Tuesday, February 01, 2000
Tall Stacks declared financial success
But visitors complained about prices
BY RACHEL MELCER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Roughly 660,000 people paid the admission fees and increased food ticket prices that made Tall Stacks '99 a financial success — but not without complaining, according to a report issued Monday.
The nonprofit Greater Cincinnati Tall Stacks Commission recouped $9 million spent on the October festival, and declared reaching the break-even point a victory. The last time the festival was held, in 1995, the commission lost $800,000.
But visitors who filled out surveys as they left the gated riverfront event complained the most about having to pay admission fees for the first time, said commission board member Rick Greiwe. They also griped about a last-minute concession ticket price increase, from 50 cents to 60 cents apiece.
As a result, organizers say they will try to raise more money from corporate and government sponsors before committing to a Tall Stacks '03. They would like to lower food prices and do away with the admission charge.
“Those are two things we might look at in the future,” Mr. Greiwe said. “We're going to be talking to our sponsors, to our boat captains and to the three cities involved, to see if we can increase their level of participation.”
They will make their case by touting the festival's economic impact.
Tall Stacks '99 generated $30 million in direct spending in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky — and $22.7 million of that came from the 25 percent of attendees who came from outside the region. More than 25,000 riverboat cruise and tour tickets were sold to tour groups coming from as far away as New Mexico, New York and North Carolina.
And people who come from outside of the area spend more money on travel, lodging and other forms of entertainment than local visitors. They far outspend the regional attendees of other festivals such as the annual Taste of Cincinnati and Pepsi Jammin' On Main, said Rex Repass, president of MarketVision Research, which evaluated the events and produced Monday's report.
“Tall Stacks, historically and this year, draws a lot of people from out of this area ... which supports the tourism economy,” he said.
The media broadcast images of Tall Stacks '99 — photographs and video tape — nationally and internationally.
That should help build anticipation for another go 'round, Mr. Greiwe said.
The Ohio Bicentennial Commission has already asked the Tall Stacks Commission to produce the event in 2003 as part of the statewide celebration.
“Before this little nonprofit committee decides to take on this thing again, we need to talk to our partners to see if they can take on a bigger part,” Mr. Greiwe said.
“There's plenty of festivals in Cincinnati, but there are very few that get these kinds of results for Cincinnati in terms of media attention and attracting new people.”
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