores are a great place to get unique gifts for birthday and christmas.  Everybody needs to shop downtown for their gifts so stores can thrive.  Get more inventory, move to larger buildings, etc.

[Gaspar]

You're wrong.

So Mayfest and/or its sponsors did not print these and hand them out?
http://tulsamayfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2014_Event_Guide_V.3.pdf

. . .and people who came downtown specifically for Mayfest did not venture over to Blue Dome?

Did Blue Dome or their sponsors, spend any money promoting their event in the media?

Perhaps I am wrong and all of the people who came downtown for the Blue Dome Festival wandered over to Mayfest (of which they would had no idea about)?

Why so antagonistic?

Mayfest is a great event, and over the years others have found a way to latch onto it, in less than a constructive way.  Blue Dome contributes nothing to Mayfest, on the contrary it detracts from it.  Of course they are free to hold their festival on the same day, but they shouldn't pretend that they are not riding on another's coattails.

[Townsend]

Why so antagonistic?

Why did you just make crap up?

Mayfest spends tens of thousands of sponsorship dollars on advertising

Where did you find that information?

had hundreds of thousands of guides printed.

Where did you find that information?

[RecycleMichael]

I spent 28 hours at Mayfest and went to Blue Dome three times. I like them both.

They are different.

Mayfest is exposing Tulsans to fine art, showcasing two stages of youth performers and a big Kidzone, holding four different indoor galleries including the very best artists in Tulsa, and paying money to bring national acts to play a free show to the public.

Blue Dome is about up-and-coming artists. There is more extremes in art and entrepreneur spirit found in that festival and the feel is more bohemian and hip. It is not intended to be a family festival or a corporate sponsor thing. It is intended to be fun and is more about people than art.

They can co-exist.  
 

[Gaspar]

Why did you just make crap up?

Where did you find that information?

Where did you find that information?

So, you are saying no one paid for guides to be printed and handed out?

I found it on the Mayfest website.  Allow me to quote:

The Mayfest Event Guide is a free publication that is available to over 350,000 attendees and visiting artists over the
four-day festival. The 2014 Guide will be available both online at www.tulsamayfest.org and in print. Premium
placement for your advertisement on relevant festival information pages will be available for a $50 fee.

[TeeDub]

In 2011, they only spent about $17k on advertising.   (Some was probably donated for free.)

http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990_pdf_archive/731/731279685/731279685_201207_990O.pdf