| Name | Mickey |
|---|---|
| Last Name | McCamish |
| Home Address | 1534 Heritage Landing Drive Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405 United States |
| Organization Name | Friends of the Festival |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | Executive Director |
| Organization Address | 426 Market Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 United States |
| Website | https://Riverbendfestival.com |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 423 394 0024 |
| Alternate Phone Number | 423 756 2212 |
| Email Address | Mickey@riverbendfestival.com |
| Alternate Email Address | Mitchell@riverbendfestival.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | The Riverbend Festival has been held for 38 years, however due to the health crisis, the Festival was shutdown for years 2020 and 2021. The Festival attendance averaged in the hundreds of thousands and had a $30 million dollar economic impact in our community. The Riverbend Festival was conducted on City owned property at Ross's Landing over a four to eight day time period. For use of Ross's Landing, Riverbend was required to obtain a City of Chattanooga permit. With gatherings of large numbers of people not permitted on City owned property, the Festival wasn't conducted during 2020 and 2021. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | Friends of the Festival with it's flagship event, the Riverbend Festival, was devastated by the health emergency. The complete business model has changed as result of the health emergency. Assets were sold, reserve funds depleted and staff reorganization took place to keep the front doors open and lights on in hopes of a return at some point for a future Riverbend Festival. The headquarters warehouse and office space were sold with a move to much smaller office/ warehouse on a rental basis. |
| Where would your project take place? | City of Chattanooga Ross's Landing on June 3-5, 2022 |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 3500000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | Yes |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | To date, the Small Business Administration has funded $2.1 million through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | Request the City support of $100,000 |
| If funded, when would your project start? | November 1, 2021 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | June 5, 2022 |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | We are in the process of contracting with 35 artists. By, January 20, 2022, plans are to release the complete line-up of performing artists. Due to the health crisis and to insure proper distancing, a limited number of tickets will be available, which become the funding source of Riverbend 2023. Starting 2022, there will numerous communications that will occur to keep everyone informed about Riverbend 2022. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | As the Executive Director, I am totally responsible for Friends of the Festival and the Riverbend Festival. The past two years has shown the transparency that I've communicated with the media being very upfront with all changes that have occurred at Friends of the Festival and Riverbend. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | A major benefit is that with the return of Riverbend, a festival that has played for 38 years, is a sign of a return to a level of "normalcy". Also, with Riverbend, it attracts people to the downtown businesses including restaurants and overnight stays along with attractions. Riverbend has a $30 million dollar economic business impact. Riverbend will help reopen our City after the health crisis, which shutdown the City. Riverbend provides the opportunity for people to socialize since they've been indoors for several moths and the social element of their lives has been missing; people are anxious to "get out", Riverbend gives our community that opportunity. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | Riverbend will conduct a comprehensive and detailed marketing program with all media elements included. Media elements will include "word of mouth marketing", print, billboards, television, all forms of social media, a new website, a new logo, interviews and basically every form of marketing available. |
| Name | Becky Browder, Board President |
| Contact Information | Email: beckybrowder1@gmail.com |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | Thanks for considering this request. |