Ribfest: A Partnership of Government and Service Sectors

by Lisa Dubois

In an increasingly hostile taxpayer climate, cooperation with other public agencies, private and nonprofit organizations can result in interesting benefits for each partner.

Now in its fourth year, the Naperville Park District and the Exchange Club of Naperville will cooperatively produce Ribfest '91 on July 3-6. This event has evolved overtime into the biggest special event fund-raiser in Naperville history, drawing 150,000 in 1990, and raising more than $140,000 for local charities. For four to six days, rib cookers from around the world compete for Best Ribs, Best Sauce and People's Choice awards. While enjoying the tastes of Ribfest, the audience takes in the sounds of nationally- known entertainment, enjoy family interaction at the large children's area, and see one of the largest fireworks shows outside of Chicago on July 4.

Neither the Naperville Park District or the Exchange Club of Naperville could have undertaken an event of this magnitude on their own. The following 10 points illustrate how a large cooperative event can be accomplished in your community, drawing on the strengths of each partner organization. Manpower

Generally, park districts rely on paid, seasonal staff to run special events. Prior to Ribfest, Naperville's July 4th celebration was no different. What the Exchange Club brought to this partnership was its supply of more than 300 volunteers willing to donate endless hours of time for the sake of charity. Had the park district paid for this labor, any event profits would have quickly diminished.

Special event expertise

The Naperville Park District is in the business of creating, planning and executing special events and other recreational opportunities for the community. This expertise is essential to the

Illinois Parks and Recreation 32 May/June 1991

successful planning of any event, and something that volunteer service club members may not have.

The cause

The purpose of the Exchange Club of Naperville is to assist in the fight against child abuse and domestic violence. This cause provided a perfect theme for the event, one which the community could strongly support. The establishment of a specific cause will improve attendance and encourage free spending among participants. It is very important, however, that the cause be heavily publicized. Organizations benefiting from previous Ribfests were featured on cable television shows, advertisements and media kits. The cause will not do its job if the audience is not aware or it.

Focus on the family

While the Exchange Club's major objective was fund-raising, the park district added its own objective — to provide a quality, family-oriented event to the community. Every decision made by the six-member executive committee was made under the premise of providing something for everyone in the family. A large children's area was established to allow families to play games together. Entertainment suitable for younger members of the family was scheduled during daylight hours, and group activities in the form of backyard games were planned. Hot dogs for children are always available in addition to the rib dinners more suited to older tastes. Current fads in the younger set were also used to draw younger family members, such as the Coca-Cola Video Van, costumed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other characters, courtesy of Blockbuster Video, and a life-sized, moving dinosaur exhibit.

Focus on quality

Every aspect of Ribfest is planned and executed with the purpose of creating a quality experience for residents. Top-name entertainment is booked. The grounds are kept spotless. The staff is courteous. Pricing is established with a family of four in mind rather than the individual, and the whole atmosphere is geared toward recreating the family backyard barbecue. Residents walk away with memories of an experience they will look forward to repeating the following year. The benefit is this: It is six times harder to attract a new customer as it is to attract a repeat customer. This fact is as pertinent to yearly special events as it is to customer service at the front desk.

Corporate sponsorships

The Exchange Club is also able to take on the entire responsibility of corporate sponsorships, raising more than $70, 000 in cash and in-kind services in 1990 to offset entertainment costs.

Publicity and information

Promoting a major festival is a full-time job requiring someone to answer questions during regular office hours. The park district administration office was established as the central information source for the media, potential sponsors and anyone with questions about the event. The park district's communications department designed and prepared all artwork and flyers, programs and posters, and wrote and distributed media kits, coordinated the design and sale of Ribfest commemorative merchandise, and supervised an on-site information center. It is extremely difficult for a volunteer service club to establish this kind of information clearinghouse, particularly because its members generally work in a full-time professional capacity and are not available the amount of hours required for media and public information purposes.

Radio

The involvement of a popular local radio station as a major sponsor provided Ribfest with more than $50, 000 annually worth of complimentary taped and live announcements, live interviews, and on-location broadcasting by the station during the event. In return, the station logo was prominently displayed on all promotional materials including flyers, programs, print advertisements, and signage. But perhaps the real benefit to the station is the exposure to approximately 150, 000 people in its listening area by broadcasting on-site from a mobile studio. There is one note of caution. Be aware that your site size and parking facilities pose no limitations on attendance. A park district can easily ruin its hard work creating a quality event by overcrowding the scene. Residents attending the event may also perceive that local tax dollars are be ing used to draw out-of-town attendance. Taking all this into consideration, Ribfest successfully utilized radio in its first three years to establish a following of repeat customers that would return to the event year after year. Once the event's reputation was established and attendance goals were more than met for two to three successive years, it was important to re-evaluate the need for major radio promotions as a means of drawing attendance. This year, Ribfest will not use the assistance of radio promotion because it was felt that adequate attendance can now be drawn by local print promotions and word-of-mouth. Taxpayer concerns also were alleviated by restricting promotion to within the community,

Logistics

Pedestrian traffic patterns on site, sight lines to each entertainment area, a centralized and visible information/first aid center, and clean grounds and facilities are all extremely important to the success of any large event. Special attention to all of the above helped establish Ribfest as an award-winning family festival. The Illinois Professional Festival Association voted Ribfest the Best Festival in Illinois in 1989 and 1990, due primarily to its cleanliness, site layout and helpfulness of staff.

Funding

Once the event is over, the Exchange Club reimburses the park district for all direct costs associated with the event, with the exception of the fireworks show which is sponsored by the district and the City of Naperville. Therefore, the only other expense incurred by the park district is time spent by salaried professional staff. All profits remaining are then distributed by the Exchange Club throughout the year to various shelters, homes and organizations dealing with child abuse, domestic and family problems. A great bargain for the taxpayer and a great contribution to the community.

Of course, there are many aspects of this event that have not been mentioned which require careful attention. These include, but are not limited to, the management of volunteer manpower, contracted concessions and vendor relations, the sale and control of alcoholic beverages, safety and security, and the constant nurturing of cooperation between the two organizations.

Despite the intensity of year-round planning required, the community benefits is a win-win situation with both organizations.

About the Author:
Lisa Dubois is Director of Communications at Naperville Park District.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 33 May/June 1991