Inside Events and Festivals The official publication of the Washington Festivals & Events Association
See Inside: •
Announcing the first ever WFEA Fall Conference in Ellensburg
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Learn to be outstanding in your field before you sell sponsorship
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A special seminar on the changing landscape of Seattle events
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Formation of WFEA Thurston Festivals & Events Organization
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A glance at WFEA member events in October
The Lineup WFEA’s First Fall Conference Learn from leading experts in the events and festival field at WFEA’s first fall conference in Ellensburg Page 4
Be Outstanding in Your Field Before You Sell Sponsorship “If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.” Page 8
An Update on the Changing Landscape of Seattle Events October 7, 2019, Bertha Knight Landes Room at Seattle City Hall Page 13
Announcing an Organization for Thurston County Festivals & Events November 7, 2019, River’s Edge, Tumwater, WA Page 15
WFEA Member Events October WFEA calendar listing of events to attend around the state this coming month Page 18
Inside Events and Festivals Edition 9 Washington Festivals & Events Association
Photo by: Lexie J Winters Photography
2019 WFEA FALL CONFERENCE Learn from leading experts in the events and festival field at WFEA’s first fall conference
Red Lion Hotel & Conference Center Ellensburg, WA
October 16-17, 2019 REGISTER
PRE- CONFERENCE WORKSHOP (REQUIRES SEPARATE ENTRY) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019 EFFECTIVE EVENT ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS** 9:00 A.M.–3:45 PM MANAGING THE FUTURE Paul Jamieson, Sunfest of West Palm Beach, Florida How much has management changed and what does the future hold? Have people, and the world, changed so much that everything you thought you knew is out of date? While these questions could generate dozens of discussions, this session will create a ‘top ten’ list of ideas to help you navigate today (and possibly at least into next year). OPERATIONS Eric Corning, Seattle Seafair Now that you’ve come up with the ideas that will set your event apart from the clutter of the myriad of entertainment choices in your community, it’s time to implement them. Learn how you can do that in an effective manner, including using the latest in technological ideas. STRATEGIES FOR SUPERLATIVE SPONSORSHIP SERVICE THROUGH YOUR OPERATIONS TEAM Bruce Erley, Creative Strategies Group, Denver As difficult as it is to find a new sponsor, one would think more time would be spent on keeping the ones we have happy, fulfilled and ready to renew. Yet many event managers don’t have a protocol and process in place to take care of their sponsors. In this presentation, you’ll learn about ten key steps before, during and after the event that provide the essential elements of service and fulfillment to assure that sponsors keep coming back. UPDATE ON LIQUOR AND CANNABIS LAWS FOR FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENT ORGANIZERS Beth Lehman, Customer Service Manager, and Kevin Milovac, Cannabis Licensing Manager Here’s what all event organizers should know about this very important subject. The WSLCB Licensing and Enforcement Visions will educate you on how to have safe and legal events with alcohol, the deepest dive yet at a WFEA conference on this important subject. They will cover types of licensing permits, ways to obtain and sell alcohol, and relationships with alcohol industry members at events. Although cannabis can’t be sold at festivals and other related events, they will discuss the new world of cannabis related events such as trade shows. (REQUIRES SEPARATE REGISTRATION) *THESE PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS WILL QUALIFY FOR CERTIFIED LIVE EVENT PROFESSIONAL CREDIT.
2019 WFEA FALL CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019 ROUND TABLE SESSIONS 4:00 - 5:45 PM These sessions are held for professionals on a specific topic 1.75 hours. Held in a roundtable setting, attendees can pick their topic and ask questions in an informal setting. It’s a great opportunity to get to know people in your area of expertise. BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR CITY Britnee Christen, Director, National Lentil Festival, Pullman From permits to sponsorship, event planners often find themselves working with their city. Join us as we discuss the do’s and don’ts of working with city entities and how you can build a strong working relationship. AGRITOURISM Trevor Lane, WSU Ferry County Extension SOCIAL MEDIA George Sharp, Thurston Economic Development Council
OPENING SESSION AND TRADE SHOW 6:00 - 8:00 PM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 OPENING KEYNOTE: HOW MUCH WAS THAT AGAIN? 9:00 – 10:00 AM Paul Jamieson, Sunfest, West Palm Beach Florida In an era when costs and competition are increasing at a dizzying pace, so have the challenges related to festival operations, risk management, and safety. This case study will show how one festival – that also suffered catastrophic financial losses in recent years – found creative ways to maintain and improve the quality of the experience for the patron. And the lessons they learned about themselves along the way.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS 10:15 – 11:15 AM 50 MONEY-MAKING IDEAS Bruce Skinner, Executive Director, WFEA As the former CEO of the International Festivals and Events Association, Bruce Skinner got to know many of the world’s top event organizers and was often the first person to hear about their new ideas. He’ll present the ones that will help your bottom line. CONNECTING THE ARTS WITH EVENTS Monica Miller, Executive Director, Gallery One, Ellensburg A member of the Washington State Arts Commission, Monica Miller has worked with arts organizations for 20 years on fundraising, grants management and professional development for artists. She currently is the Executive Director of Gallery One in Ellesnburg, which is dedicated to the creation, exhibition and appreciation of visual arts in Central Washington. The organization hosts many great events including Paint Ellensburg, Art About, Jazz in the Valley wine tasting, Brewfest and several more.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM SELLING IDEAS & SOLIDARITY IN SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED MARKETS Britnee Christen, Director, National Lentil Festival, Pullman Join us as we dive into selling ideas, how to leverage the unique benefits of sponsorship, what’s stopping potential sponsors and how you can best prepare yourself to make the sale and create a long-lasting relationship. TOURISM MARKETING THROUGH EVENTS Amy McGuffin, Kittitas Chamber of Commerce, George Sharp, Thurston County Economic Development Events are an effective way to put heads in beds, particularly during the off peak season. Learn how two people have done that and how they have helped brand their communities by staging exciting spectacles.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS 12:30 – 2:00 PM THE FUTURE OF FESTIVALS IN A VIRTUAL WORLD Bruce Erley, Creative Strategies Group, Denver With the proliferation of social media from Facebook to Twitter, YouTube to blogging and an ever-evolving proliferation of new technology designed to capture the time and attention of the public, what will happen to the local community festival and hometown fair? Will it become passé or perhaps be held virtually over the Internet? And will sponsors still find events and festivals a viable marketing and communications option or think of us going the way of the 8 Track? Bruce Erley, President and CEO of Denver-based, Creative Strategies Group, one of the largest country’s leading full-service sponsorship and event marketing specializing in festivals and special events, will share his insights.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS 2:00 – 3:00 PM COMMUNITY BRANDING — LESSONS LEARNED ACROSS THE COUNTRY Tripp Muldrow, Partner, Arnett Muldrow Community branding has emerged as a tool for communities to better communicate who they are with their citizens, visitors, and investors. The term “community branding” brings up many different thoughts and misperceptions. Learn how Chambers of Commerce, Local Governments, Tourism Agencies, and Downtown programs have partnered to create branding systems that include community involvement while avoiding the pitfalls of “design by committee.” The presentation will share examples from across the country and in Washington State. If you are contemplating a new marketing campaign for your community, looking at a fresh identity, or exploring partnerships to promote local pride then this session is for you. EFFECTIVE VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT Trevor Lane, WSU Ferry County Extension Recruit, retain, serve – those are the key messages that you will hear in this session. Learn from someone who has managed over 1500 volunteers, and emphasizes that you have to manage them but be respectful, especially of their time. FUNDING FOR ARTS EVENTS Manuel Cawaling, Inspire Washington Passed and signed into Washington law in 2015, the Cultural Access Program authorizes any county or city in the state to put before the voters a measure to provide sustainable funding to increase access to Cultural, Arts, Science and Heritage programming. Substantial funding is available for the entities, including non-profit festival and events. Hear from Manny Cawaling the Executive Director of Inspire Washington, who will tell you how you can benefit from the law and other cultural advocacy efforts across the state. 3:15 – 4:15 PM ASK THE EXPERTS PANEL Bruce Skinner, Washington Festivals and Events Association Executive Director Bruce Erley, Creative Strategies Group, Denver Amy McGuffin, Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce
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Be Outstanding in Your Field Before You Sell Sponsorship Bruce Skinner Washington Festivals and Events Association Executive Director
“If you do things well, do them better. Be daring, be first, be different, be just.” ANITA RODDICK, founder, Body Shop International
O
ver the past 25 years there have been many definitions of sponsorship.
IEG, located in Chicago and the industry’s leading company that tracks and analyzes sponsorship, in Chicago defines it as “cash and/or an in-kind fee paid to a property (typically in sports, arts, entertainment or causes) in return for access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with that property.”
The Exordium Group, an industry strategy company headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., describes it as: “A mutually beneficial relationship most often between a corporation and event or rights holder, for the purpose of enhancing a product or corporate brand.” Another way to look at sponsorship is that it is like any other form of marketing – it’s an activity that puts buyers and sellers together, with both receiving certain benefits. In other words, if you have the right people coming to your event as far as your sponsors are concerned (their potential customers), you are probably going to have happy sponsors. However, even though creating that match is very important, it’s still not the most important thing that an event manager needs to do if he/she is going to sell sponsorship. Most everything written or said about successful sponsorship says that event managers must work on creating the best packages, writing the best proposals, creating added value and learning the proper selling techniques. You can also create incredible added value to a package, establish a good relationship with your sponsors and research them very well.
Tradition and Change
Many events are very tired – they present the same program year after year, and fail to add interesting and new elements to their program. “Change for the sake of change is not good,” write Steven Wood Schmader and Robert Jackson in Special Events: Inside and Out. “But change to keep an event fresh and growing is essential. “Before hitting the streets to begin selling an event to potential sponsors, the first thing you must do is take a long, hard look at the event itself….like your child, you can love your event, but still recognize its faults.” The Best of the Best The following are examples of events that have risen to the top, either as large or niche events. Roses and Hydros Two events located in the Pacific Northwest are extremely successful at selling sponsorship. One was founded in 1908 and the other in 1948, and both have, at times, bucked change. That isn’t the case any more. The Portland Rose Festival has always been one of the best events in the country. Its parade, an all floral one, is one of the top five in the U.S. according to U.S.A. Today. It has had two other parades for years – the Starlight, which is the second largest illuminated parade in the Northwest, and the Junior Rose Festival Parade, which is the oldest and largest children’s parade in the country.
But the most important thing to remember before you even attempt to sell sponsorship is that you must create an event that is better than the rest. You have to be very good at what you do in your community, no matter what its size. That doesn’t mean you have to be the biggest, but it does mean that you have to be the best in a particular niche, or that you have presented something extremely creative, unique or entertaining.
Portland Rose Festival, May 22-June 7, 2020
On the waterfront of the Willamette River, a carnival midway has drawn a large number of people, including many large ships that dock near the midway site from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy. It also has featured a rose show that began in 1891. With that lineup, it would have been very easy for the Portland Rose Festival to sit on its laurels and remain status quo. But event managers have not. While keeping the events listed above, they have made improvements and added others. And because the Rose Festival has changed and remained one of the top festival in the state of Oregon, its lineup of sponsors is extremely impressive – it’s an event that everyone wants to be a part of. Seattle Seafair is another old time Northwest event that also could have rested on its laurels. But it also has not. For years Seafair has featured one of the best parades in the U.S., several community cultural events, and the largest unlimited hydroplane race in the country. But it has changed and added to its mix. Like the Rose Festival, it is very successful at selling sponsorship. It easy to say that SeaFair and the Rose Festival are successful at selling sponsorship because they are in large markets. But there are many other large markets that don’t have festivals that are equal to the quality of these events, and there are many events in Seattle and Portland that hardly sell any sponsorship because they don’t measure up.
Started in 1947, Scotland’s Edinburgh International Festival is recognized as one of the most important celebrations of the arts in the world. The festival brings to Edinburgh some of the best in international theatre, music, dance and opera and presents the arts in Scotland to the world. It’s held for three weeks in August each year, and comprises over 180 performances including 78 different productions and concerts featuring arts from around the world. It is so big that a recent survey shows that it generates almost $200 million for the economy of Edinburgh and sustains over 4,000 jobs in Scotland. It also has led to the creation of several other great festivals that are held at the same time in Edinburgh: the infamous Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Military Tattoo, a jazz festival, film festival and book festival. No place in the world has so many good events going on at the same time, save for the Olympic Games. Because of that, this is once again an event that sponsors can’t afford to miss. In fact, 28 percent of the festival’s budget is sponsorship revenue. There are many smaller market festivals that have become extremely good events and are very successful at selling sponsorship. National Cherry Festival Perhaps the best example of small market that has a good event is the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. Located in the northern part of the state, the city has only 15,800 people, but there are few events that have as high a quality of programming as the Cherry Festival. Over 500,000 people visit the festival, founded in 1926, over an eight-day period. It has 150 events and creates $30 million in economic impact for the area. It has a diverse lineup of events that are extremely well run. Event managers include activities for kids, including a cherry pie eating contest and turtle races, as well as a large number of events for special populations and seniors. They hold events to expand the public’s awareness of the cherry industry and its products.
Seattle Seafair Weekend Festival, July 31-August 2, 2020
Continued
These include a “Taste of Cherries,” the Cherry Farm Market, the Very Cherry Luncheon and the Cherry Connection. The Cherry Festival annually brings in top name entertainment that few markets the size of Traverse City ever see. Bonnie Raitt, The Beach Boys, Don Henley, Bad Company, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and many others have played on festival stages. But probably the most impressive thing that they do is sell sponsorship. They are able to do this because the Cherry Festival is one of the top events in the country, despite the size of its market. The festival’s official sponsors include CenturyTel, GMC, Northwest Airlines, Pepsi, and Pontiac. There are over 70 event sponsors, such as Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, Discover Card, Domino’s Pizza, Holiday Inn, Home Depot, Kentucky Fried Chicken, MetLife, Miller Lite and Sara Lee Bakery. All told, each year the Cherry Festival brings in over $850,000 in sponsorship. The International Festival of Lent Mid-sized markets produce good events, too. Not only is The International Festival of Lent the largest openair multicultural event in Slovenia, it also is the biggest in Eastern Europe. It wasn’t started until 1993, but annually it features approximately 300 performances and 450 different events (classical music, opera, theatre, folk and jazz music, jam sessions, rock, pop and country music, street theatre, carnival performances, exhibitions, dance performances, folklore dances, fashion shows, children’s workshops, sporting events and fireworks). It is held on 18 different stages, with the main venue being the floating stage on the River Drava. Performers such as Ray Charles, Jose Feliciano, James Brown, B.B. King, Paquito D’Rivera and the United Nation Orchestra, and others have all played at the festival.
Despite being in a market of only 140,000 people, the event has a budget of $1.3 million, with 80 percent of revenues coming from sponsorship!
Macon Cherry Blossom Festival, March 27-April 5, 2020
The Macon Cherry Blossom Festival Macon, Ga., has its International Cherry Blossom Festival, staged each March when the city is ablaze in pink. It is successful because it has something no one else has – millions of cherry tree blossoms. The festival is a tribute to William A. Fickling Sr. – he, and his family after he passed away, have donated 260,000 cherry trees to residents of Macon since 1973. In 1982, Carolyn Crayton, who served as the event’s executive director until November of 2001, came up with the idea to honor Fickling. What has evolved is an event that featured Jimmy Carter and James Brown as grand marshals of its parade one year. And there is an abundance of pink at the festival – pancakes, ice cream, dental floss, and many other items. The whole community gets into the act -- the city even has a pink garbage truck and pink busses. Yellow Cab paints its cabs pink, and mailboxes, porches and automobiles have pink decorations.
“Florists tell us that they are as busy during the festival as they are during Christmas and Easter,” says Crayton. And what does all the pink mean? It allows the festival to sell $355,000 worth of sponsorship each year. Sporting Events Sporting events that are able to rise above the rest are also the most successful at selling sponsorship. Continued
Music: Sunfest Two of the nation’s top music festivals also do well in the sponsorship arena. Sunfest of West Palm Beach, Fla., was created 19 years ago to extend the Palm Beach County tourism season to the beginning of May. It draws 300,000 people annually, and is one of the best produced festivals in the country. Members of the International Festivals Association selected it as the best event in the State of Florida in 2000.
What separates Sunfest from most festivals besides its exceptional staff and volunteer organization, is its music. While most festivals are content to have one or maybe two name acts, Sunfest has many each year. Summerfest This is the ultimate music festival – in fact, it was dubbed “the biggest music festival” in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999. It was created from an idea inspired by networking. After visiting Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, in 1968, the late former mayor Henry W. Maier dreamed about bringing a festival to re-energize the downtown area. What followed was an incredible event, which has featured almost every major group. One year, the festival featured The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, Paul Simon with Brian Wilson, BoDeans and Joan Osborne, Poison, Destiny’s Child, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jackson Browne, Tim McGraw and Bon Jovi.
involved in events like Summerfest and the Kentucky Derby Festival.” The Kentucky Derby Festival The Kentucky Derby Festival organization is entirely separate from the Kentucky Derby horse race, which is run by Churchill Downs. In fact, the festival is so good, it would still exist if the Derby ceased to run. The festival has many extremely large events (most festivals are lucky to have one) – The Great Steamboat Race, the Pegasus Parade, and the largest annual U.S. fireworks show, Thunder Over Louisville. The Indy 500 festival is similar to the Derby in that it surrounds the Indianapolis 500 automobile race. Just like the Derby, it would be around even if there wasn’t a car race. It, too, has many large events. The Derby and Indy 500 festivals are both very adept at selling sponsorship – in fact, the Derby Festival set the standard for sponsorship selling in the early 1980’s under the leadership of the late CEO Dan Mangeot, and is continuing to set it under current CEO Mike Berry. All the events that are chronicled in this chapter – and many others that are too numerous to mention in this book - have one thing in common: they are so good that sponsors feel like they have to be a part of them. So set a goal to make your event the very best!
In another year, Summerfest had Huey Lewis, The Temptations and Michael Bolton, all playing at the same time on different stages. And of course, along with this comes an incredible level of sponsorship – approximately $5.6 million. “We always looked for the predominant event in a market,” says Dennis Boese, former Corporate Manager of Fair and Festival Marketing for The Miller Brewing Co. “If the event is featured in the six o’clock news, and in the hearts and minds of everyone all day long, that’s where we want to be. That’s why we’re
Kentucky Derby Festival
SHARE YOUR VISION: AN UPDATE ON THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SEATTLE EVENTS Learn How You Can Take Your Event to the Next Level Bertha Knight Landes Room at Seattle City Hall Seattle, WA October 7, 2019 REGISTER
SHARE YOUR VISION: AN UPDATE ON THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF SEATTLE EVENTS BERTHA KNIGHT LANDES ROOM AT SEATTLE CITY HALL SEATTLE, WA OCTOBER 7, 2019 Seattle has long boasted of some of the best and diverse events in the country. This seminar will enable the producers of these events to go to the next level, while also giving them the opportunity to hear from and give input to city officials on several issues. You’ll learn from event experts on the latest regarding liquor and cannabis regulations and how to prepare your event to be disaster ready. You’ll also get an update on the efforts of ASSET (A Seattle Special Events Team), and how it is working with the City to find ways to keep police, fire and other cost increases for organizers to a minimum, in order that events can continue to thrive.
WELCOME AND NETWORKING 9:00 – 10:15 AM City of Seattle Bruce Skinner, Executive Director, Washington Festivals and Events Association
EVENT DISASTER MANAGEMENT 9:00 – 10:45 AM Robert Mitchell, Director of Community Disaster Medicine Events will never be disaster-proof, but they can be disaster ready. Learn how you can develop a program that will provide for safety for community leaders, first responders, bystander/victims, as well as festival performers and the audience.
AN UPDATE FROM THE CITY ON ITS ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH SEATTLE EVENTS 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM Chris Swenson, City of Seattle Special Events, Other City Officials The events industry, while vibrant, operates on thin margins and is dangerously vulnerable to rising costs. Events rely on the collaboration from public-private partners to ensure this valuable part of our City’s fabric remains intact. ASSET (A Seattle Special events Team), which includes many Seattle event organizers, is meeting with City leaders to discuss creative and mutually beneficial solutions that address the challenges all parties face. Learn how you can become involved.
NETWORKING LUNCHEON KEYNOTE: SEATTLE CENTER, THE HUB OF SEATTLE EVENTS 12:30 – 1:45 PM Seattle Center has been the site of events since the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. It remains as a vital center for cultural activities. Major events include Bumbershoot, PrideFest, Bite of Seattle, and Seattle Center Festal, a year-long series of 24 world cultural events, the largest of which is Northwest Folklife. Other events include arts and entertainment events at several facilities in the Center. Over 12 million people visit Seattle Center annually. It attracts large cohorts of visitors, over 58 percent of its audience comes from outside the area, generating significant economic impact that provides for thousands of jobs in King County. It also has several permanent attractions, including the Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), Chihuly Garden and Glass, Pacific Science Center and the Arena at Seattle Center, which is currently under construction.
UPDATE ON LIQUOR AND CANNABIS LAWS FOR EVENT ORGANIZERS 2:00 – 3:45 PM WSLCB Customer Service Manager Beth Lehman and Senior Policy and Education Manager Brent DeBeaumont Here’s what all event organizers should know about this very important subject. The WSLCB Licensing and Enforcement Visions will educate you on how to have safe and legal events with alcohol. They will cover types of licensing permits, ways to obtain and sell alcohol, and relationships with alcohol industry members at events. Although cannabis can’t be sold at festivals and other related events, they will discuss the new world of cannabis related events such as trade shows.
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BEST PRACTICES FESTIVALS AND EVENTS SEMINAR AND ANNOUNCING AN ORGANIZATION FOR THURSTON COUNTY FESTIVALS AND EVENTS November 7, 2019 River’s Edge Tumwater, WA REGISTER
BE A PART OF THE FORMATION OF THIS GROUP THAT WILL BE AFFILIATED WITH WASHINGTON FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
RIVER’S EDGE TUMWATER, WA NOVEMBER 7, 2019 This seminar is sponsored by the Washington Festival and Events Association Registration fee includes speakers and buffet lunch.
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS 11:00 AM George Sharp, Thurston Economic Development Council Shauna Stewart, CEO, Experience Olympia & Beyond Carol Riley, Olympia Harbor Days Chuck Denny, Tumwater Parks and Recreation Bruce Skinner, Executive Director, Washington Festivals and Events Association
TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR FESTIVAL AND EVENT MANAGERS 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM Eric Corning, President and CEO, Seattle Seafair Special events large and small can often utilize similar best practices to ensure a successful event. Take a look at traditional best practices and how technology can help and hinder your efforts to organize events.
ASK THE EXPERTS PANEL 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM Bring your questions and get them answered by festival and event professionals who have decades of experience. Eric Corning, President and CEO, Seattle Seafair Bruce Skinner, Executive Director, Washington Festivals and Events Association Carol Riley, Executive Director, Olympia Harbor Days Chuck Denney, Director, Tumwater Parks and Recreation Moira Davin, Director of Marketing & Communications, Experience Olympia & Beyond
FORMATION OF WFEA THURSTON FESTIVALS AND EVENTS ORGANIZATION 1:30 – 2:00 PM Discussion/brainstorm on the benefits of working together: • Networking and knowledge exchange • Master list of festivals and events for cross marketing of each other’s events • Master list to leverage resources and share information about suppliers/vendors of equipment • Group buying power • Education and training of best practices and lessons learned, which could feature an annual workshop/seminar • Other: Be part of an organization that will be affiliated with WFEA and developed by local festival and event producers to build on collaboration and the benefits of working together.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ERIC CORNING With over 25 years experience, Eric Corning has produced high-profile, public events for Seattle and the greater Puget Sound Region. Eric first joined Seafair as a summer intern in 1993 and quickly became a force in the events community. He has produced over 20 Seafair Festivals including the Seafair Summer 4th Fireworks Show, the Seafair Torchlight Parade, and Seafair Weekend featuring the US Navy Blue Angels. He was also a leader producing the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games and the 2014 Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Victory Parade. A graduate of the University of Washington, Eric and his wife Kelli live in Shoreline, WA.
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October WFEA Member Events At A Glance October 4 - October 5, Anacortes Bier on the Pier October 4 - October 5, East Wenatchee Town Toyota Wings & Wheels Festival October 5 - October 6, Skagit Valley(Various Sites) Skagit Valley Festival of Family Farms October 6, Seattle CroatiaFest October 11 - October 13, Long Beach Peninsula Water Music Festival October 19 - October 20, Seattle Turkfest October 26, Seattle Diwali: Lights of India October 26, Ephrata Ephrata Chamber of Commerce Wine & Art Walk
October 31, Ephrata Ephrata Chamber of Commerce Halloween Downtown Trick or Treat
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