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Kurt

Admin
Staff member
Oct 15, 2004
2,233
4,925
SoWal
mooncreek.com
There is a small amphitheater in a planned community near us that has a Spring/Summer concert series. This past season had Kansas, Huey Lewis, Kenny Rogers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's, and some others. We have been to see Foreigner, Styxx, & Three Dog Night. The concerts are all sold out and the expensive tables are mostly purchased by corporate sponsors. Everyone in this community pretty much rides their golf cart to the concert. (Yes you can get a GCUI). The series prices are copied from the web site:

Ticket Prices

Individual
Ind. Reserved $55.00
Ind. Lawn $32.00

Series Tickets (all 6 concerts)
Ind. Reserved $199.00 per person
Ind. Lawn $145.00 per person
Ind. Gold Seats (Fri) 239.00 per person
Gold Tables (Sat) $2500.00 per table
Picnic Tables (Fri & Sat) $1439.00 per table


Thanks! But I have never heard of any of those groups. :lol:

Does the planned community have the word "Golden" in the title anywhere? :rotfl:
 

ameliaj

Beach Fanatic
Jun 19, 2007
1,258
59
SoSpal (figure it out)/Seacrest
:lol:
Thanks! But I have never heard of any of those groups.



Does the planned community have the word "Golden" in the title anywhere? :rotfl:

What a comedian!!:funn:
That's OK Kurt. I will just have to continue reliving my youth thru aging rockers.

The community in question has the name Peachtree in it but my husband refers to it as Babitt Land and/or Stepfordville.
 
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BeachSiO2

Beach Fanatic
Jun 16, 2006
3,294
737
:lol:

What a comedian!!:funn:
That's OK Kurt. I will just have to continue reliving my youth thru aging rockers.

The community in question has the name Peachtree in it but my husband refers to it as Babitt Land and/or Stepfordville.

:wave: I think I know that community.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Watchman, if you had half a clue, you would know that I actually had a ticket to both week's shows, but I much prefer to watch with friends.
 

Beach Bimmer

Beach Fanatic
May 2, 2006
738
220
South Walton
From Walton Sun 5/30/08 edition:

What if we threw a jazz concert and no one came?

South Walton promoters have rarely had any trouble getting folks to show up to hear music ? of any kind. Throw in a big name headliner and you?re guaranteed sure-fire success, right? We can charge big bucks and the music-loving public (which is everyone) will feel honored to pay it, right?

The Merchants at Seaside found out over the last two weekends that is not always the case. Locals have been debating what went wrong and what might have helped and what should have happened, scratching their mostly bald heads in bewilderment.

We?re talking jazz here.

A very successful jazz fest was just held in South Walton in April and money was made, with a packed house. So, why not this jazz festival, which had an icon of a headliner?

Many offer up the costly tickets, the lax advertising, and the ominous tents used to close off the Seaside Amphitheatre. All of those probably had a lot to do with the lack of attendance the first weekend of the festival. $100 is a lot to pay to see talent that is not a big name, especially in this economy.

Then, by the time the second weekend of the event rolled around, strategically planned for Memorial Day weekend with the big name headliner, I?m sure the planners were thinking, big crowds coming to the beach, it?s a sure thing, we will draw them in.

This is where those in charge had obviously gone to sleep at the wheel. Did they ever stop to think about WHO would be coming to the beach for the long Memorial Day weekend? Obviously not.

Kids come to the beach for Memorial Day weekend, families with children, and young adults, for family-type events of cooking out and shooting the bull with the family they have not had quality time with in a while. They come to spend the day on the beach soaking up rays. When they come in from the beach, it?s only to get cleaned up to go out to the bars and party. That?s why they came.

On Memorial Day weekend, $100-$150 tickets for music is not going to be a main draw. It?s family time. They did not come here to spend a rare and valuable long weekend sitting in a lawn chair in the humidity and heat of a closed in breezeless outdoor amphitheater listening to music that is not on their radar. If it had been free, maybe. For $150 ? it?s not going to happen.

Seabreeze Jazz Fest is successful, because someone took the time to think about the audience they were trying to draw and consider the best time of year to attract those people. Congratulations to Seabreeze Jazz promoters for a job well done.

To Seaside, live and learn.

Deborah Wheeler is a staff writer at The Walton Sun. She may be reached at (850) 267-4555 or e-mail debbie_ wheeler@link.freedom.com. Personally Yours appears monthly in The Sun.
 

#1Volunteer

Beach Comber
May 19, 2008
17
4
Santa Rosa Beach
Wheeler

Come on now....An article comparing the Seabreeze Jazz event with the Seaside Jazz event. That's is totally unfair and misleading the readers. Comparing a 10 yr established event to a NEW event!

Let's see, Seabreeze radio has;
* Major Budget
* Promo Advertising
* Jazz Contacts (Smooth Jazz that is)
* Established Sponsors
* Open Venue w/o rules
* Full Ownership of Event
* 10 years Old!

So many reasons her article is just wrong! I understand you must tell the truth and be informative, but she could have done it w/o comparing it to a estblished event.

Prior to the event (and in hindsight), I don't think anyone with the event thought they we're going to pull off the best event ever. They just did what they could within the timeframe, budget, contacts, etc....they could. I'm sure they will sit back and compare pros & the cons.

Oh well, most of Ms. Wheelers articles cover more important community events like who's birthday it is, how was Ms. Smith's house party, who's on vacation, who's kid graduated, etc...NOT! :rotfl:

PS love the community fourm.
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
She compared a 30-A jazz fest w/ another 30-A jazz fest. Apples n apples IMO!

Thought she did a pretty good job of summing up everything we discussed in this thread in the editorial. ;-)
 

slcrunner

Beach Comber
May 27, 2008
25
4
I believe that Ms. Wheeler accurately articulated points that many of the posters on this board have stated. I do agree that comparing the Seaside event to an established one like the Seabreeze festival is a challenge; however, the comment above that I truly have a hard time digesting is the one from #1Volunteer in that "Prior to the event (and in hindsight), I don't think anyone with the event thought they we're going to pull off the best event ever."

Some of the points made by #1 do not make sense. #1 states that the Seaside event did not have a large budget like the Seabreeze fest. I would argue that to book high caliber artists such as The Neville Brothers & Nestor Torres, a substantial budget is needed. Also, to tie into the above statement, one would need established Jazz contacts to book said artists, especially if there was not a large budget. Finally, I do not understand the "full ownership" point. I would think that since the merchants were the ones producing the event, they have complete control over it (just as they do for the other events they produce annually)...am I wrong?

I know many individuals in the event marketing industry and they will all tell you that if they cannot pull off an event that they would consider absolutely fantastic, they wouldn't even waste their time trying. I do not think that going into this inaugural year the individuals organizing the Seaside event were just trying throw something together.

Plus, I do not think the comments about the other items Ms. Wheeler reports on have anything to do with her ability to properly write articles on community events that impact this market. I have a good friend who writes for a major periodical and he covers a political beat, but also write wedding announcements (should he then not be taken seriously as a journalist?).
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
good points, slcrunner. I would like to add that Seaside also has a radio station which, in addition to having a local audience, can be heard anywhere in the world via internet. Talk about promotion -- In addition to the radio station, Seaside has its own newspaper and many stores and many rental units in which advertising could take place. Seabreeze has only a radio station.

I also question #1's statement about Seabreeze Jazz Fest being open. Last time I checked, tickets were around $100 each.

Sure, Seabreeze Jazz Fest has several years under their belt. I can guarantee you that didn't start out as a flop, while having what should have been a huge draw, The Neville Brothers.

Seaside has a captured audience, especially on a major holiday weekend. Gulf Place rarely fills the rooms.

I think the article was right on, comparing the two events. I guarantee you that tonight's showing of "Sleeping Beauty" will draw a larger crowd than the last four days, combined, of the Seaside Jazz Festival.
 

GoodWitch58

Beach Fanatic
Oct 10, 2005
4,816
1,921
I wonder what the real story is behind this? Surely, the people who put it together didn't expect so few people to show up. If so, they would not have had all that parking and shuttle buses.

Then, the question becomes why did they not do some of the obvious things to make it more successful...many of which have been mentioned on this Board--all by people who (for the most part) are not event planners, but are just using common sense.

Vol #1, I think your nasty comment re: Debbie was totally uncalled for...:dunno:

All of us want to see events in Sowal be a huge success--but, when one isn't, then it seems prudent to look for where improvements can be made; and to do that, one has to first take a long hard look at what happened.
 
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