FALL 2011
38th
Inside This Issue:
Page 3 Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair Wrap-up, Page 6 Riverfest Photography Contest Winners, Page 6 Volunteer Leadership Positions Announced, Page 7 WFI wins four awards from IFEA
Wichita Festivals, Inc. Board of Directors 2011-2012 Richard Honeyman, Chair Hite, Fanning & Honeyman, L.L.P. Bill Gardner, Chair-Elect Gardner Design Kaye Monk-Morgan, Secretary-Treasurer Wichita State University Prisca Barnes The Kansas African American Museum Clay Bastian Fidelity Financial Corporation Reuben Eckels New Day Christian Church Gary Gibbs Retired Chris Goebel Star Lumber & Supply Co. Esther Headley The Research Partnership, Inc. Alan Howarter Vess Oil Co., Inc. Todd Johnson Protection One Ann Keefer Wichita Downtown Development Corp. Lori Linenberger Free-lance Writer Jennifer Magana Sedgwick County Deputy Counselor
Dear Friends, Before you know it, this beautiful fall weather will turn to Thanksgiving and the holidays will be upon us. We have a lot to be thankful for here at Wichita Festivals – a newly elected, enthusiastic board of directors, hundreds of great volunteers who continue to help whenever we need them, a staff that is diligent and committed to WFI’s mission and the thousands of people who welcome and look forward to Riverfest and Autumn & Art each year. Thank you to all of you! Inside this issue of Festivities you’ll learn about the success of Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair, held in September. Approximately 90 artists exhibited their amazingly creative expressions in 13 different art forms. They came from Wisconsin, Arizona, Missouri, Texas, Colorado and many other states including Kansas. Planning for Riverfest next year is well underway. If you’re interested in getting involved in a leadership role with Riverfest, call or e-mail Jill Massey, our volunteer coordinator today. We’re in need of people with good planning and organizational skills to help. In an effort to continue our “green” initiatives, next year Festivities will be posted on our web site and coming to your computer in-box, not the US postal system mail box. Be sure you’re on the receiving end by sending us your e-mail address at info@wichitafestivals.com and watch your in-box in April, August and November. Fondly,
John Philbrick City of Wichita Don Sherman Westar Energy
Janet Wright, President/CEO Wichita Festivals, Inc. Staff Janet Wright President/CEO Lisa Hansen Vice President Finance Linda Davidson Vice President Program Development
Honeyman to lead Board of Directors in 2012
Celia Cayless Director of Sales Brett Foltz Director of Marketing JaLayne Wray Accounting Manager Jill Massey Volunteer Coordinator
1820 East Douglas, Wichita, KS 67214 Tel 316.267.2817 Fax 316.267.5901 Toll-free 877.WFI.FEST www.wichitafestivals.com
At the annual meeting of the board of directors, Richard (Dick) Honeyman was elected chair for 2011-2012. Honeyman is a partner in the firm of Hite, Fanning & Honeyman, L.L.P. and has served on the board of directors since 2008. Other officers elected for the upcoming year include Bill Gardner, Gardner Design, chair-elect and Kaye Monk-Morgan, WSU, secretary-treasurer. Completing their second three-year term and retiring from the board were Lucy Burtnett, Chris McElgunn and Tim Richards. New members elected to serve their first term are Chris Goebel, Star Lumber, Alan Howarter, Vess Oil Co., Ann Keefer, WDDC, Lori Linenberger, free-lance writer and Jennifer Magana, deputy counselor Sedgwick County.
Looking Ahead
SPECIAL THANKS
With a successful second year behind us, plans are underway for the third annual Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair in 2012. Thousands of Wichitans strolled along Bradley Fair Parkway September 16-18, exploring the variety of art on display and making their purchases to take home and enjoy. Some 90 artists were on hand to visit with patrons, explain their techniques and sell their unique works of art - sculpture, wood, photography, painting, jewelry, glass, metalwork.
to the many volunteers and sponsors who helped make this years’ event a success: Fidelity Bank
The preview party on Friday evening featured food from YaYa’s Eurobistro and Newport Grill and music from the Joseph Vincelli Trio. Guests mingled among the artist booths and enjoyed a true “fall” evening with cooler temperatures prevailing. Artists participating in Autumn & Art came from North Dakota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, California, Minnesota, Alabama, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho and Kansas. Many have shown in galleries across the US including New York, San Francisco, New Orleans and Santa Fe and participated in premiere art shows in Denver, St. Louis, Houston, Ft. Worth and others.
AU T UMN AND ART.com
Bradley Fair Scholfield Lexus The Kirk, Bahm Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Next year, Autumn & Art will be held September 14-16 at Bradley Fair.
Clear Channel Outdoor Clear Channel Radio Go Wichita Hilton Garden Inn House of Schwan Intake Studios KAKEland Newport Grill Splurge! The Frame Shop Treescapes Tree Top Nursery Via Christi Health Wichita Center for the Arts Willis of Kansas YaYa’s Eurobistro
Steve Adelson Riverfest Branding
Debbie Greene Musical Entertainment
Keith Wondra New Events
Eric Johnston Fireworks
Riverfest Keeps On Giving!
Riverfest 2011 may be old news, but for some it’s still reaping rewards. This year marked the seventh year for the Riverfest Photography Contest, sponsored by Douglas Photographic Imaging. Winners in six categories were announced in August and the Peoples Choice Award presented on Final Friday, September 30. A total of $1,750 was awarded in prize money to 13 photographers.
Robert Dixon Rediscover Riverfest
Steve Adelson River Run/Tot Trot
Debbie Greene was the big winner with her photograph of the Eddie Money concert at the west bank, selected as the Peoples Choice. Her photo gathered the most votes on Facebook to win the award and she was presented with a check for $250. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest for the great pictures submitted and to Douglas Photographic Imaging for their time and support of this Riverfest activity.
Watch for information on next years’ Riverfest Photography Contest as plans for Riverfest 2012 are unveiled.
As the result of the Riverfest Bob Struble Memorial Golf Tournament, a check for $1,800 was presented to Victory in the Valley in September. This is the third year proceeds from the tournament have been given to Victory in the Valley for a total of $4,550. The tournament is held in memory of Bob Struble, long-time Riverfest volunteer and past president of the WFI board of directors.
It’s time! for the
Sponsorship
Riverfest Poster Art Competition
Promote your product or service through Riverfest! At WFI, we believe in customizing a sponsorship package that works for you! Whether you’re looking for branding or corporate giving, we have a broad selection of opportunities allowing an affiliation with high profile event or a well respected project. Whether your goal is marketing, public relations, community giving or a combination of these things, we will find the right place for your company. We’ll work with you to design a package that works to accomplish the goals of your business model.
One of the on-going traditions of Riverfest is the annual creation of a new poster and button design for the festival. In 2011, we brought back the poster competition after a five-year hiatus. Wichita illustrator Scott Dawson won the prize with his butterfly design and Rediscover Riverfest theme. This year the tradition continues. Local artists are invited to submit their design idea for the poster and accompanying button art by December 16. The winner will walk away with a $3,500 check and have his or her design featured prominently on 2012 Riverfest promotions, advertising and souvenirs. The call for entries and details for submitting your design can be found at www.wichitariverfest.com. Don’t delay! Put your creative talents to work and submit your design. Do you have any new ideas we could incorporate for family daytime activities at next years’ Riverfest? We’re looking for fun, interactive things to do for people of all ages. Or, would you like to work with our staff and other volunteers to help create these new ideas? Maybe it’s a giant checker game, bingo, or Twister! Or build a sculpture out of cans of food. It could be anything children and adults alike would enjoy. This is your chance to make your mark on Riverfest with a creative new idea. If you want to help or have an idea to share, call us at 267-2817 or fill out the New Event Proposal found on our website, wichitariverfest.com. This could be the next big event for Riverfest!
Seeking Input
Below are a sample of the events or areas available for Riverfest sponsorship:
Kids’ Activities These can include
educational or entertainment options for children age 2 through 10. The activities take place in a well organized kid’s area with lots to do and see. Many activities in this area offer “make and take” projects and would be a great match if your company markets to young families.
2012 Sundown Parade The Sundown Parade is not only the kick-off for Riverfest, it’s one of the biggest events during the festival, with thousands of people lining the streets of downtown Wichita to watch floats, marching bands, precision drill units, equestrian groups and inflatables. It’s a premier opportunity for companies to demonstrate community goodwill and strengthen their name and image in the region.
Sponsorships range from $1,500 through $50,000 and can be general support or geared to a specific event that reaches a desired demographic. We entertain both cash and in-kind inquiries and encourage participation at all levels. A conversation to discuss your company budget and marketing initiative is the best way to get started planning an event or program that will reach your marketing and business goals. In addition, sponsorship includes great promotion through the media, on site exposure, hospitality benefits for your employees and great team building opportunities through voluntarism.
River Run This 2 mile and 10K race has many sponsorship opportunities. If you want to market to the health conscious professional, the elite runners or stroller moms, this would be a great opportunity.
Concerts Riverfest is known for concert
Ever thought about building a float, or having an inflatable in the parade? There are many companies across the US who can help you with your creation. Check out the web sites below for inflatable ideas, or check out local talent to help with a float. It’s fun to share the experience with your employees and friends. Start planning now so you’ll be ready when the entry forms are available.
Covering over a mile in length, the parade route Web sites for parade inflatables: is a venue for your company or organization to www.fabulousinflatables.com display your community involvement before a www.paradeballoonrentals.com captive audience of 50,000+. Broadcast over the www.bigeventsonline.com radio and for the first time in 2011, over Cox Cable www.landmarkcreations.com channel 22 to over 80 cities in Kansas, the parade www.air-star.com provides unique exposure for participants.
entertainment and we have several concert sponsorships available at several investment levels. If reaching a large crowd in one night is your goal, consider a concert sponsorship!
Food Court Each day of Riverfest, the
main food court is filled with professionals from the downtown and surrounding area that come to enjoy the food and music. In the evening, the demographic changes to families. Sponsorship of the food court offers nine day exposure on-site opportunities for lead generation and face to face exposure with potential customers. The schedule is being formed now, so please call Celia Cayless, Director of Sales and Sponsorship, to start the dialogue on the best event match.
Volunteer Highlights Volunteer Program a Bronze Success!
Along with some of the great changes made to Riverfest this year were changes to the WFI Volunteer Program. Our goal was to make it as easy as possible for people to volunteer.
4 Each volunteer was given one of our bright yellow Volunteer shirts. We had great Lowes Welcome Center Gazeboes for Volunteer 4 check-in adjacent to volunteer assignments. Cloisonné pins, with a poem attached to show our appreciation, 4 were given to each volunteer, admitting them to all Riverfest activities. A new Volunteer website was created so volunteers could examine 4 the options available and sign-up any time of the day or night. New sponsors, Volunteer Kansas and WDDC helped support our 4 recruitment efforts. These were just a few of the changes we implemented for our Volunteer Program and they didn’t go unnoticed. Our efforts resulted in a Bronze Pinnacle award at the International Festivals and Events Association annual conference, for Best Volunteer Program. Thank you for choosing to donate your time and energy with us!
2011 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Jim Winter was honored with the Galaxy Award for outstanding volunteer service to Wichita Festivals Inc. Jim spent countless hours before, during and after the festival volunteering to help. He’s a great example of true volunteer spirit. The WFI staff would like to thank Jim for his outstanding commitment to WFI. Jim Winter is pictured with Linda Davidson, V.P. of Program Development, who presented the award.
Annual Appreciation Party a blast! One of the ways we thank Volunteers each year is with our Volunteer Appreciation Party. This year we were fortunate to hold it at the newly remodeled and reopened Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview. We got an up close view of the beautiful changes to the hotel and celebrated with over 500 Riverfest Volunteers. Two outstanding volunteers were honored at the event. Jim Winter was awarded the “Volunteer of the Year” award and Robert Castleberry was named “Outstanding Prairie Schooner Mate” Special thank you to the Volunteer Committee for setting up and cleaning up before and after the event.
Kudos! “Your Volunteers are amazing! Hospitality is great! Thank you for having kind and knowledgeable volunteers! Your volunteers are so helpful!“ This is just some of the great feedback we received from artists who participated in Autumn & Art about our Volunteers. It takes a lot of dedicated Volunteers setting up in the wee hours of the morning, handing out sponsor gifts to attendees, clearing tables in the rain, working info booths, selling drinks and providing hospitality for the artists. Thank you so much for helping! We couldn’t do it with out you! Please know that you are appreciated! From the artists, from the staff, from the customers! We all thank you!
Calling All Leaders!
We’re looking for Leadership Team Volunteers.
Wichita Festivals Inc is in the development phase of many new and exciting ideas and we need leaders to help us bring together these unique experiences. Leadership Volunteers would take a lead role in exploring community collaborations and assisting staff in planning and implementing Riverfest and Autumn & Art activities.
2011 OUTSTANDING PRAIRIE SCHOONER MATE Robert Castleberry knows the meaning of the word volunteer! Robert went above and beyond, commiting more than 200 volunteer hours as a Prairie Schooner Mate. He came in months before Riverfest to package buttons, help with mailings, fold shirts, doing whatever needed to be done. Robert was presented with his award and Gift Certificate to Jimmie’s Diner by Admiral Windwagon Smith XXXVIII Chris Goebel.
If you’re:
9 9 9
Available to participate in monthly meetings Can lead or facilitate meeting discussions Interested in event development and want to be involved in the planning stages of a festival event
then you need to contact Jill Massey, jill@wichitafestivals.com, 267-2817, to find out more information about how you can get involved. We’re building committees in the following focus areas: “Green” team, décor, River Run, concert entertainment, Autumn & Art hospitality and marketing.
Call today to get involved. It’s FUN and you’re helping develop two of Wichita’s premiere events!
It’s Not Easy Being Green Just like Kermit the Frog said, it’s not easy being Green! But we keep trying to improve our footprint on the planet with new initiatives. With the help of Bombardier Learjet, we recycled 3800 pounds of plastic and 1800 pounds of cardboard during Riverfest. At Autumn & Art we continued the tradition, keeping the area around Bradley Fair free of trash and debris.
WFI Receives International Awards
Now we’re taking another step to being Green. We’re publishing Festivities, beginning next year, on-line, not on paper. Our award-winning newsletter will look the same and give you the most up-to-date information, right on your computer, at home or at the office! You can guarantee receipt to your in-box by sharing your e-mail address with us. Just send it to info@wichitafestivals.com and we’ll make sure you’re on the list to receive it. Festivities will continue to be published three times a year. Look for it in April, August and November. And, just in case you forget to send us your e-mail, you can find it on our web site, www.wichitariverfest.com.
Stuff the Bus
We’re helping to “Stuff the Bus” this holiday season for the YMCA Women’s Crisis Center. We’ll have a drop-off box here in our office the month of November. If you want to help someone less fortunate, just drop off anything from the “Stuff the Bus” wish list below at our office, Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through November 28.
WISH LIST... • Gift cards for Dillon’s, Wal-Mart, Target and Payless Shoes • Children’s Snack Packs (i.e. animal crackers, peanut butter crackers etc.) • Gas gift cards (i.e. QuikTrip or Kwik Shop) • Bleach, Clorox Wipes, Lysol Spray • Powdered laundry soap • Large size bath towels • Wichita Transit bus passes • Office/Craft Supplies • Journals and planners • 13 gallon trash bags • Vinegar, Windex, Comet • Paper towels • Toilet paper (1 or 2 ply) • Dish soap (liquid and dishwasher powder)
Wichita Festivals was recipient of four awards from the International Festivals and Events Association during their 56th Annual Convention & Expo in Fort Worth, Texas, October 3-6. WFI took home Silver Awards in the categories of Best Event/Organization Newsletter, for its quarterly newsletter Festivities and Best Sponsor, WaterWalk, for their partnership on the new Riverfest venue, the WaterWalk Pavilion. Riverfest also garnered Bronze Awards for Best Volunteer Program and Best T-Shirt Design for the 2011 official t-shirt. “It is always rewarding to have your efforts recognized by your peers. We are thrilled to win these IFEA awards, especially in the Best Volunteer Program category, it is a true testament to all the hard work our volunteers put into Riverfest,” said Janet Wright, President/ CEO of WFI. The International Festivals and Events Association has more than 2,000 member festivals around the world. The 2011 IFEA Pinnacle Awards competition honors the best special events, festival materials, promotions and ideas among the organization’s membership. “We congratulate all of our Pinnacle winners for their outstanding entries into this year’s competition,” said IFEA President & CEO, Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE. “The IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Competition recognizes the outstanding accomplishments by festivals and events around the world.”
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