Chuckwagon races in the rain at the 2016 Calgary (Alberta) Stampede. (Photo credit: Chris Bolin/Calgary Stampede)
July wrapped up two major Canadian fairs, Edmonton K-Days and Calgary Stampede, both in Alberta. K-Days reported attendance up more than two percent, with an emphasis on entertainment value, while the Stampede was happy with its record 50/50 raffle.
Two Concerts, One Price at Edmonton K-Days
Over the course of its 10-day run July 22-31, this year’s Edmonton K-Days responded to Alberta’s economic recession and achieved a 2.3 percent rise in attendance over last year with a total of 803,087 guests. “Last year we heard our guests wanted more value for their dollar and we listened,” Northlands President and CEO Tim Reid stated in a post-fair press release. Northlands manages the venue and organizes the annual K-Days.
Northlands Events Interim Director Mike Warkentin added that “we went through a big change this year, and the biggest thing was a recommitment to entertainment. By providing two concerts each day for the price of one, we offered an enormous value sell.”
Another value for guests was that prices were only raised one dollar over last year, according to Warkentin. “We’re repositioning ourselves as an entertainment destination, focusing on being family friendly, and delivering more value for the dollar.” Adult gate admission ran $17, with youth and senior admissions priced at $12. Children 6 and under entered free.
“With an operating budget between $10-13 million, we’ve seen $3-5 million in net surplus in recent years. Last year we were over $4 million, and this year’s numbers are looking strong,” Warkentin commented, adding that all of the numbers were not yet available.
One new undertaking this year included a “transition to redevelop the entire site,” Warkentin said. “We repurposed the infield of our [live horse racing] track as a music festival site. We had one event there during K-Days, and it was awesome. The infield made for an excellent concert environment and concertgoers enjoyed the grass compared to last year’s asphalt.”
This year’s K-Days included their first 10-day traditional pow wow in partnership with the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. “We had around 20,000 guests come specifically for the pow wow this year, including over 1,000 dancers,” said Warkentin. “We also hosted the First Inaugural Northlands Indigenous Princess Pageant. Calgary [Stampede] has been doing one for years, and we were excited to introduce our own pageant this year, which was a great success.”
For its 138th year, the 2017 Edmonton K-Days will be July 21-30.
Calgary Stampede Sees Record 50/50 Pot, Record Weather
“[It] was the wettest 10 days (July 7-17) I can remember in my 30+ years of volunteering (and in fact, I now hear it was the rainiest 10 days since 1927),” said President and Chairman of the Board Bill Gray of the July 8-17 run of the 2016 Calgary Stampede via their blog. “[But] definitely a lot of bright spots and great memories from the 2016 Stampede.”
"One of those bright spots was the “over one million satisfied guests that enjoyed their ‘Stampede Thing’ this year,” said Jennifer Booth, Public Relations Manager for the Stampede. “Over 90 percent of our visitors told us that this year’s Stampede met or exceeded their expectations.” Booth added that “we change our marketing campaign every two years, and this year we chose ‘It’s A Stampede Thing’. It’s an inclusive message that highlights each guest’s individual experience. Everyone comes to the Stampede for a different reason, and we want to celebrate every one of them.”
In a closing day press conference, CEO Warren Connell announced that the Stampede’s 50/50 lottery reached over $1.3 million, “which we believe is the largest 50/50 for an entertainment or sporting event in Alberta’s history.” After the event ended, the total reached $1,479,285. Each ticket was $10, with packages of 5 tickets for $25 and 20 tickets for $50. Booth noted that proceeds from the 50/50 were shared with the Rotary Club of Calgary South, Kinsmen Club of Calgary, and the Calgary Stampede Marching Showband Association.
“I think the excitement of seeing [the 50/50 pot] increase brought people in,” Booth responded when asked what made this year’s 50/50 so successful. “Alberta is currently in a recession with its oil and gas industry, and the 50/50 offered some hope,” added Booth. “This was also the first year we’ve done a cumulative pot; we’d previously chosen winners daily.”
In the same press conference, Connell stated that 18 percent of this year’s guests were first-time visitors, compared to last year’s 16 percent. Booth attributed some of this success to the current value of the Canadian dollar, making the event a good value for international visitors. General admission was $18, with youth and seniors priced at $9. Children 6 and under entered free. Despite some “pretty atrocious weather,” the Stampede offered “various indoor options to balance things out,” according to Booth. “Fortunately, some of the days that were predicted to have rain remained dry at the Stampede.”
Booth stated that the Stampede does not share revenue numbers post event, choosing instead to release a community report each March. For the 2015 community report, <a href="http://corporate.calgarystampede.com/2015report/">click here.</a>
The 2017 Calgary Stampede will take place July 7-16.
Interviewed for this story: Mike Warkentin, (780) 471-7210; Jennifer Booth, (403) 261-0327