THE City of North Vancouver's summertime "Concerts in the Square" pilot program has been declared a success by city council, who voted unanimously to engage the same promotion company in 2012.
The city began planning the July and August concerts fairly late in 2011, and it wasn't until June that John Donnelly and Associates was engaged, with a $100,000 budget, to bring some life into the newly opened Shipbuilders' Square.
Nevertheless, said Larry Orr, city manager of lands and business services, at a Dec. 12 council meeting, "we were very pleased with the level of service we got. We started very late and they literally only had a couple of weeks to organize some very big name acts."
Over five summer Saturdays, concert-goers saw free performances from John Mann of Spirit of the West, Jim Byrnes, Vince Vaccaro, Dustin Bentall and Kendel Carson, as well as an Indian dance company, a Chilean navy band and many others. Although the first concert was scheduled on the same weekend as Vancouver's Live 125 celebrations, it still drew about 1,000 people, and attendance had jumped to 2,000 by the end of the series. A variety of other artisans, artists and other entertainers were also on hand.
On the financial side, Orr said there was a lot of potential for sponsorship, but the companies the city approached last year had already committed their budgets for 2011.
"I'm not in the entertainment business," he said, "but certainly what we have been hearing from people who do promote these sorts of events is that if you want sponsorships, you have to start earlier, i.e. the year before."
Continuing with the pilot program, added Orr, would also give promoters and staff the chance to stage a ticketed event involving a bigger performer.
Council briefly considered putting the promotion contract back out for bids, but ultimately decided that continuity and Donnelly's experience with the location would probably make for a more useful continuation of the pilot project.
"I like what I hear," said Coun. Rod Clark. "I am generally in favour of going through a bid process but I see 2012 as a logical extension of 2011 and if we can contract with John Donnelly and Associates again, with more
lead time and we can generate more revenue, then I don't see why can't make the whole thing bigger and not cost the city more money. I think this has been a very good learning experience."
Clark called for shows to be staged on Sundays, potentially run beyond 8 p.m., and to collaborate with the nearby night markets.
"I agree," said Coun. Don Bell. "The important thing is we had a contractor who came into a new territory, a new project, and was able to get performances that obviously pleased the crowd and pleased the community.
"There is an advantage when you're planning these kinds of events to have the benefit of experience. Not just the promoter's experience, but being able to say to performers that this is the second year."
