Campaign by Hunter Harris, Alexa Kavanaugh, Chrissy Hughes and Sarah Beth Cantrell

Table of ContentsMeet the Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Situation Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Core Problem and Opportunity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Client Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Competitor Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

SWOT Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Primary Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Secondary Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Action Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Overarching Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Overview of All Potential Publics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Big Idea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Objectives, Strategies and Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Key Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Evaluation Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Appendix A–D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

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Meet the Team

Alexa, a craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things Knoxville, has worked in public relations for over three years. She once longed to be Snow White, until she realized how creepy it would be to live with 7 little men. Since then, she has settled for princess of PR, and uses her magic to charm clients in every pitch her wand touches.

Alexa Kavanaugh

Hunter HarrisHunter is wicked good at making people laugh... at her. She pursued her career in public relations after realizing she was bewitched with a talent of forming long-lasting relationships with clients. Hunter has called Knoxville home for more than 4 years and plans to continue enchanting people with her creative potion.

Chrissy HughesChrissy has been playing “dress-up” for 22 years and has finally grown into the shoes she was trying to fill. She was bewitched by a love for public relations during college and cannot wait to work her magic in the real world… however scary it may be.

Sarah Beth CantrellSarah Beth excels in seeing beyond a mask what makes people who they truly are. Public relations was a supernatural fit and she spends her days dressing up brands to stupify competitors. She herself is mostly treats with a few tricks up her sleeve, too. The village of Nashville in the wicked west sent her to Knoxville where she’s been chasing wolves for 7 years.

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Executive SummaryVisit Knoxville prides itself on its mission to improve and develop the Knoxville community. It is Visit Knoxville’s priority and privilege to promote the city of Knoxville as a destination for visitors and groups by emphasizing the beauty and culture the East Tennessee region holds. This organization is responsible for hosting a variety of professional, cultural and seasonal events and conferences to generate tourism dollars and benefit the local economy.

In recent years, events held in Knoxville have failed to incentivize visitors to stay overnight. The cancellation of Boomsday presents Visit Knoxville with an opportunity to host a new, unique fall festival that introduces visitors to various local foods, brews and bands through a weekend-long event. Hosting events that incentivize visitors to stay while enjoying what the city of Knoxville has to offer will not only generate funds for the local community, but also create a lasting impression for visitors to consider Knoxville a recurring travel destination.

Knoxtober Fest is an event designed to unite beer-lovers, foodies and Halloween enthusiasts. The weekend includes events such as “Crawlin’ Through Knoxtober Fest,” a Halloween-themed celebration held throughout Knoxville’s Old City, “Knoxtober Brewer’s Fest,” allowing breweries, barbecue vendors and bands to represent East Tennessee culture and “Knoxtober Fest Boos Cruise,” a brunch cruise on the iconic Tennessee Riverboat and Princess Cruise Yacht. Knoxtober Fest has been planned for October 7-9, 2016 to avoid interfering with The University of Tennessee’s football schedule. This is also the university’s Fall Break, incentivizing students to stay in town and visitors to attend Knoxtober Fest for an unforgettable weekend of fun.

The primary and secondary research included in this report focus on what Knoxvillians are most interested in when choosing to attend an event, what Knoxville’s competition cities are doing throughout the year and how their events are successful. This campaign also includes action plans, key messages and evaluation techniques to outline and measure the success and prosperity of the festival.

We acknowledge that festivals of this caliber take years to prepare and will likely require more planning. For the sake of this campaign, we have used 2016 school and city schedules. The event has been designed in such a way that allows for each aspect to be scalable. We anticipate that the festival will grow and evolve each year and have offered suggestions for ways in which to adapt to a variety of markets.

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Situation AnalysisAlthough Knoxville is within a 200-mile radius of its competition cities (cities in the southeastern United States that are similar in size, culture and demographic makeup such as Chattanooga, Nashville and Asheville), the city has difficulty providing an incentive for visitors to stay in hotels overnight. A new, unique and locally-focused festival has the potential to draw people to Knoxville by hosting events throughout the weekend that feature local food, beer and bands. Knoxtober Fest, held in October, has the opportunity to bring visitors from competition cities to stay in hotels, but the event will also give visitors a reason to fall in love with Knoxville and return for future vacations.

Knoxville visitors have the tendency to either forego staying overnight or take advantage of other housing options, such as staying with friends or using AirBnB. Due to the Knoxville population’s investment in the UT Football Program, visitors may be more inclined to go to the football game rather than a festival. Conflict with the football schedule and other existing events held in Knoxville leads to potential problems with overcrowding. Knoxtober Fest will take place over students’ Fall Break and a football off-weekend, Oct. 7-9, 2016. The festival will showcase East Tennessee’s culture, positioning Knoxville as a Fall Break destination.

Core Problem and OpportunityKnoxville’s hotel and tourism industry is experiencing a deficit caused by visitors coming to Knoxville with no incentive to utilize hotels for an overnight stay. This poses an issue in generating revenue for the local travel and tourism industry. A multi-day festival would create an opportunity to get “heads in the beds” for Knoxville hotels. Knoxtober Fest introduces visitors to various local foods, beers and bands through a weekend-long event.

Knoxtober Fest provides a variety of opportunities that would benefit the Knoxville economy, reputation and culture. While the intention of the festival is to increase hotel and tourism revenue, hosting a multi-day event allows the city of Knoxville to make an impression on visitors, which may bring them back for future endeavors. This event will highlight qualities of Knoxville that cannot be found elsewhere.

The festival is inspired by both a traditional "OktoberFest" as well as Halloween festivals throughout the nation. We have created an event that will combine the most popular elements of each festival in a way that reflects an experience that only Knoxville can offer. Knoxtober Fest will include local breweries, eateries and talent that celebrate East Tennessee culture and cuisine.

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Client OverviewThe mission of Visit Knoxville is to accelerate sustainable economic growth and development by increasing visitor and convention business within our community. The organization is responsible for placing advertisements to promote Knoxville regionally, nationally and internationally, as well as hosting a variety of professional, cultural and seasonal events and conferences. Visit Knoxville is the power behind generating tourism dollars that benefit the local community and supports initiatives that celebrate local art, entertainment and community history. Visit Knoxville has recently been named Tennessee’s 2015 Destination Marketing Organization of the Year, creating a lasting impression for visitors to return to Knoxville for future vacations.

Competitor OverviewKnoxville’s primary competitors are Nashville, Chattanooga, Asheville and Greenville, which are all within a 200-mile radius of Knoxville. Competition cities are identified as having a similar size, demographic makeup and share a similar culture. Competition festivals would be those hosted in one of the cited cities that feature local food, music, art and/or culture. Each of these areas host various festivals and celebrations throughout the year, but some of the most popular ones include Bele Chere in Asheville, Edgehill Rocks in Nashville, The Chattanooga Market in Chattanooga and Fall For Greenville - A Taste of Our Town in Greenville.

The places we want to primarily focus on as target markets are Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Memphis. When comparing Knoxville to these cities, Charleston is the most similar demographically. While the household income in Charleston is approximately $14,000 more than Knoxville’s, Charleston’s median age of 33 years old, population size of 137,447 and race ratio are most similar to Knoxville demographics.

For more information about these cities, the events they host and their demographic information, see results from the secondary research report on pages 10-14.

Research

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SWOT AnalysisStrengths

• Knoxville’s geographic location and history (a day’s drive away from competition cities)

• Region appeals to a diverse group of people through its many available activities, such as hiking, boating, etc.

• All-inclusive downtown area• Several venues capable of accommodating large numbers• Knoxville’s location near the Great Smoky Mountains

Weaknesses• Constant construction throughout the city, particularly streets that experience high

volumes of traffic• Lack of experience hosting a Halloween Festival

• Knoxville may appear to be exclusively tied to UT and lacks a reputation of its own to out-of-towners

Opportunities• Lack of Halloween festivals in similarly-sized cities

• Cancellation of Boomsday, leaving Knoxville without a fall festival• Numerous musicians who call East Tennessee home

• Rapidly growing local businesses, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and neighborhoods• Growth in other Tennessee cities such as Nashville have created a positive image of

Tennessee to visitors

Threats• Competition cities in close proximity

• Halloween Festival 3 hours away in Atlanta• Weather conditions - there is a constant threat of rain or even a cold front, both of which

would deter visitors• UT and Knox County School schedules

• Event liabilities - ex. Costume restrictions

IntroductionOur public relations campaigns class conducted a survey resulting in data from 370 respondents. Of the respondents, 72 percent of the information collected came from Tennesseans, and nearly half of those responses were strictly from Knoxville. Almost 28 percent of people surveyed live outside Tennessee.

The data were collected over a period of two weeks by each member of the class via mass-distribution on the internet through email and Facebook. The survey consisted of 13 questions. The questions focused on gathering demographic information as well as addressing qualitative inquiries, specifically targeting festival preferences.

The following information describes our findings from the survey data collected.

Quantitative DataResults and Implications• How often do you attend festivals or events within a year? A total of 60.9 percent of respondents attend festivals 2 to 5 times per year. Implications: Because most respondents within the sample are willing to attend festivals multiple times per year, it confirms that a fall festival is a viable strategy to increase overnight visits in Knoxville.• How likely are you to plan on overnight visit to attend a festival or event? People are 30.5 percent likely to stay overnight when they attend a festival or event. This is higher than the number of respondents who were not likely to stay.

Implications: Because more respondents are likely to stay overnight than are unwilling, a multiple-day festival has the potential to be a worthwhile investment for Visit Knoxville to increase tourism over multiple days.

• How likely are you to attend a ticketed event in comparison to a free event? A total of 42.6 percent of respondents are likely to attend a ticketed event, and 30.8 percent of respondents were neutral about a ticketed event. Implications: If an event is unique and prominent enough, people are willing to pay for the event. More than 70 percent are unopposed to ticketed events.

• How important is “family friendly” to you in attending an event? A total of 22.3 percent of respondents said “family friendly” was not at all important to them, 24.4 percent said they were neutral about these particular events, and 20.1 percent said it is moderately important.Implications: Respondents are equally divided about the importance they place on family friendliness regarding the event. This suggests that it would be difficult to host an event that caters to everyone’s preferences. In time and as the event grows, others can be included, but initially, it is advisable to focus on a single market.

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Primary Research

Recommendations Based on Quantitative DataBased on the statistics provided, the festival will be successful even if it costs money to attend and/or requires attendees to stay overnight. Respondents were equally divided about the importance of family friendliness at festivals. After analyzing the data, we would recommend the following.

Because it is nearly impossible to accommodate everyone’s specific preferences, the event should be focused on a single target market. This creates a more tailored event that can successfully cater to the needs of a particular desired audience.

The ticket price of the festival should be determined by what is necessary to charge. While over 70 percent of people are willing to attend a ticketed event, the event in question would have to be worth the money it would cost to attend. We recommend giving attendees the option to purchase tickets for each event or the festival as a whole for a discounted price. While making a profit is ideal, it is not imperative and the overarching goal is to put “heads in the beds” at local Knoxville hotels. This objective will be met through creating an event that Knoxville community members can enjoy.

See Table 1 in Appendix D for a visual of the mean, median and mode for data that focus on festival specifications and preferences.

Qualitative DataResults and Implications• What kind of festivals/events are most appealing to you?

Implications: Some of the most popular answers were music, food, art, beer, wine, and culture. With music being the highest respondent priority followed by food, art and drinks, Knoxville would benefit by having a festival focused on live music and refreshments tailored to the tastes of East Tennessee.

• Please list a festival/event that you think would be a good fit for Knoxville in particular.

Implications: Similarly to the previous question, the most popular answers suggested were music, food, art, beer, country, and bluegrass. Country and bluegrass music hold a strong history in the Knoxville region, so having a live country or bluegrass band would appeal strongly to tourists traveling to Knoxville for a unique festival, while also showcasing the cultural aspects of East Tennessee.

See Table 2 in Appendix D for a visual representation of the frequency of the most popular suggestions from our respondents.

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Cross-Tabulations We used SPSS to run cross-tabulations among:• Age and likelihood to attend an overnight event• Likelihood of each gender to attend a ticketed event• Importance of family-friendly events to each gender• Level of education and age in relation to importance of family-friendly events

Results and ImplicationsThe cross-tabulations show that:• Respondents of all age groups are likely to attend an overnight event

Implications: Hosting a fall festival in Knoxville, regardless of its theme, will appeal to a wide variety of individuals. The majority of our respondents were younger and attend multiple festivals per year, even though they only bring in $35,000 or less per year. They are willing to spend their money to go to festivals if there is an interest in what the event has to offer.

• Females are more likely than men to plan for an overnight eventImplications: Based on the data, women are more likely to plan for an overnight event, so marketing to females would result in a more successful campaign.

• Females are slightly more likely than men to attend a ticketed event compared to a free one

• More highly educated respondents, those ages 35+, are more likely to attend family-friendly events

Implications: We can reasonably infer that a non-family-friendly event will primarily appeal to young adults.

Total Implications & Recommendations It is reasonable to expect that visitors would be willing to purchase a ticket and stay overnight for a fall festival. Respondents were most interested in festivals that feature music, food and beer. Furthermore, the data revealed that a successful target public would be those with income below $50,000 per year. Our target public should be relatively well-educated, as the majority of the sample had a 4-year degree or higher and was between the ages of 18-35.

These results imply that the festival best fit for Visit Knoxville is one that targets a younger age group while focusing primarily on breweries, food and music that are local to our community.

Conclusion of Primary ResearchBased on the data from the survey results, a festival would be beneficial for Visit Knoxville to achieve its objective - to increase the number of overnight visits in Knoxville. The results of this data largely represent caucasian women under the age of 35. Because the results are skewed toward one segment of the population, it is necessary to conduct secondary research to learn more about alternative opinions, such as what events competition cities are hosting and how they are successful. The research shows that music, art, food and beer/wine festivals are the most popular. In addition to what is listed in the qualitative section, people are particularly fond of festivals that celebrate diverse cultures and events that are representative of southern traditions. Our recommendations include creating a festival that can provide for the needs of both tourists traveling through Knoxville and the Knoxville community.

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IntroductionThe purpose of this secondary research is to gain a better understanding of what Knoxville’s competition cities and target markets are like, what makes the events they host successful, and what festivals are already happening in Knoxville in October. The research was conducted by looking at other cities’ websites as well as census data.

We examined the target markets we have identified and their demographics, under the presumption that this information will provide insight related to who our target publics truly are and what may interest them. Our group is focusing on marketing our festival to audiences in Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Memphis.

The second area of research explores details about what the competition cities are doing and what allows them to succeed. We identified competition cities based on size, demographics, and region of the United States. They are Asheville, Greenville, Chattanooga and Nashville. Third, we researched other Halloween festivals around the country, their activities, their focus, and what draws people to such festivals. Finally, we will discuss what events Knoxville already hosts during October (our month of choice for hosting the festival), so that we can complement festivals that already exist and provide a mutually beneficial opportunity for their success and growth.

When considering the implications of this research in conjunction with the primary, quantitative research previously conducted, it is important to acknowledge that the sample from the data collected was younger and consisted of mostly white females and Knoxvillians.

Secondary Research

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Knoxville• Population: 184,281• White: 76.1%• Black: 17.1%• Asian: 1.6%• Median household income: $35,354• Median age: 32.9

Charlotte• Population: 809,958• White: 50%• Black: 35%• Asian: 5%• Hispanic or Latino: 13.1%• Median household income: $52,375• Median age: 33.3

Memphis• Population: 656,861• White: 29.4%• Black: 63.3%• Asian: 1.6%• Spanish or Latino: 6.5%• Median household income: $36,912• Estimated per capita income: $22,393• Median age: 33

Atlanta• Population: 420,003• White: 38%• Black: 54%• Asian: 3%• Other 4%• Median household income: $46,631• Median age: 32.9

Cincinnati• Population: 298,165• White: 49.3%• Black: 44.8%• Asian: 1.8%• Spanish or Latino: 2.8%• Median household income: $34,116• Estimated per capita income: $25,046• Median age: 32.5

Charleston• Population (US Census 2016 estimate):

137,447• White: 68.6%• Black: 25.6%• Median household income: $49,448• Per capita income: $30, 763• Median age: 33.2

Findings and AnalysisKnoxville’s Target Markets Based on DemographicsThis section of the report summarizes the demographic data from Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati and Memphis in comparison to Knoxville. These cities show similarities in the median age; most residents in these areas are around the age of 33. While Charlotte, Charleston and Cincinnati are predominantly white, Atlanta and Memphis have a majority African American population. Charlotte holds the highest Hispanic population, followed by Memphis. Cincinnati and Memphis have the closest median household income to Knoxville, while Charleston, Atlanta, and Charlotte hold significantly higher numbers. The population size for each city is larger than Knoxville, with the exception of Charleston, whose population contains about 47,000 fewer people.

The following information lists demographic information for each of the cities analyzed. For a more concise and visual data table of the information, see Table 4 in Appendix D.

Successful Festivals Hosted by Knoxville’s Competition Cities Knoxville’s primary competition cities consist of Asheville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Greenville. After analyzing each of these cities’ top festivals from their cities’ websites, the most popular festivals embrace local music, beer, art and culture.

According to ExploreAsheville.com’s Top Five Festivals in Asheville, the most popular festival held is Bele Chere. It was consistently named the largest street party in the southeast region for more than 30 years and featured local art, beer and bands. However, the City of Asheville no longer organizes the event, giving Knoxville the opportunity to host something similar to Bele Chere and potentially bring Ashevillians to our festival.

Similar to Bele Chere, NashvilleGuru.com highlights Nashville’s festival Edgehill Rocks as a top 10 spring event featuring outdoor music, art and food. The vendors, art and bands are all local to Nashville. ChattanoogaFun.com lists Chattanooga’s most popular fall events, one of them being The Chattanooga Market. This festival features an open-air venue and, like the other festivals analyzed, also features local music, art and food truck eateries. BeerCarolina.com, an article about the biggest festivals in Greenville, states that one of the top festivals is Fall For Greenville - A Taste of Our Town. This festival satisfies attendees’ food cravings by having a variety of Greenville’s restaurants feature their popular dishes.

While each of Knoxville’s competition cities are hosting more festivals than those, our research focuses on the most popular festivals in each city and how relevant they are to our own fall festival for Knoxville. The information below lists the top festivals for each competition city. For a more extensive list of festivals in each of these cities, see Table 5 in the Appendix D.

AshevilleTop Festivals In Asheville

• Big Love/Big Crafty• Lexington Avenue Art and Fun Festival• Bele Chere

NashvilleTop Festivals In Nashville

• Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival and Shows

• Edgehill Rocks• Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil

ChattanoogaTop Festivals In Chattanooga

• OktoberFest• Banana Ball at the Chattanooga Zoo• The Chattanooga Market

GreenvilleTop Festivals In Greenville

• Wells Fargo Red, White and Blue 4th of July Celebration

• Euphoria• Fall For Greenville - A Taste of our Town

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Successful Halloween Festivals Around the NationUpon researching festivals across the U.S., most fall festivals focused on two seasonal staples: pumpkins and Halloween. Additionally, several themes are apparent in most festivals, usually regardless of the host city: • Local breweries• City history • Cultural aspect, portrayed by food, garments, traditions or art

The most highly-recommended Halloween festivals typically had a component that placed an emphasis on locally-crafted beers. U.S. adaptations of "OktoberFest" or other brew fests were often highlighted in articles and stories. Both Breckenridge, Colorado and Cincinnati, Ohio host successful "OktoberFest" celebrations that emphasize the original culture of Munich’s "OktoberFest." This connects the third theme found across festivals: arts and culture, including dancing and traditional lederhosen and other Bavarian garb.

Another common component was the history of the city. Battles or historically significant facts about the hosting city are emphasized as a significant part of the Halloween festival and are often used to tell scary stories and old wives’ tales.

Knoxville Events Happening In OctoberThe final essential area of research explores what is already happening in Knoxville and surrounding areas during October. In previous years, Knoxville has hosted three festivals - if including the Tennessee Fall Homecoming in Clinton. Boo at the Zoo and Knoxville Brewers’ Jam are the only large events in Knoxville proper during October. However, on Funtober.com, Knoxville accounted for only one out of 16 festivals listed for Tennessee in October. Meanwhile, Nashville, which we identified as a competition city, boasts five festivals, and Chattanooga hosts three.

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Implications and RecommendationsWhile Boomsday did not satisfy funding objectives set by the city of Knoxville, the festival was successful and renowned throughout the region. We recommend incorporating elements of Boomsday into future festivals to maintain differentiation in the market.

People seem to be most attracted to festivals that feature a product or service that cannot be purchased or experienced elsewhere but also has an attractive location/venue. Generally, the most successful festivals seem to be those that celebrate local traditions and/or reflect the local culture. Knoxville is positioned uniquely in that the city is comprised of different cultures, while also located in a lively and hospitable region.

Conclusion of Secondary ResearchThe research conducted and analyzed in this report gives us a more well-rounded understanding of both our competition cities and target markets. That information, coupled with a more informed idea of how a successful Halloween festival is structured and what events are featured, help our team develop real, actionable ideas about how to introduce a similar festival in Knoxville. We want to focus on incorporating the culture and heritage that make Knoxville truly unique. Finally, it was essential to know what is already happening in Knoxville during October so that we are effective and efficient with our time and resources, while supporting ongoing community projects. The findings and implicationsin this secondary report, as well as from primary research results, position Knoxville well to host a new, one-of-a-kind Halloween festival.

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To increase tourism in Knoxville and overnight stays to generate revenue through the hotel and tourism tax

This festival aims to position Knoxville as an attractive travel destination in the southeast, to sustain the health of our local economy and to establish rapport as an all-encompassing getaway for any traveler.

Overview of All Potential PublicsWhile the primary public for this festival is young adults (ages 21-34), the event would also be conducive for hosting a population that is of a slightly older demographic. The primary research data stated that nearly half of respondents felt neutral to strongly about the importance of family-friendliness at a festival. This would also include the publics who attended Boomsday in the past. We acknowledge that these potential publics are viable and influential, making them ideal secondary markets for this campaign. Other audiences that could potentially attend this festival are current Knoxville residents, travelers and craft beer enthusiasts.

Action Planning

Overarching Goal

Big IdeaKnoxville will host a fall-themed, multiple-day event which combines components of popular Halloween festivals with a traditional "OktoberFest," attracting both in-state and out-of-state young adults aged 21-34. Knoxtober Fest will showcase southern culture by hosting 20 local and various other Tennessee breweries, 6 musical performances from nationally-known artists and 10 different Knoxville-based barbecue eateries by hosting events such as a pub crawl, barbecue and beer samplings, and concerts.

The festival will be held in World’s Fair Park, allowing attendees to take advantage of the beautiful scenery East Tennessee has to offer. An estimated 100 volunteer workers will be needed. Volunteers will be able to attend the festival for free but will be required to work a minimum of 5 hours each day. Food, beverages and other accommodations will be provided for all event staff. A detailed schedule of the Knoxtober Fest events can be found in Appendix A, and more details about budgeting for worker compensation can be found in Appendix B.

Big Idea StrategyThe strategy is to motivate individuals to visit Knoxville by emphasizing the city’s scenery, easy

accessibility and wide range of activities that are unique to Knoxville.

Big Idea MessageFall in love with a different kind of OktoberFest. You’re only a day away from Rocky Top!

Tangible RepresentationPromotional advertisements such as posters, a logo, Snapchat filters, Instagram page, Facebook

page, billboard examples and radio advertisements

Optional Slogan“Boos, beats and everything in between!”

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Objectives, Strategies and TacticsObjective 1

To encourage a minimum of 10,000 visitors from our competition cities to attend Knoxtober Fest.

Strategy: Promote Knoxtober Fest through both digital and traditional mediums, advertised as a new, unique and close-to-home fall festival

Tactic 1: Design an Event Facebook PageKnoxtober Fest would benefit from an event Facebook page that promotes two-way

communication with its target publics. The page could include picture updates as the event comes together, as well as a countdown to the festival itself. An event page would also be useful for

leading traffic to the Knoxtober Fest webpage, where guests can purchase tickets and learn more about the festival.

Tactic 2: Create Radio Advertisements An example of a radio advertisement could include a message that refers to Knoxtober Fest as the “best thing since Boomsday,” creating nostalgia between for the past event, and curiosity toward

the current one.

Tactic 3: Display Billboards Around Competition CitiesDigital billboards should be designed and placed in competition cities one month before the

festival begins and include a countdown to Knoxtober Fest.

Tactic 4: Purchase Snapchat FiltersSnapchat filters are expensive but effective at reaching the target audience of young adults ages 21-34. These filters would be “live” around downtown Knoxville and could include animated visuals of

The Sunsphere, the Knoxtober Fest logo and a Halloween-themed geofilter.

Tactic 5: Implement Sidewalk Chalk Campaign at Universities outside of Knoxville (#Knoxtoberfest)

It has become a popular trend across large cities to promote people, events or ideas by writing the subject in chalk, using a hashtag. It would be effective to organize an effort across campuses located in our target market cities to have students write “#KnoxtoberFest” in chalk on campus

sidewalks.

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Objective 2 To increase the number of “heads in beds,” or overnight hotel stays, by 10% during

the weekend of Knoxtober Fest, Oct. 7-9, 2016.

Strategy: Host special events during Knoxtober Fest that incentivize visitors to stay overnight

Tactic 1: Host a pub-crawl, Crawlin’ Through Knoxtober FestThis is an event that appeals to Halloween enthusiasts and allows an opportunity for visitors to

experience Knoxville’s Old City, meet locals and participate in a costume contest.

Tactic 2: Host a beer, barbecue and live music event, Knoxtober Brewer’s FestThis is anticipated to be the highlight of the weekend for most guests. Saturday’s itinerary is

designed to appeal to the tastes of beer, barbecue and southern band lovers.

Tactic 3: Host a brunch cruise, Knoxtober Fest Boos CruiseThe Boos Cruise will be a relaxing end to a busy weekend in Knoxville. The view of the river and city’s skyline will be the backdrop of breakfast on Rocky Top. Attendees will have the chance to

ride on the historic Tennessee Riverboat and the iconic Princess Cruise Yacht.

Objective 3To increase event attendance through digital media by receiving a minimum

of 16,000 event website and Facebook visits, 100,000 impressions on the #KnoxtoberFest hashtag and 500 followers on Instagram.

Strategy: Launch a social media campaign that encompasses Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Tactic 1: Promote/Boost Facebook posts about Knoxtober Fest to our target marketFacebook has recently allowed businesses and events to promote their posts to a larger audience

by purchasing a spot on chosen target audiences Facebook Newsfeeds.

Tactic 2: Use Twitter advertisements to promote the #KnoxtoberFest presence Similarly to Facebook, Twitter has also recently allowed businesses to stand out by purchasing

advertisements which are shown across Twitter-users feeds.

Tactic 3: Create an Instagram campaign to motivate people to follow The Knoxtober Fest Instagram account would have the potential to gain more followers by

creating a scavenger hunt in which students from The University of Tennessee would be given clues in search of a voucher for a free wristband to the event. Students have to repost, tag their friends and encourage people to follow the Knoxtober Fest account in order to win the voucher.

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Key MessageBoos, Beats and Everything in Between:

A Halloween Celebration of Knoxville’s Greatest Tunes, Brews and Barbecue

MessagesMessage 1

Knoxville has more to offer than just a stellar education.

Supporting Message: Knoxville is home to a variety of unique restaurants, breweries and art venues that encompass the culture, nature and history of East Tennessee.

Supporting Message: “You’ll breathe fresh air in the great outdoors, there’s more to the food scene than southern cuisine, there are enough vintage items and antiques to have you shop ‘til you drop, the art scene provides great entertainment, and beer is your best bet,” Huffington Post says in its article, “5 Reasons To Skip Nashville And Go To Knoxville Instead.” The article webpage can be found in the Appendix under "Sources."

Message 2 There are a variety of local breweries in our community that are competitive and

worth celebrating.

Supporting Message: Knoxville allows people to enjoy a couple of craft brews at more than 10 breweries such as Balter Beerworks and Crafty Bastard Brewery, as well as cool cocktails in unique joints including The Peter Kern Library Speakeasy and Sapphire.

Supporting Message: Knoxville-based Fanatic Brewing Company received two awards including Best-In-Show at the Tennessee Championship of Beers in April 2015, according to WATE. This is only one of the many accolades Knoxville breweries have won. The article webpage can be found in the Appendix under "Sources."

Message 3Knoxville is an excellent location to celebrate Halloween.

Supporting Message: Gay Street, Market Square, World’s Fair Park and the Old City work together to create a historic, picturesque and lively space to host a festival that not only brings in revenue for the city but also showcases all that Knoxville has to offer.

Supporting Message: In addition to Knoxtober Fest, Knoxville’s Farmer’s Market, college football and the colors of the season will help visitors welcome both autumn and Halloween with southern, small-town style.

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Message 4Knoxville is more than a city that you pass through. Visitors react with, “Wow, I had

no idea Knoxville had this much to offer!”

Supporting Message: Knoxville neighbors the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the country.

Supporting Message: Knoxville offers travel accommodations throughout the city. Mid-priced and luxury hotels can be found at the center of downtown within walking distance of many eateries and nightlife, or further from the city in places like Turkey Creek, Knoxville’s largest shopping district. Based on preference, nature-lovers are able to enjoy the outdoors, foodies can take advantage of the wide array of restaurants throughout the city and shop-a-holics can explore the local shops Knoxville offers.

Message 5Knoxtober Fest includes local breweries, eateries and music that celebrate East

Tennessee culture and cuisine.

Supporting Message: The event will feature local artists like Emily Ann Roberts and Morgan Wallen from "The Voice," as well as Laurel Wright of the Young Fables who was featured on the final season of "American Idol." In order to attract fans from surrounding areas, regionally local bands and artists such as Moon Taxi and Backup Planet (local to Nashville) will also be be included in the lineup.

Supporting Message: Local vendors, caterers and restaurants will provide samples of their most popular barbecue dishes and sides, offering beer pairing suggestions that best compliment and highlight the flavors. The southern cuisine allows visitors to taste traditional components of East Tennessee culture.

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Evaluation TechniquesIn order to measure the success of our festival, we plan to implement several evaluative tactics that will determine whether our objectives

were met.

Objective 1To encourage a minimum of 10,000 visitors from our competition cities to attend

Knoxtober Fest.

Evaluation Technique: We plan to require guests to provide their address or home city/state upon purchasing their tickets prior to the event. This method will ensure that all attendees provide the information and responses will not be skewed.

Objective 2 To increase the number of “heads in beds,” or overnight hotel stays, by 10% during

the weekend of Knoxtober Fest, Oct. 7-9, 2016.

Evaluation Technique: We will ask hotel receptionists to ask visitors why they are visiting upon their check-in. We will provide hotel employees with a survey to keep records of the visitors’ reason, a proof of which can be found in Appendix E. Hotel managers will need to give permission to allow the survey to be given by receptionists. Additionally, volunteers working the festival will offer free Knoxtober Fest stickers in exchange for the festival goers to fill out a survey, which can also be found in Appendix E.

Objective 3To increase event attendance through digital media by receiving a minimum

of 16,000 event website and Facebook visits, 100,000 impressions on the #KnoxtoberFest hashtag and 500 followers on Instagram.

Evaluation Technique: Objective three will be evaluated through a variety of social media and digital analytics, such as event website and Facebook views and likes, Twitter reach and impressions features, and campaigns increasing the number of followers on Instagram. This will allow us to measure the success of our social media promotional efforts as well as the website visit count. We will be able to evaluate the number of people who used our hashtag against the number of website visits to determine if there is a significant correlation.

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Appendices

A. Timeline of EventsFriday

• 9 p.m. pub crawl begins• Costume contest judged

at mdnight for free ticketss to Sunday's Boos Cruise

• Jackson Ave. and Central St. will be closed

Saturday

• 3 p.m. event begins• 3 p.m. local brewers

begin• 3 to 4 p.m. The Black

Cadillacs• 4:15 to 5 p.m. Backup

Planet• 5 p.m. local barbecue

vendors begin• 5:15 to 6 p.m. Halloween

dog costume contest• 6:15 to 7 p.m. The Young

Fables• 7:15 to 8 p.m. Emily Ann

Roberts• 8 p.m. brewing and

barbecue end• 8:15 to 9 p.m. Erick

Baker• 9:15 to 10 p.m. Moon

Taxi• 9:30 t0 10 p.m.

Fireworks• 10 p.m. event ends

Sunday

• 9 a.m. cruises begin• 2 p.m. cruises end

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Calendar BreakdownFriday – The evening will kick-off Knoxtober Fest with a Halloween-themed pub crawl in the Old City for attendees 21 and up. There will be a costume contest held for a chance to win two free tickets to Sunday’s Boos Cruise.Saturday – Knoxtober Brewer’s Fest will begin at 3 p.m. with 20 local and other Tennessee-based brewers providing samples of their best brews to attendees. Breweries from Knoxville, Nashville and Asheville will be in attendance. At 5 p.m., 10 local barbecue joints will hand out their most popular dishes and sides along with a beer suggestion that best fits the tastes of their plate. A Dog Costume Contest will be held for attendees who want to show off their Halloween creativity by dressing their dog in a costume. The winner will receive $20 gift card to one of the vendors’ restaurants or breweries. Six bands will play throughout the day on the stage in World’s Fair Park, and the day will end with a huge firework show.Sunday – The Princess Cruise Yacht and The Tennessee Riverboat will hold the Knoxtober Fest Boos Cruise, a relaxing way to end a fun-filled weekend with a delicious brunch. The cruises will begin at 9 a.m. and each boat will pick up attendees alternating every hour until 2 p.m.

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B. Budget Ticket Prices

Ticket price for 3-day Pass $75 per personFriday (Crawlin’ Through Knoxtober Fest) Pass $75 per personSaturday (Knoxtober Brewer’s Fest) Pass $50 per personSunday (Knoxtober Fest Boos Cruise) Pass $25 per person

Administrative CostsCloth event wristbands for full-weekend ticket (a count of 5,000) An estimated $1,700Paper wristbands for day-by-day tickets (a count of 15,000) $433.50Volunteer compensation (100 volunteers working a minimum of 5 hours each day of the event)

100 full weekend passes, totaling $7,500

Volunteers, Cops, and other staff members food and beverages An estimated $4,200 per day (Total of $12,600)

20 breweries and 10 barbecue vendors volunteering for a vendor spot at Knoxtober Fest

$0

TOTAL: $22,233.50Advertising Costs

Billboards in Atlanta ($3,000), Charleston ($3,500), Charlotte ($3,200), Cincinnati ($7,000) and Memphis ($2,000)

An estimated $18,700

Printing posters from VistaPrint for around Knoxville, college campuses, etc. (500 16x20 posters)

$3,750

Online advertisements (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) An estimated $6,000Snapchat filters/geofilters $900, for 3 consecutive daysRadio advertisements (placing an advertisements in each target market city)

An estimated $2,000 per week

Printing surveys to handout at Knoxtober Fest (10,000) and in hotels (10,000) - 20,000 total surveys

An estimated $800

10,000 Cardboard Coasters (to place in local bars) An estimated $1,50010,000 3-inch round stickers (to handout at festival) An estimated $1,152.95TOTAL: $34,802.95

Contest Prize CostsCostume Contest prize during Crawlin’ Through Knoxtober Fest (Winner receives 2 free passes to Sunday’s Knoxtober Fest Boos Cruise)

$50

Instagram Scavenger Hunt contest (Winner receives full weekend pass)

$75

Dog Costume Contest (Winner receives $20 gift card from a vendor at event)

$20

TOTAL: $145

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Events (Day-By-Day) CostsCrawlin’ Through Knoxtober Fest

Police Department An estimated $40,000Closing Jackson Ave. and Central St. in Old City, Knoxville An estimated $2,000TOTAL: $42,000

Knoxtober Brewer’s FestReserving World’s Fair Park $7,975Beer and barbecue vendors $0A 7-minute firework show (put on by PyroShows) An estimated $10,500Music: for lighting, stage setup, sound and 6 “scheduled” bands An estimated $90,000TOTAL: $108,475

Knoxtober Fest Boos CruiseRenting The Tennessee Riverboat with brunch buffet included $1,250Renting The Princess Cruise Yacht with brunch buffet included $5,280TOTAL: $6,530

Knoxtober Fest Total Costs $214,186.45

Please list a particular festival or event you think would be a good fit for Knoxville in particular.26

C. Survey – Primary

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D. Data Tables and FiguresTable 1The table below shows the mean, median and mode for data with festival specifications and preferences.

Mean Median Mode

How likely are you to plan on overnight visit to attend a festival or event?

2.99 3.0 4.0

How likely are you to attend a ticketed event in comparison to a free event?

3.28 3.0 4.0

How important is “family friendly” to you in attending an event?

2.81 3.0 3.0

Table 2The table below shows the frequency of the most popular suggestions from our respondents.Question: Music Food Art Beer Crafts Wine Culture

What kind of festivals/events are most appealing to you?

29% 19% 8% 2% 2% 1% 1%

Question: Music Food Country Bluegrass Art Beer Other

Please list a particular festival or event you think would be a good fit for Knoxville in particular.

11% 6% 2% 1% 2% 1% Approx. 17%

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Table 3Descriptor Variables:

Percentage Descriptor Variables:

Percentage

Gender Residency

Female 73% Knoxville 34%

Male 26% Tennessee, not including Knoxville

38%

Income Out of state/country 27.7%

Less than $35,000 per year

20% Race

$35,000-$49,999 11% African American / Black

5%

$50,000-$74,999 17% Asian 1%

$75,000- over $100,000

47% Caucasian / White 91%

Age Hispanic / Latino 1%

18-35 years old 58% Other 1.1%

36-50 years old 19.8% Festival Attendance Per Year

51-70 years old 22% Never 4%

Education Once per year 21%

High school degree / GED or less

5.5% Twice per year 25%

Some college / No degree

26% 3-5 times per year 36%

2-year degree 7% 6-8 times per year 7%

4-year degree 44% 9-11 times per year 2%

Master's degree / Doctoral / Professional

16% Once per month or more

3%

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City Population White Black Asian Hispanic Median Household

Income

Median Age

Knoxville 184,281 76.1% 17.1% 1.6% N/A $35,254 32.9

Charleston 137,447 68.6% 25.6% 1.6% N/A $49.448 33.2

Atlanta 420,003 38% 54% 3% N/A $46,631 32.9

Charlotte 809,958 50% 35% 5% 13.1% $52,375 33.3

Cincinnati 298,165 49.3% 44.8% 1.8% 2.8% $34,116 32.5

Memphis 656,861 29.4% 63.3% 1.6% 6.5% $36,912 33

Table 4

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Table 5The festivals listed in this chart are not the only festivals these cities host. They are limited to the most popular and anticipated festivals in the city, because all of them put on multiple festivals throughout the year.

Knoxville’s Competition

CitiesAsheville Nashville

Most PopularFestivals

• Beer Fests Asheville• Big Love/Big Crafty• Shindig on the Green• Lexington Avenue Art and Fun

Festival• Bele Chere• NC Apple Festival• Mountain State Fair• Historic Morgantown Festival• Downtown After Five Live Music• Oktoberfest Downtown Asheville• Chili Cook Off and Fall Festival

• Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival & Shows

• Edgehill Rocks• Nashville Fashion Week• Ragin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil• Wild West Comedy Festival• Earth Day Festival• Nashville Flea Market• Sevier Park Fest• Steeplechase• Musicians Corner• Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival

Knoxville’s Competition

CitiesChattanooga Greenville

Most PopularFestivals

• The Chattanooga Market• Rocktoberfest• Oktoberfest• The Rocky Horror Picture Show• Enchanted Maize• Ruby Falls' Haunted Corn• Tennessee Aquarium

ODDtoberfest• The Banana Split at the Zoo• Banana Ball at the Zoo• Boo in the Zoo• Little Debbie IronMan• Head of the Hooch Rowing

Regatta

• Wells Fargo Red, White & Blue 4th of July Celebration

• Euphoria• Fall for Greenville - A Taste of Our

Town• Artisphere: Arts. Culture. Life.• Ireland on Parade• St. Patrick's Day Parade• Greenville Heritage Main Street

Fridays

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D. TacticsSurvey for Hotel ReceptionistsThis survey will be presented to receptionists at hotels around Knoxville to help scale the number of visitors that visit Knoxville for Knoxtober Fest. It will also spread awareness of the event for those coming to visit for other reasons. Permission from hotel managers will be necessary.

Receptionists will be prompted to say: “What brings you to Knoxville this weekend?”The following will only be asked if the visitor plans to attend Knoxtober Fest:

• Have you ever visited Knoxville before?• How did you hear about this festival?

Survey to be Handed Out at FestivalThis survey will be offered to guests in exchange for a free Knoxtober Fest sticker. The survey will be handed out throughout the event to measure attendee satisfaction.

1. How did you hear about Knoxtober Fest?• Friend• Social Media• Billboard• Radio• Flyer/poster

2. Where are you from (City, State)?

3. Where are you staying?• Hotel (Please specify):• With a friend• Air BnB• Other

4. What has been your favorite event during the festival so far? 5. What event are you most looking forward to? 6. What do you most enjoy about Knoxville?

• The local restaurants• The local breweries• The Market Square area• The scenery• Other (Please specify): ____________

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Example Logo – Sticker/CoasterThe Knoxtober Fest logo will be printed on stickers to be handed out at the festival and coasters to be placed in local bars to promote the event. Prices for printing these can be found in the budget.

Event Poster Example

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Event Facebok Page Example

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Event Website Example

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Instagram Examples

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Example Snapchat Filters

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Example Billboards

Example Radio Advertisements15 second spot for late August/early September - Knoxville only

MISSING BOOMSDAY? ALLOW US MAKE IT UP TO YOU.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 7-9 AND CHECK OUT KNOXTOBERFEST.COM.

30 second spot for target markets during September

BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMB, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES...

LOCAL BREWS, BANDS, BB-Q AND SPOOKS?

ON OCTOBER 7-9 JOIN US FOR KNOXTOBER FEST.

A SHORT DRIVE TO KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE PROPELS YOU INTO THE FALL SEASON

AND CELEBRATES HALLOWEEN WITH SOUTHERN ESSENTIALS. VISIT

KNOXTOBERFEST.COM TO JOIN US FOR A WICKED HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL ON THE

TENNESSEE RIVER. EAT, DRINK, AND BE SCARY.

Cloth Event Wristband

Paper Wristband

The cloth event wristbands can be customized with the Knoxtober Fest

logo, colors and font type. On the website listed in the Sources section

of this campaign, please see the application form to customize the

wristbands

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SourcesKnoxville’s Target Markets Based on Demographics

http://www.charleston-sc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10359http://www.atlantaga.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=7155http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/1304000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/3712000.html http://www.city-data.com/city/Charlotte-North-Carolina.html#bhttp://www.city-data.com/city/Cincinnati-Ohio.html#bhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3915000.htmlhttp://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4748000.htmlhttp://www.city-data.com/city/Memphis-Tennessee.html#bhttp://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/4740000http://www.city-data.com/city/Knoxville-Tennessee.html#b

Festivals That Knoxville’s Competition Cities are Doing Successfully

http://www.exploreasheville.com/blog/post/5-top-festivals-in-asheville/http://nashvilleguru.com/32650/top-spring-events-festivals-nashvillehttp://www.chattanoogafun.com/fall/festivals-and-eventshttp://www.beercarolina.com/biggest-greenville-festivals.htmlhttp://www.romanticasheville.com/fall_events.htm

Other Halloween Festivals Around the Nation that are Successfulhttp://www.budgettravel.com/blog/8-halloween-festivals-worth-traveling-for,12062/http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/americas-best-towns-for-halloween/20https://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/10-must-see-fall-festivals/page/5http://www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com/Sponsors/Sponsors.aspxhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/smartertravel/10-great-fall-festivals_b_1903835.html

Knoxville Events Happening In Octoberhttp://www.zooknoxville.org/event/boo-at-the-zoo/http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/visitors/things_to_do/festivalshttp://www.funtober.com/festivals/tennessee/http://www.museumofappalachia.org/events/tennessee-fall-homecoming-2015http://www.knoxvillebrewersjam.com/

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Key Messageshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/knoxville-better-than-nashville_us_56e19658e4b0b25c9180edd2http://www.knoxmercury.com/top-knox-2015-drink/http://knoxbeersnobs.com/tennessee-breweries-list/http://wate.com/2015/04/13/knoxville-based-brewing-company-brings-home-two-awards-including-best-in-show/

Admin Costs on Budgethttp://www.eventwristbands.com/Cloth-Wristband.html - Cloth event wristbandhttps://www.wristbandexpress.com/tyvek-wristbands/3-4-tyvek-wristbands?gclid=Cj0KEQjwxI24BRDqqN3f-97N6egBEiQAGv37hKmEHT9gM4cYTNVHxEQLDOuHGywiQLoy3EmO8IlUpQ4aAmoz8P8HAQ - Paper wristbands for day-by-day passeshttp://www.staplescopyandprint.ca/downloads/brochureeng_pricelist.pdf - Printing survey to be handed out at festival and in hotels

Advertising Costs on Budgethttp://www.lamar.com/Asheville/InventoryBrowserhttp://www.outdoorbillboard.com/billboards-for-renthttp://www.vistaprint.com/category/signs-and-banners.aspx?txi=14918&xnid=Breadcrumbs_Signs+%26+Banners_All+Products&xnav=Breadcrumbshttp://localmarketingideas.com/how-much-does-radio-advertising-cost/

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