One Spark official says 'some kind of event' will take place this year

[thelakelander]

An official with Jacksonville's One Spark Inc. announced Thursday the organization is committed to "some kind of festival" downtown in April. Uncertainty about the event clouded the fourth year of the annual One Spark festival after the co-founder and CEO, Elton Rivas, resigned last week after being asked to step down by the board of directors. But Michael Munz, a member of the board, said while the organization hasn't made a firm decision on another huge festival, there will be a happening downtown in early April.

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/2016-01-21/story/one-spark-official-says-some-kind-event-will-take-place-year

[TheCat]

well, we just went from the world's largest crowd funding festival to "we're commited to some kinda somthin'"

[jaxjaguar]

Woooooow... "there will be a happening". Expect to see some food trucks and a huge let down / the end of something that could've been.

[Noone]

well, we just went from the world's largest crowd funding festival to "we're commited to some kinda somthin'"

+1

[coredumped]

The demise began when they started doing one spark events in other cities. Terrible idea, and took away the exclusivity of our event.

[Captain Zissou]

well, we just went from the world's largest crowd funding festival to "we're commited to some kinda somthin'"

DVI is stepping in to help run it and plan it. Not sure what "it" is exactly, but it's probably the music and street fare portion.  Then, in October, they will have the actual re-booted "ideas" portion of One Spark.

That's fine with me.  Put The Band Be Easy in Hemming Park with some food trucks and beer stands and I'm good to go. 

[JaxAvondale]

It will be a one day event, to coincide with April Art Walk.  Though apparently I am just a hateful troll, I am told that Munz and Rummell had problems with everything I have said about One Spark (that it isn't what it sold itself as, fudged attendance numbers, had exorbitant salaries and wasteful spending, etc.).

WOW! They must have really had a lot of internal issues to reduce it to a one day event.

[whyisjohngalt]

There better be some refunds to the creators that registered.  This would be a substantial cutback and not the scale they paid for. 

MMR, this isn't something to celebrate and you weren't the only one to be upset by the posturing of management and how much public money One Shart was given.

You think you could've done better?  Do it.  Seriously. Anything.  It's one thing to be actively creating the city/future you want and something entirely different to be hyper critical of others' simply doing the same.  Everything eventually ends so there is no glory in predicting that.

[jaxjaguar]

MMR you've been on a streak of me agreeing with you.  Keep it up lol

[TheCat]

It will be a one day event, to coincide with April Art Walk.  Though apparently I am just a hateful troll, I am told that Munz and Rummell had problems with everything I have said about One Spark (that it isn't what it sold itself as, fudged attendance numbers, had exorbitant salaries and wasteful spending, etc.).

I like your commentary and I look forward to your post.

[thelakelander]

More details on the revamped One Spark event:

Kristen Sell, One Spark spokeswoman, said the April event's first day will have a "festival-like" atmosphere. Then there will be two other days that focus on competition between creators — those entrepreneurs and startups that form the basis of the crowdfunding event.

"The One Spark board is moving in the direction of the [first] day event in April that will be similar to how people know and recognize the original One Spark festival," Sell said Tuesday.

"One day will look like what the festival in the past has looked liked. Attached to that one day event, there will be ancillary events similar to a 'Shark Tank' kind of scenario where chosen creators will have an opportunity to pitch their ideas to angel investors, venture capitalists and the like," Sell said.

The dates set for April are a slight shift for the original event that was set for April 7-9. Also, the first two years of One Spark were five-day events and 2015 ran six days.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-01-26/story/one-spark-defines-2016-event-three-days-april-only-one-day-will-be

[Marle Brando]

So disappointed. Not only have they reduced it to a one day event, but to piggyback of off artwork is lazy. What was wrong with the following Saturday? At this point I'm all for dropping the whole 'creators' moniker and just go all out arts, music, and food festival like a mega art walk. Majority of the people who attended probably weren't very interested in the creators pitches at all, they were mostly there for the gathering, the festive atmosphere, the food, and fun, and to be able to explore downtown as it should be..full of vibrancy. I'm more interested in the Elbow festival at this point.

[coredumped]

Is there a site for the fire sale of one spark items somewhere?

[jaxjaguar]

Is there a site for the fire sale of one spark items somewhere?

Would like to know this as well. My laptop power socket crapped out so I'm limited to posting on metrojax with my phone haha