Are we ready?

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

Uh, this is a meeting of the economic culture and civic development committee.

And on that committee, we have uh councilman Corey Penn and Councilman Ben Reynolds.

Uh other members present today.

We have President Small, Madam Vice President Gregory, Councilman Woods and Fleming, along with our attorney Jonathan Maples and city staff.

Um, so today uh our committee meeting, uh, we wanted to review our past efforts, also look at some of our current um work in terms of stewardship of resources, long-term strategy, impact, outcomes, um, and also um our long-term growth for mobile and the quality of life.

And in doing so, um, as we think about the community, uh, impact, um, the equitable distribution of events, all of that knowing that it's to connect people for a better quality of life.

We ask Miss Um Smith, uh, we share with her a set of questions to bring to this committee so that we can look at that and have a conversation around that.

So at this time, I would ask uh Miss Smith if she would um move uh come forward and share with us that information.

I uh I received the first set of responses.

And again, thank you for always being so prepared.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

So I am going to introduce Jania Rocker, who was who is our events manager, and she is going to be the one who present um and answer your questions.

And if she's if needed, I will support her in her responses to you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

So I provide y'all a little bit of what all we do.

Um, and you already stated a little bit of our mission, which is to support to increase the quality of life for residents and people coming into the city of Mobile with quality events.

Um, and I know you stated like what ways can city council support.

Um, I would say you all some of y'all already do these things, attending and participating in some of these city events, um, promoting them at either city council meetings or when you're out in your district having community meetings.

So we have a whole bunch of flyers, postcards, we can bring some down, but just um promoting those types of events, um, advocating for funding and resources to provide the quality of event growth.

Um, and another one is that we really haven't we touched on it a little bit um with Ms.

Smith, uh sponsorship opportunities.

I know I'm not in the position where I can ask for sponsorships.

Um, and so we'll have to coordinate with like legal to see how we can work on that to try to um do sponsorships.

Uh yes so on sponsorship.

Are there any questions regarding sponsorship?

Um do we do we know uh what support we can get her in terms of that so we can take people can come to us, we're not allowed to go and solicit sponsorships.

And one of the things you see with the caliber of events that we're doing, they should be sponsored.

And you know, you look across and what other cities are doing, a lot Fourth of July, Kite Festival are sponsored by you know big sponsors.

We're not able to go and reach out to them.

There is a process in which we can take funds, but we can't go out with a sponsorship package and say, hey, would you support us in X, Y, and Z?

So that makes it difficult for us to be able to do that um in our roles.

Sure.

Uh Sean.

Oh, so who can do that?

Yes.

I would have to find out.

I'm not I'm not sure because I mean, I'm thinking about like events mobile.

I mean, that was a good one that's a nonprofit organization that could do.

And they go on to, you know, they go out and get the money.

Yes.

So my question is, do we need to try to create something for they can go be an advocate for you all?

That's my question.

That's a good question.

We I know we have talked to and we both sit on the events mobile board.

We've talked about what that can look like uh to build that relationship.

Two years ago, we tried to create a nonprofit organization to be able to do that.

And I'll tell you the heavy lifting was um we had a lot, we had like Matt um was uh Lamont.

We had Matt Lamont who's present president of their board put it together, but because we were creating it, is somebody had to put their social security down.

It's like there's a whole lot of personal information that it was like, hold up, I'm not I want to help, but I don't want to be invested in that this way.

So we kind of pushed that to the side.

So we are we did have conversations with the board about what that can look like.

Um, but we didn't we haven't gone any further with that.

So uh I can get back to you with that after I get complete information from Ricardo or Shreve to figure out what we can do with that.

Well, my question was sort of the same same sort of thing.

Um I was thinking even your advisory board.

I mean, there's there's no reason they cannot go out and solicit, but as far as where the funds go, it would go to the city.

I mean, there's got to be a way to there's a mechanism in which the city takes donations, just like how we do grants that we can intake it.

It's the process of solicitation that we cannot do.

Yeah, because we have all of these other boards.

I mean, we just had the museum board in here, they solicit all the time, okay, you know, for money.

Um, so there's got to be a way to to help you guys with all of these different events that you put on, because the city itself doesn't have money to do everything you want to do and do it right.

Correct.

So if we're going to continue doing this number of events, we need to have a way to funnel some money into it so that they're done the way we want to see them done.

Correct.

You already know all that, but anyway.

Chairwoman.

Do but can y'all put together like if you're doing whatever these are, market in the park.

There are these advertising opportunities so that if visit mobile took it up, they could say you can have 10 poster boards here and you know, six digital advertisements there or whatever it is.

Is that something that y'all can do, or would y'all be the ones to put that together?

So there's a product to actually that could be sold.

Yeah, so we will be able to put it together.

Um, I know it's like a time limit for things like that, but we'll be the ones you know, creating and putting it together.

I think maybe you if we just pick out a couple of signature events, which y'all probably do get sponsors for some of these, right?

None of them, none of them.

Yeah, we could probably pick out some signature events and and give it a go, you know, for you know, a calendar year or something on those signature events to let somebody else get somebody there.

Then so then you're only putting like advertising packages together for a certain number of events.

Yeah, I mean, I'm just thinking that you might have some businesses that's out there trying to promote or either try to find employees and they can probably just get one of these events, you know, and you know, probably work with the chamber, but I'm getting them an opportunity to advertise at the Beer Fest or Kids Day or uh Inflatable Night.

I mean, I think there's a I believe that there's an opportunity for that.

But I charge you to go ahead and talk to them about that.

I mean, it's mobile, and they really be the vehicle because they already do events in mobile, and they could be your arm of soliciting funds because they're going to support the events you all do.

They too could work with visit mobile on the signature events, so that we don't have to have so many layers of groups trying to do basically the same thing.

Well, well, thank you for that conversation.

So, any other questions around sponsorship?

All right, so we thank you.

It's not that's so surprising to me.

And this was the sixth year we've done it.

So I I guess the chair.

Yes.

Um do people know that it's an opportunity for sponsorships.

Is it anywhere like on our because I know you you can't solicit, but is it like a place where they can go to if they want to sponsor?

No.

Okay, so that's another people just don't know that it's an opportunity, but I know it's a challenge being dealing with moon pie.

We just start getting people to sponsor moon pie over mobile.

So I I know we we kind of think that it would be easy, but it's also some work that has to be done.

And I think um for a board that's already working on big thing to ask them to do a lot of other events that would create challenges.

So, you know, based on what President Small stated, I think we should, you know, Miss if you would follow up on this, and then also I think as a um council, we need to see what we need to do on our end to try to make sure that there's something in place to help her move forward on that.

Thank you.

You asked for the attendance and participation over the last year for each event.

I know you specify events mobile only.

Um, but that's ran by, like I said, the nonprofits I only provided you the um events department.

Did y'all have any questions or anything?

I have one question.

Um, way back in the day when it was special events, special events.

Um part of their job, most of their job really was to support events in the city.

You know, organizations would come to special events for them to then support what they're doing.

Do y'all do that sort of thing, or are you doing your own events primarily or what?

So yes and no.

So special events at that time was heavily being like a consultant for events happening in the city, whether we were a part of it or not, that took up a whole lot of time.

So we shifted to doing our own events.

If someone is coming into the city and want to do something and want to partner with us, what we have also is redefined what partnering is.

Partnering is not you come and ask us for money because you've already planned your event.

That is you looking for some kind of sponsorship or something from the city.

Partnership means we sit at the table with you, we are part of the planning, we are part of the decision making with you, so that is a true partnership.

So then when people are asking us questions, we can actually speak to what is happening.

So that is what a partnership is to us now.

And so it's also what they're asking for because a lot of times we have folks that are come and to be very frank, they want us to pay for like their whole event, and that's not possible.

So what we try to do is negotiate can we help with um police costs or um waiving some kind of fees or something like that?

And we work with Barbara on who's able to do that.

So we're more of with our event services department now.

We're kind of like the liaison of somebody that's coming in asking for city support and us working with those departments to how we support those.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, Barbara is the person who waves anything for the city if we're gonna support them in a financial way.

Any other questions um around the actual participation by events?

What was this latest one that we did that was um with the musical guest?

Gulf Coast Coast.

Gulf Coast Groves, that's on 5:30, May 30th.

The media reported there was like 500 people.

We got 1100 here.

Yes, the 1100 numbers came from the downtown mobile alliance, so they use the placer.

Um, and that's how they got the attendance numbers.

So the news give you from the day with the time they got when they who they estimated when we get the numbers from downtown alliance, they pull the folks in the geo cash area with phone uh phones that's there pinged, and so that it's a more accurate number of folks who are actually there throughout that entire time as individuals, so people leave and come back and all of that accounts all of those people.

I have a follow-up question to what you just um ask Councilman Reynolds.

You I understand the numbers, but do you all and one of the things I heard you state early on, you know, in the goal, the goal is about you know, improving and enhancing the quality of life.

But do you have any metrics that we use to determine like our economic impact?

Um, and and not just necessarily the economic impact, but maybe the return on investment, like you'll see for Art Walk, we have what 7,400, and that was for one of them in March.

But do you use any other metrics outside of attendance to see what impact we're having on quality of life?

So the 2025 events at a glance, that showcases all of the events that we do, like for vendors as well when they come to events, whether they're local vendors, food trucks, um, so we have an account for that as well with the metrics.

But outside of what you're asking for, we don't have a mechanism um to do what economic impact we get, meaning how how are the restaurants benefiting from that night of art walk or things like we don't we don't have that.

And and not just that, but if we can, you know, when we when we think about quality of life, like what what's the measure like it says to enhance quality of life?

I guess that's what I'm asking.

So numbers is one.

The other one would be we do surveys, so every event we do, we do a survey.

A lot of times we're like, what went well, what would you like to see more of?

So every event we have, there's a follow-up of a survey, and we heavily listen to the surveyors when we ask information.

Um, we a lot of times we'll poll what are you looking for?

What are these things you would like to see to help us do some different kinds of things?

So we do pop-ups as random events to try to see if it's something worth continuing.

So, like last year we did the inflatable um adult, what is it called?

The adult inflatable night to try it out to see how it worked.

It was, you know, I think the bad part about it is we do it and then they're like, do it next month.

And I'm like, we can't do these every month, we can't do these every quarter.

So we try to work it in there.

So we're doing another one this year.

Um, we did the puzzle palooza was our first time doing it in December.

We tried to do it in December, but it was low attendance.

So we brought it back for National Puzzle Month in January, and we had over 20 teams.

Um, that's kids and just adults.

So they came together.

Um, that was a ticketed event.

So majority of our events are free, but we do like a handpicked few of ticketed events.

So if you get a chance, if we can get a copy of that survey, I won't.

I'm just interested in what are the actual questions in terms of quality of life.

So they're different.

Do you just want us to pick a random one and give you that survey?

Because there's a different, it's it's a survey for each event.

So they differ a little bit based off the the event.

Okay.

So then let me ask differently then.

Is there a question on there that actually gets to quality of life, or are these questions more about improvement processes?

It's more about their experience there.

Okay.

And then improvement.

So how was your experience here?

What you would like to see more of if this was to happen again.

So there's come back again as well.

Okay, thank you.

And really, uh, the the public meeting is is just um for the staff to provide us questions and for us to um receive this information.

It wasn't open for questions from the floor.

I apologize.

But Miss Ruffin, we can I can follow up with you afterwards to get responses for you.

I've also listed the upcoming schedule dates that is on the events calendar, um, calendar of events, the magnet.

So those are the rest of the events that we're having this year.

Any questions about the upcoming events?

And and when you say the upcoming events, you're talking about this, yes, correct.

Okay, thank you.

Um yes, I I do have a question regarding like um any events or upcoming events.

I know we kind of talked about like sponsorship.

Is it room for like um say if a council has discretionary and we want to support a particular event?

Um, is it we can do that?

Yes, okay.

If we do that, is it also openings to to increase our ad to something that's already planned, or does it have to be all like we have to do it in the following year?

Yes, because I know like now we're already planning for 2027.

Yeah, so I'm gonna give you an example of um I I attended the Gulf Coast Coast Grooves, had a great time.

I mean, the the music was really amazing.

I was looking for a date night, um, and it was free.

And so I mean, you really can't you couldn't beat that, you know.

Um, but one of my ideas, and I share this with council prison and some others is um, and I think I probably shared it with you all before, but like RB, like just a DJ, like it's RB at the park.

And so certain things like a DJ, we already had a stage set.

If I had an idea for a particular event, is it room to say, okay, I know we got these two entertainments, could we do this before the event start?

Is it room for that, or do we have to kind of plan a year in ahead to get those type of things done?

If we can plan because we working on marketing as early as possible, gotcha.

Um to present that out, but it's possible to do like a pop-up and then just say, hey, if you want to come here from this time to this time before the actual event starts, that's possible.

The time.

Yeah.

And the reason why I asked is because I think that a lot of stuff like that we all want together.

And I think, and I don't think it's you when I when I'm saying this, I'm just thinking, um, I heard somebody say I'm tired of used to like we used to do these things this way, and sometimes we get in our mind, like we all, we like, well, why we do this?

Well, this is what we used to do.

Well, I think that sometimes the council want to do something and administration doing, but we can do some collaboration things, and I think we can do a better job if we all work together in some of those ideas that we have, and so I was just making sure because in the past we haven't seen it.

So if we go to Birmingham and we go to these other cities, you might see that council representative saying, Well, we're doing RB night, but the city, the you know, the mayor administration is all they all working together to do it, it's not like just the council.

So I guess by having this committee meaning, my goal is it that's possible to do it if we were able to plan, especially if we're getting ready to go into this new budget year.

Oh, yes.

So um, the concepts about the pop-ups.

So we try to do a pop-up to see how it'll be to plan for the following year, just like the pop-up for the puzzle.

Ums we opened the doors, everybody was asking, when you doing this again.

We had somebody to come from all the way from Jackson, Alabama.

The um the event was at SEALs, so they came from Jackson, Alabama.

The event started at 8 30.

So she saw it advertised and was like, hey, you know, I want to come to this.

So it's just how to create that experience and then do it again.

Gotcha.

Thank you.

I want to follow up on your question, just to make sure I understood the response.

And it sounded like um count uh madam vice president Gregory, it's the same thing.

So, like if we wanted to collaborate with events, and we wanted to do like a window Wednesday, uh, Councilman Penn and I is there a process in place that we can meet with you ahead of time to collaborate, like you said, be on the front end, partner with you to make that event happen.

Yes, we have a partnership um internal form and then putting it in through event services as well.

Um, just to look let you all know what we exactly need for that event.

I would even say starting with an email because I remember you sent an email of like we're trying to do this community event.

So it's the big thing is the timing for us, and it is what else is happening during that time because in addition to them doing the events, they're also supporting comms in the city's mayor's office when there's the ribbon cuttings and the different things that's happening.

So I would say somewhere if like we could know like a minimum of eight weeks ahead of time and say, Hey, we want to do this pop-up event.

This is what we're thinking, this is what we think is gonna do, so then we could really talk about what it takes, and then the goal is to have enough time to market and promote it to do it.

So even we say pop up, we say pop-up, but we've probably been planning for it, bless you, for the last three months or so to be able to make sure we have depending on how big it is, puzzle Palooza don't take one more.

I'm sorry, and then we're gonna put you out.

But but it's it's also the it's a timing to make sure that we can do it right so we we you can use a small smaller amount of time, and then from there we see it's a success, a lot of people follow it.

Then we try to figure out how do we put this in the rotation for the following year because people are already asking when you're gonna do it again.

Any other questions related to the schedule?

Okay, thank you.

Next, um, the total budget for all the events for this year.

Um, so this is our operating cost 55,796.

Um, with that, that includes um event locations that we have to pay for, like at the battleship, um, for fourth of July and Kitesover Mobile, uh marketing materials, um, fireworks, staging, lighting, performers, um, the city's tree materials, or if we need more ornaments that has to come through our budget as well.

Um, also like poll banners, we have four or five different like seasonal poll banners that we hang, so those are included as well um as the conferences that we attend and billboards questions.

Um I know I'm kind of jumping when you when you say own when it says total budget for advertising, all it is that outside the 55,000 mean 555.

It's included, it's included.

So that 43,000 is included in the uh 555,000.

Yes, okay.

So that's with um we do Landy App.

Um we have for market and park since we are a certified market.

Um we do the homegrown Alabama, which is advertisement, radio ads, and then when we boost certain events.

Have you um in your just time on expertise for a budget?

I don't, I'm not a marketing person, but I'm I'm just I think I have transferable skills to do so.

Is it is it a certain number?

Is it a certain number people use to say we need if I'm investing this amount?

Is it a percentage they'll say, well, this is what we need to advertise?

Have we ever looked in you understand what I'm saying?

Like, you know, you say, Well, we're doing a million dollar budget, we need least 10% to be a you know.

I don't know.

Have y'all looked into that to see based off an event?

It based off each event.

Okay, so you don't base it off the total budget each okay.

All right.

So fourth of July, we're trying to we're trying to do a regional reach of folks to come to kite festival.

We're doing more of a rational, we get a lot of folks that travel down and spend the weekend here for kite festival.

So those events are really different than an art walk or uh uh line of the tree, yeah.

Smaller, a smaller event.

Okay, so let's use um those are our larger events.

Will we say the uh fourth of July is our largest or the kite?

Fourth of July.

So they're like almost neck and neck.

Okay, so let's use fourth of July.

It do we what's the budget for fourth of July?

Do we know that?

Like what would it cost to put on Fourth of July?

If you look at it, yeah.

Oh no, page phone.

So I think page 15 it shows what we spent on that.

Um yeah, so with that with that budget of the amount that we're used to celebrate fourth of July.

Are we spending enough to market it?

That I get that's my my biggest thing.

Are we putting enough money in marketing these events?

Or do y'all need more money based on and I'm and it's not personal, what I'm trying to say?

Is it any place that they say, well, based on this amount, you should put this much in marketing?

So no, but I think it's how far how far we want to go.

So when we sit down with Spire, we're talking about the things we want to add on.

So, like, uh, was it last year or year before we added the billboard?

But we do the billboard, I'm gonna give you bow revage.

When you drive, once you hit Mississippi, every billboard you pass is bull revage almost marketing.

So you gonna see it halfway to the 10 till you pass it, but actually, after you pass it as well, that's money.

So we have to determine how much we actually and so our budget stays the same.

So we we end up mixing it a little bit, like let's try we did this.

This is how many people came.

Let's try to add a couple of more billboards, do more boosting.

Do we want to do less physical flyers and you know postcards?

So it's a mix depending on how much we have.

So it's not like we're gonna say, hey, we want to add 10 billboards down each end of the 10 going into a different community and into a different city that we haven't been into, or going further up 65.

Um, we may do two billboards, and to us that's a that's a big thing, and so it's always with your budget.

So aspire say, how much do you have?

And we can do a whole lot of things, but if this is all you got, this is what we advise you do with it, so you can get a little mix of everything.

So it's a whole planning that we go back and forth with what's the dollar amount, what is there a new community or new area we're trying to reach into?

And so, do we want to move some money over here to do that?

But it's we have not requested additional money because we have been at a level set budget every year.

Gotcha.

And and I guess you know, when we the first thing is this list of ways that the council can't support, and for me, I'm looking at the budget, and I'm like, I think that that's something that you all need to be able to market these amazing events, you know.

Like I said, I had a great time that night, but how many other people, if we had a little more marketing dollars, would have been able to know about it, and so it's just finding ways that the council can support.

That's that's it.

Thank you, madam chair.

Thank you, yes.

Yes, Mr.

Reynolds.

I think there are we we discussed earlier on in this meeting about these uh advertising partnerships that's the biggest opportunity, I think, for funding in my mind, rather than increasing our budget, maybe clearing the way to allow for them to really promote the event to people who are willing to sponsor.

And I mean kites over mobile, I think we can probably find a title sponsor.

But I I don't know that I'm not in that world.

Um even if I mean if we make one dollar off of it, we're doing better than what we were doing without it, you know, and then you sort of create the desire for it.

So I think if there's an expansion in the budget, then um it should probably come from advertising.

I want to follow up with both of those um comments and starting back with uh Mr.

Penn.

Mr.

Penn, I think what he's asking, like if there's a threshold, right?

So for example, if you compare the fourth of July celebration, where the total cost was 79,000, and then we had an estimated attendance of 9,000, that's like eight dollars per person, right?

For that event, but then when you compare it to Gulf Coast Grooves, you had um 1100 with a total budget of 56,000, which was like 50 per person.

So I I think what we're asking, like, you know, when you think about these events, you know, are we getting our the the return or the impact that we want for the dollar amount again back to the stewardship of the resources?

And I think that you know, if we have sponsorship, it could help offset those events.

There was a great event.

I attended the event also, but again, when we're looking at the cost, is that what we really want to, you know, spend on an event per person.

I agree.

That's we should be looking at it.

And the answer to the question is likely yes in some instances and no in others, and as long as it's continually being evaluated, which I believe they are in some respects, evaluating I see in here some of them's you know, low attendance event cancel, something like that.

So as long as there's the constant evaluation on it, but these events and that you put on there's some level of risk associated with it, I would imagine.

Not that we need to just be taking a crazy approach to it and putting it all on the line on every event that comes down the pipe, as long as it's continually evaluated, and when when it's time to cut bait, we cut bait, you know, we move on.

Let's try something else.

Um Mr.

President, you know, think of that behind you and Councilman Reynolds, you know.

I do agree that some of the stuff, I mean, reaching out for sponsorship, that's great.

But don't forget, as a city, you know, our responsibility is to give service, you know.

So everything we can't charge for or make money off of it, you know, a lot of stuff, like even the museums.

I mean, it's a service, you know.

Fourth of July, that's a service.

So don't forget that, you know.

I do want to add, so you you talk about evaluation, and we do that.

So roll mobile, it first started, it was packed.

I mean, everybody was down there, all the people that were standing around, all the people were skating.

As time went on, it got to a point that there was nobody standing around, and there was very few people skating.

And so when you think about the money we were paying for the stage and the staffing that we were setting up barricades and all of the investment of time that it was taken, it started to outweigh.

And I was like, okay, Rome Mobile has fell off at this point.

And so we we started to cut back from you know every month to you know every quarter, and now we at like I think once a year now, so that we can try to get that because people still ask about it.

And so we started off with the Cooper Riverside at the park, and we were doing every Saturday, and then we start.

If you notice we started to cut back because if people are not showing up, it's not worth the time and investment that we're having to do to get a stage and the artists and the marketing.

And so it's trying to stay up with what should we be replacing it with once folks are sick of this thing, how do we replace it and what are we looking to replace it with?

I think that kind of almost begs the question a little bit about what do we do?

What kind of events do we do?

Do we look at doing lots of small events, or do we cut back and say, let's do four to five signature events a year and be done with it?

You know, because I'm just thinking after a while, when you have lots of little events, and you may not be getting that many people if we said we're gonna do this many events, four signature events every year, big events, and we're gonna spend all of our time marketing, advertising, getting ready, planning, whatever it takes to do these events.

Which I mean, when we only have so much money and people, I mean I'm just thinking, what do we do?

Do we continue doing what we're doing?

Do we look at maybe changing that a little bit, you know?

And I I mean, first of all, that could I'm sorry, good president.

I don't believe that Sean and now call this meeting and say, hey, we need to be able to do that.

Oh, no, I know.

Yeah, I'm sorry, we have worked off course.

Even the small events, how many times have I heard people say it's nothing to do with mobile?

But they're gonna say that anyway.

So if you have it out there and say, hey, it's something every week.

They can't say anything.

You think about New Orleans every week, New Orleans got some type of jazz vessel.

Yeah, we you know, but they're all really store because I mean a lot of citizens, they don't know all this is going on every week.

But every little event that helps something that you don't like, I like some things I like, you don't like, you know.

So Mr.

Fleming.

Yeah, so I would be under the assumption, some of the smaller events like the market in the park and things like that, Cathedral Square, those are probably not big expenditures for the events department, correct?

Yeah.

So when you look at it from the first of May to the first of June, I mean, they have been a relatively low cost for the city, but they've they've driven over 5,000 people downtown.

Yeah, low cost, but when you think about staff timing the setup, but they also that one there, I would tell you is one that is a quality of life because vouch the um folks who are low income are able to use vouchers to come.

So you have a large population to come down looking for to buy uh fruits and vegetables and everything during that time.

Sure, but then you look at a big event like the kites.

I mean, I assume the city has to rent that space for it.

So, yeah, there was 8,000 people there, but we're probably not capturing a lot of money on parking and other businesses benefiting from that.

Yeah, so I mean, I think to prove your point, some of the little events over a month's time, you had 5500 or 6,000 people coming down here that may have created another little economic ripple effect.

Yeah, and I would even tell you what you're talking about, um, China.

That we probably had double that.

It was a point we were almost doing something.

I was like, wait a minute, we're like it got to a burnout.

And I said, What can we start to focus on?

And that's why I said we do the pop-ups to try to do different stuff.

I joke all the time because I probably bombard uh Janaya all throughout the night because I do I call it the doom scroll on Facebook, and so I'm following every city's events, all the things that they're doing, and I'm forwarding.

Can we do this?

Look into this and see what we do.

And what I appreciate is our colleagues, you'll call them and say, Hey, what did you do?

And they will send us their whole packet of information, and we do a whole lot of like copying and revamping what other folks are doing to try to keep some kind of mix going that we're seeing in other places to bring a different mix here.

We also get recommendations, and so we get a lot of folks who come up with ideas as well that they share it with us.

The only reason it comes to mind is you know, having worked in private world for a corporation, and we got hit up all the time to contribute to all these different events, and we had that same conversation.

Do we give little bits to everybody that comes along, or do we pick out signature events where we can really put a lot of money into it and have a really big draw and do a lot?

And I think everybody kind of wrestles with that with that same question.

What do we do to really make more of an impact?

So I would tell you, so he uh CJ brought up New Orleans.

New Orleans do not host an event.

So many people come into the city to do events, the city does not even have the capability to do events, so they may support some, but so many are done by others.

One of the things that pushed, I came back wanting to do more sponsorship is I did Leadership Alabama, and I went to all of these places, and I'm like looking at all of these sponsorship names, these company names, and I said, as much stuff as we're doing in the high caliber items, I am surprised that no one is sponsoring what we do here in the city.

So when you talk about the kite festival and the fourth of July and those different things, but as I talk to these folks, they were like, Oh, this company came to us and said we want to sponsor this event.

If we back off and said we're not doing it, if anybody's interested, then y'all are gonna have to step up, step up, either they would do it or we just wouldn't have them because it's really hard to get businesses to step up to the plate to sponsor things.

I mean, it really is in the bigger cities, it's it's much easier like Birmingham, so many headquarters, you know, they do it in New Orleans, everybody wants to be in New Orleans, so you know, they will they will sponsor that.

But here it just is it's harder, it's harder to do.

But I guess if you said city can't do this, if y'all want all these events, then private business individuals, y'all are gonna have to step up and be a part of this.

Now we'll support and we'll be out there helping you, but y'all are gonna have to be the ones that are you know paying the price more so than because if people aren't interested, like any charitable groups, if nobody is interested in contributing, then why are we?

You know, why are we trying to do it?

But I'm not saying we're not going to.

I'm just we're just we're just chatting.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

I I do want to just um summarize what I heard you say, heard you say, and and also the other council members.

be the ones that are you know paying the price more so than because if people aren't interested like any charitable groups if nobody is interested in contributing then why are we you know why are we trying to do it but I'm not saying we're not going to I'm just we're just we're just checking thank you any other questions I I do want to just um summarize what I heard you say heard you say and and also the other council members you know we want the services we know that our goal was to look at the stewardship of resources long-term strategy and also you know how is this enhancing quality of life what what I walk away with um and I want to confirm is that we do agree that sponsorship we need to find an avenue for the sponsorship I think okay so we have an agreement on that in addition to that um we want to make sure that and I think there's an avenue for the collaboration and partnership if we give you enough notice eight weeks ahead so that we can partner to do uh events and continue with our services uh from a council perspective yes okay any other questions all right I want to thank you uh both of you for uh the preparation and the information and also um the council for your time again this meeting is adjourned this is the only thing I want to