One Spark National Attention

[mtraininjax]

We've all seen the countless ideas at One Spark that were not even all that serious and when asked about their business plan, many could not provide anything that a serious investor or bank underwriter looking at a loan would take seriously.

I'd like to see a shark tank type panel review the pitches. Would be very entertaining!

[simms3]

I think the "national attention" was received, maybe a bit forced (honestly, thanks to Rummell, this IS his baby after all).  Maybe one day it will be a huge attention grabber trending towards where SXSW is today.  It doesn't have the history or a convenient economy to feed it, though.  Austin has totally different dynamics...it's a mini Bay Area with a ton of college students, Michael Dell (Austin's answer to Steve Jobs or Larry Page), and a funky creative vibe/atmosphere and a city that literally wants itself to be known as weird and innovative and great for entrepreneurs.  It couldn't possibly be more different from Jax at this point.

I also hate to say this, but I never heard one blurb about OneSpark out here.  I know supposedly VC guys flew in from around the world, but I wonder at what level they were?  I know of a few out here and my roommate is well acquaintanced with a few big names.  I know lots of analysts/associates working for VC firms.  Never heard one thing and people I know know that I'm from lil ol' Jacksonville.

I think the event needs to time to grow and Peter Rummell needs to continue pushing it very hard.  Unfortunately, fun/silly ideas with no business plan are often a waste of time.  If the event is going to be serious, then it needs some serious people.  From what I hear from everyone on these boards, it seems more like an event where 260,000 people from the area have fun downtown than an event where serious ideas/discussions are being had or pitched.  I know that VC around here, the hub of the VC universe, is quite serious.  Lots of those guys are quite buttoned up.  Google Ventures kind of guys (my last BF's prior BF is a partner of GV) are more relaxed, but they are smart and very fast-paced/hard working.  In their minds they don't have time for going to Jacksonville, FL, unless there is something that would actually draw them there.  It doesn't sound like OneSpark is there yet.

[tufsu1]

The survey also found that the majority of people attending the festival were from Duval County. One Spark officials said there were an estimated 260,000 people who crammed the 20-square-block footprint of downtown Jacksonville for the duration of the festival. Out of that, the UNF study showed 85 percent were from Duval County and 15 percent were visitors from outside the county, accounting for about 51,000 "unique" visitors from other areas, the study showed.

Would be curious to know how many of those 15% were from St. John's, Clay, and Nassau Counties.

I'm sure much of the 15% was from the local region....but the $1.8 million was based on room nights booked

[Tacachale]

This one from the Daily Record is a little better.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542914

Among the things it says:

Based on the survey, 1,010 visitors booked rooms in commercial lodgings, accounting for 1,600 event-related room nights – a direct expenditure of $1,135,000.

Those surveyed said they planned to spend an average of 2.8 days in a hotel during One Spark.

Applying the industry standard regional festival event multiplier to estimate overall visitor spending, the total amount that flowed into the local economy is calculated to be $1,816,000.

So the hotel stays were part of the estimate and the estimate was created the same way they're created for events throughout the region. In fact, it sounds like the $1,816,000 figure is for these out-of-town guests alone, not including the folks who didn't stay in hotels.

This article also says that the 51k figure is for total unique visitors, not for non-Duval visitors. Sound like the Times-Union piece just isn't very good.

[Charles Hunter]

This article also says that the 51k figure is for total unique visitors, not for non-Duval visitors. Sound like the Times-Union piece just isn't very good.

What a surprise!

[Noone]

We've all seen the countless ideas at One Spark that were not even all that serious and when asked about their business plan, many could not provide anything that a serious investor or bank underwriter looking at a loan would take seriously.

I'd like to see a shark tank type panel review the pitches. Would be very entertaining!

I participated in One Spark with a Waterway idea on our St. Johns River our American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative in our new super duper restricted CRA/DIA in the USA zone and in the very beginning there was a moment when I was given the choice of moving my watercraft or a Governmental agency would be called and my vessel immediately seized. Scott Wilson Dist.4 feel free to jump in here at any time because we were on the phone together as my fate was being decided. This is true.

You can not blame anyone it is the law and what is on the books. Visit Jacksonville? Welcome to Actionville!

We are just 3 hours out from the 5/14/14 Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting and will Don Redman the Chair of Waterways share with the Waterway Commission members the legislation and the new updated, revised, super duper positive penalties that were discussed at the 4/2/14 Noticed meeting that he attended?

Why waste your time if you are not legislatively allowed to participate.

Pick and choose the winners and losers.

A new Authority
Embrace It
Or
It will Embrace Us

[mtraininjax]

In second year, One Spark's success doesn't include profit

Peter Rummell says the $2 million he has paid to keep the festival running "is not sustainable"

In its second year, One Spark attracted more creators, more money from investors, more buy-in from city leaders and more people to downtown Jacksonville — announced crowds far exceeding the organizers' forecasts. But by another measure, the entrepreneurial crowdfunding festival is not a success.

It is not yet a money-maker.

http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-05-24/story/second-year-one-sparks-success-doesnt-include-profit

Front page of the Money section in the Sunday May 25, 2014 paper.

I understand many will just shrug and say, well of course, its only in its 2nd year, and you would be right, but just think if Rummell had dumped 2 million into a entrepreneurial facility downtown, could he have helped more projects, like Stache is doing locally? I think Rummell is a smart dude, but at the moment, Khan's approach looks to be generating more sustainability, especially downtown.

One Spark is going to have to change some of its model to build a more self-sustaining festival. Some of the levels of crowdfunding numbers were just shocking. People at the event had requests for almost 100 million in funding and they only received $336,739. Realistic expectations?

[mtraininjax]

How does it compare with coachella or comicon or telluride or sxsw?

Stephen, I am happy to see you quoting Wikipedia, my post was about the economics of OneSpark, not other events, as evidenced in the excellent reporting in the Times Union today.

I simply quoted what the readers of Jacksonville already know, from the hype this week, that OneSpark is not able to pay for itself. How long will the golden goose continue to deliver the eggs to OneSpark?

It will be interesting to see how long Rummell is the main donor, and who else comes to the rescue to prolong it. My main point was that he could have taken the 2 million and built a sustainable daily space for entrepreneurs downtown in empty building space and seen more credible results. But kudos to Rummell for swinging for the fence.

[ronchamblin]

One Spark ..... Success? 

What are the most important criteria for measuring the success of One Spark? 

What is One Spark expected to do for the city ... for individuals?

What is to be gained from a successful One Spark?

And who is to gain?

[ronchamblin]

One Spark is new, and as with most new designs or mechanisms, there is a period of tuning and adjustment; initiated so that the greatest effectiveness and efficiency can be achieved.  What are the variables regarding One Spark than might offer greater levels of success?

[ronchamblin]

Two variables regarding One Spark come to mind:

1) Location: 

Although possible, I doubt if anyone will seriously suggest that One Spark be held at the Metro Park or the Shipyards.  The city core offers spaces needed for the event. 

2) Frequency:

An event can be held in the extreme of too often, or the extreme of not often enough.  There is an ideal for each type of event.

Any event has an "appropriate" frequency.  Art Walk is every month, and this seems quite proper.  The Jazz Fest is every year, and this too sounds appropriate.  The Food Truck Rallies .....??  Seems that a greater frequency might be good ... perhaps every month ... up to every three months. 

A good rule regarding the choice of the frequency of an event is to simply have the events so far apart that people begin to desire it .. to long for it.  If an event is too often, the value of it might seem to decrease.

If an event requires more than a year to prepare for it, then the frequency might be increased to two or four years ... as with the Olympics.  Does One Spark possess any characteristics that might cause some to entertain the idea of changing the Frequency to every six months? ... or to two years? 

[ronchamblin]

Absolutely.  Anything ... books, chocolate, Art Walk, Jazz Fest's, One Sparks, Potato Chips, chicken, elections, Fucking, Sucking, Church, Preaching, Films, Traveling, Eating, Sleeping .... anything done too much with too much frequency, can become less valuable to the one doing or participating.