[lbi_inline_note timestamp=”7:32am on May 5, 2015″]NOTE: LET’S TRY TO MAKE THIS A SELF-CONTAINED INFOGRAPHIC ACROSS ONE AND A HALF PAGES. IF A FULL TWO PAGES ARE NEEDED, WE CAN BUMP THE SPREAD ON PAGES 32-32 FURTHER BACK IN THE PACKAGE.[/lbi_inline_note]
What Bayou Country Superfest brings to Baton Rouge
VISITORS
Thousands of people pour into the Capital Region for Bayou Country Superfest during what was, traditionally, one of the slowest weekends of the year. Not only is the attendance impressive; it comprises a middle class demographic that spends dollars in local restaurants and shops, and fills beds in local hotels.
Attendance by year
Percent change shown in parentheses
2010: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 85,000
2011:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75,000 (-12%)
2012:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75,000 (Â Â 0%)
2013:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 70,000 (-6%)
2014:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 135,000 (three-day festival) (+92%)
Who’s in the crowd?
65% are from outside metro Baton Rouge area
60% are female
Average age is 19 to 45
More than 50% are college graduates
More than 60% have annual salary of $60,000+
They represent 47 states
Hotel dollars
One of the biggest benefits of Bayou Country Superfest has been the visitors it brings to the parish. Local hotel room rates, occupancy rates and revenues have all increased during Memorial Day weekend from 2009—the year before the fest started—to 2014. The growth is especially impressive considering the number of rooms in the market increased during that period by 60% to 14,400 from 9,000.
Festival                  Occupancy       Rates     Revpar*     Revenues
Sun. May 24, ’09      36%                      $71.20    $25.64          $238,591
Sun. May 30, ’10      72%                       $88         $63.57          $625,407
Sun. May 25, ’14      76%                        $107.12  $80.96          $913,754
*Revenue per available room, a performance metric in the hotel industry that is calculated by dividing a hotel’s total guestroom revenue by the room count and the number of days in the period being measured.
Sources: Visit Baton Rouge; Smith Travel Research; Louisiana Office of Tourism.
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What Bayou Country Superfest gets in return
FROM THE CITY-PARISH
Over the years, the city-parish has ponied up cash incentives to make it more attractive for Bayou Country Superfest to come here. Here’s how it breaks down over the past several years.
2010:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $300,000 from operating funds
2011:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $200,000 from operating funds
2012 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0
2013 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â rebate of 2% general sales tax; amount not disclosed*
2014 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â rebate of 2% general sales tax totaling $207,747
2015 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â rebate of 2% general sales tax; amount TBD after event
*In 2012 this figure was not made public because of a state law that prohibits disclosure of tax records. In 2013, as a condition of offering the rebate the city required that Festival Productions allow the information to be made public, according to the Finance Department.
FROM THE STATE
The state has also contributed incentive funds to help lure the fest to Louisiana. Here’s a breakdown by year:
2010: Â Â $300,000
2011: Â Â $300,000
2012: Â $200,000
2013: Â $100,000
2014: Â $200,000
2015: Â $100,000
FROM VISIT BATON ROUGE
To further sweeten the pot, Visit Baton Rouge also gives incentive money to the festival. Here’s a breakdown by year:
2010: $300,000
2011: $300,000
2012: $300,000
2013: $200,000
2014: $200,000
2015: $200,000
TOTAL INCENTIVES FROM THE CITY-PARISH, STATE & VISIT BATON ROUGE
2010: $900,000
2011: $800,000
2012: $500,000
2013: $500,000 (est.)
2014: $608,000
2015: TBD
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What Bayou Country Superfest costs to produce
$10 million
Estimated cost to produce the three-day Bayou Country Superfest in 2015
$6 million
Estimated cost to produce the two-day Bayou Country Superfest in 2010
$1 million+
Cost of staging and lighting alone
