When discussion was underway as to how to spend the hotel tax revenue Kimberley receives as a Resort Community, it was agreed that funding an Events Coordinator would be a good use of part of those funds. The position would provide assistance to all festival and event committees in Kimberley, to help ensure their sustainability.
The Chamber of Commerce had made this request shortly after the KIOTAC committee announced the festival would not happen in 2013.
With further assistance from the Columbia Basin Trust, one-time funding for an events coordinator position has been found, and Kevin Shepit has taken the job.
Shepit will be working with the Kimberley Community Development Society to offer festival and event consulting services.
”In recent years many of Kimberley’s festivals and events have experienced lower attendance with some cancelling events all together,” said the City’s Director of Economic Development Kevin Wilson. “Many festival and event organizations struggle with the capacity to effectively plan and execute all the elements required for success, and have difficulty sharing the workload.”
“The F&E Consultant will be offering community-based support to help grow the capacity of the sector - as well as affordable strategic and operational support to individuals and organizations running events in Kimberley. The purpose of these services is to grow and enhance the sustainability of existing events and to kickstart new ones.”
The consultant may be able to offer services to help out a festival, such as:
Possible services the F&E Consultant is able to offer include:
• Idea / Opportunity Development
• Business Opportunity Analysis
• Team Building
• Budget Development
• Scheduling
• Event Planning / Logistics
• Management / Chair / Champion of Event
• Visioning
• Brand Development and Marketing
• Logistics
• Consumer Feedback
• Evaluation / Report
• Volunteer Engagement
• Event Community Networking
• Inventory of amenities, talent, equipment etc.
• Facilitation
• Sponsor Relations
• Media Relations
The services of the consultant are not free, but are very affordable with the subsidy from the Resort Municipality initiative, especially for non-profits, who will only be required to pay $5 an hour for the consultant.
Wilson says it is important that any society wishing to consult about their event have a clear understanding of what they are looking for, and a clear definition of what problems they are facing prior to meeting with Shepit.
Kevin Shepit can be reached at: kimberleyfestivals@gmail.com