Metro Jacksonville

I christen thee "Quacker Jax"

(http://i.imgur.com/GryylKw.jpg)It's no secret that I think the "One Spark" event was a success.  The numbers for event attendance and voting support that reality.  Considering the fact that some very talented folks, investors and volunteers created such a great venue in a very short time I give them all a big "Two Thumbs Up"!

As is to be expected after the inauguration of any new venue, there is always a time to discuss what was a hit, what might be made better and to add new ideas to what is already established for the next event.  So I respectfully begin by making a single idea suggestion that is neither earth shaking or event changing but simply fun. 

I want to talk about the whimsy to be discovered downtown during the event and one big smile maker was the huge yellow duck.  You know the one that appeared the morning of the event floating in a Hemming Plaza fountain.  It was such a fun entry and one that I believe should be considered as a mascot for future "One Spark" events.  I have even come up with a name for him which is "Quacker Jax"!  lol  The media spin on the duck could cover everything from T Shirts for adults and children, to small rubber ducks being sold to benefit the event or another cause.  The duck could be presented in a different location or pose from year to year.  My family really loved it.

Perhaps others would like to share their comments and ideas on this thread in order to help the One Spark creators make next years event even bigger and better.  Things like how the voting is done or more food trucks.  A much larger food venue filled with many of the wonderful food trucks talked about on this site would be fantastic and perhaps moving the entertainment district closer to the action. 

Any other ideas or comments?

I work downtown so made a point to spend some time there at some point on all the days except for Sunday. Overall, my impression was great. I enjoyed it. I will admit though, I was one of those who did not vote. For me it was more checking out the vendors.

I didn't do alot of reading or research about the event beforehand so I was unsure about all the details of the event. As others have mentioned, I didn't realize you could vote for more than one venue so for me it would have been too difficult to vote for just one booth. Maybe I would have realized that had I taken the time to research. Nothing made that point obvious though.

I see both arguments regarding spread out or not. I personally didn't mind it being spread out but some were "way out.". I personally almost missed or did miss certain venues because they were hidden away on the 6th floor of some side street. I did like the "Venue" signs though. Those certainly helped.

For my non-work day, I parked in the convention center parking lot and took the Skyway. It was very convenient.

It's one thing for the festival to be "spread out" evenly throughout downtown (which I think is fine)...another thing entirely to have pockets of extremely isolated areas. And while I did not visit them (did anyone?), I know that there were a couple dozen creators who were placed on the southbank (myself included although I just decided to set up elsewhere since I had that option) If I had been stuck by myself waaaay out there I would've been so pissed! I also know the One Spark HQ Lounge got very very little use, presumably because it was kinda far away from everything else.

That said, I'm not sure how they could really avoid the creator sprawl. I mean, it's up to private owners to choose to be a venue and open their space up for the festival and one spark had to quickly open up as much space as they could in public spaces to accommodate the last-minute swell of participants. Which explains utilizing the southbank. Also from my experience a number of creators were no shows...which probably led to the perception of increased sprawl.

Primary Complaint: The registration to be a creator was somewhat of a mess when done at the last minute. Initial registration process was not entirely intuitive and the significance of certain steps was not at all conveyed. But mostly, the process of pairing with a venue (the matchmaking period) needs to be explained much better in the future. Its significance was totally lost on me and a few others. I was very fortunate that both of my projects were accepted in the 11th hour, but one Creator from Washington DC who also made the mistake of procrastinating was not so lucky. One Spark staff made it seem like everything would be ok and they even spoke with her on the phone an hour before the deadline and expressed zero urgency for her situation. The presumption was that at least some venue (though not an ideal one) would be provided. Well, none were and the staff apologetically explained the following day that creators without a venue were eliminated, with no refund, from the festival.  I can't say if this actually happened to anyone else...being banned from the festival because the matchmaking process was not completed in time, but it happened to at least one AWESOME project (two creators) from out-of-state.

That said, I am absolutely certain this issue will be addressed by the organizers for the next go round.

No suggestions as I could not attend (exiled to the British Isles this year).  I do have a question, though.  I see lots of new art downtown.  I know Chamblin's has a permanent mural now. Obviously, things like the duck and quilt stage will be taken down.  As for some of the other art (e.g. Rise from the ashes and the black background with white frames).  Will those be taken down now that OneSpark is over? 

(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g374/sheclown2/treecozy.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/sheclown2/media/treecozy.jpg.html)

Loved the unexpected quality of it all.  Random tree cozy...still giggling about that.  Beyond all of the other pluses, for me, this event simply made downtown fun.

(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g374/sheclown2/onespark.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/sheclown2/media/onespark.jpg.html)

Unfotunately was out of town. Saw the pic from the water at the Landing and a few boats. How many votes did the USS Adams get?

I talked to a  few creators in the Hyatt and they said they maybe get a dozen or so people in per day as they are way off the beaten path. I don't think it was fair for them. The volunteers finally did get outh there and start pointing people to where creators were set up. I would like to see JTA more involved with the trolley. Why couldn't a trolley loop have been set up that went around the perimeter of the event? I would also suggest more structured zones. I would like to have seen all the artisist say in one scetion of downtown and all the technology in one section, etc.

Overall the event was pretty awesome. Seeing to many people downtown for the first time really enjoying themselves was great. The energy of all the arts and ideas was great.  Being fairly downtown savy myself I actually, had never been to the Southpoint Gallery which was an eye opener.

I actually liked the out of the way spaces and buildings but I felt better signage is need to let people know where these spots are. Not everyone realized there was a map or a mobile app. Also there was a disconnect from Laura Street to the Landing. because you had the food strip but then a bunch of cop cars parked closing off the rest of Laura and that cut of the flow of people to the landing and beyond.

But even with a few minor first years issues the event was truly a success. I cant wait for the next one.

This event proves people will come downtown and parking is not an issue. I was at amazed at all the families I saw. Seeing all the little ones on the Skyway smiling and having fun was great. I also noticed lots of older people, especially Friday. Overall, great time and cant wait for next year. More food trucks next year!

I usually ride my bike when I visit downtown, but a couple of times I drove to the convention center and hopped on the (very crowded!) Skyway. It was quite convenient! I loved seeing all the people on bikes that weren't people I already know from the cycling community.

I talked to a couple of downtown business owners who said they got more business from One Spark than from more contained events like Jazz Fest and football games. I also talked to a few people who normally don't go downtown, and they seemed to be having fun wandering around to new, cool places! On the flip side, I knew a creator at the Hyatt, and another creator friend was inside one of one of the office buildings on the 3rd floor. One Spark did great with their signage, but once you got into some of these buildings it wasn't apparent where creators were set up. There are some areas the Skyway doesn't quite reach, and though I saw a couple of bicycle rickshaws ferrying people around, something more robust like JTA trolleys taking people to the outer edges of the creator and entertainment zone every 10-15 minutes might be something to organize for next year.

I think they need to change the way the prizes are awarded so that you have to hit a minimum number of votes in order to get money from the $250,000 pool.  One Spark will need to fund the top vote-getters to at least a five figure amount in order to incentivize creators from around the country and world to travel to the festival.  Plus, we live in a jackpot society.  Big prizes make headlines.

Two things for me:

Would like to see One Spark run a bit longer next year until Sunday evening or later--who wants to finish up the weekend fun so early?  Went downtown on Sunday around 1 pm or so to check things out and grab a bite to eat for lunch, but other than Chamblin's Uptown, everything was pretty much packed up and dead by that time, albeit it was also kind of drizzly out, but still.

I was too lazy to ride my bike and didn't really want to deal with the hassle of 1) looking up the ever changing pseudo-trolley schedule, 2) locating the nearest bus stop and 3) waiting in the sun and/or rain for an hour but I would have loved to have actually been able to hop on a trolley someplace in Riverside to go downtown and back so I ended up driving both days I attended.  So, maybe it was really great this year and I just missed out, but next year, I'd like to see more and better trolley service to/from Riverside advertised--short wait times, easy to spot convenient stops, and run it until late at night!

That said, like others have stated, I did really like the convenience of parking at the convention center lot and taking a nearly full Skyway to Hemming Plaza both days I went and loved the event overall and the vibe of downtown when it's full of people and doesn't look so abandoned and neglected.

Hey Beonespark.com webmasters, why don't you update the site with the results instead of dropping the site like a hot potato?

Quote from: goldy21 on April 22, 2013, 11:21:16 AM
I think they need to change the way the prizes are awarded so that you have to hit a minimum number of votes in order to get money from the $250,000 pool.  One Spark will need to fund the top vote-getters to at least a five figure amount in order to incentivize creators from around the country and world to travel to the festival.  Plus, we live in a jackpot society.  Big prizes make headlines.

Absolutely. I was hoping a few people would receive significant prize dollars, at least $20k to $30k. There have to be minimums. There is no way to get world wide, national or even local drive with a top prize of $2k-$6k. Unless you just view it as a "convention" of sorts and the real prize is the networking (which is an incredible and vital aspect of the event). Next year might be tough for this reason. Creators involved this year will have to wonder if their time, money and energy was worth it even if they gained the top prize. I think many will say no.

I also wish they were a little more clear as to who (if anyone) received large individual contributions and/or investments. Those are the stories that will drive participation and intrigue.  The OneSpark story is "that was really cool and well executed." The actual goal of the event to provide funding to creators is kind of secondary. Every dollar counts, yes, but also every dollar counts!

I'm also wondering (as a friend opined) if the key to winning One Spark will always be if the "idea" is charitable/non-profitish/community-ish?. All good things but will it invariably exclude "for-profit" innovators. Will the inventors choose to not take part because they don't have a "soul" story to go along with their idea so it becomes a waste of their time? I'm wondering if there is a need to let people compete within a category to keep the competition a little more level. We are a community that cares so it's going to be tough to vote for the inventor vs. the non-profit. I like the idea that everyone is competing with each other but i don't want to see One Spark become a convention for every charitable organization in the city.

Which brings me to why some of the category winners don't seem to relate to the category. Like why is "123 Fresh" a winner in Science? Or, why is rethreaded in Art? Or, Why is the Kona School in technology? Those links should be made clear. I shouldn't have to guess. Which probably means One Spark wasn't very clear how each category was defined when the creators were submitting their applications.

Quote from: jaxlore on April 22, 2013, 09:35:58 AM
Overall the event was pretty awesome. Seeing to many people downtown for the first time really enjoying themselves was great. The energy of all the arts and ideas was great.  Being fairly downtown savy myself I actually, had never been to the Southpoint Gallery which was an eye opener.

I actually liked the out of the way spaces and buildings but I felt better signage is need to let people know where these spots are. Not everyone realized there was a map or a mobile app. Also there was a disconnect from Laura Street to the Landing. because you had the food strip but then a bunch of cop cars parked closing off the rest of Laura and that cut of the flow of people to the landing and beyond.

But even with a few minor first years issues the event was truly a success. I cant wait for the next one.

I felt the same way.  I enjoyed exploring the farther reaches and hidden gems.  It was like a scavenger hunt for the visitors.

For those looking for the top winners this is from their www.beonespark.tumblr.com (http://www.beonespark.tumblr.com) page.

QuoteOne Spark 2013 Closing Ceremony Key Stats

We’ll have full information released from our Press Office in the day(s) ahead. Here are key stats from the One Spark 2013 Closing Ceremony held today.

Top 3 Vote Getters in Music: The 5 & Dime ($2,326.50), Boneshaker ($2,495.36) and Fathom Sphere ($2,509.43).

Top 3 Vote Getters in Technology: The Riverwalk Project ($2,448.45), Kona School ($3,137.96) and The Wall ($3,466.29).

Top 3 Vote Getters in Science: 123-Fresh ($2,945.65), 1 Food Park Project ($3,189.55) and Tiger Trail ($4,183.94).

Top 3 Vote Getters in Art: 20 Murals in a Year ($4,010.39), Beyond the Facade ($4,202.71) and Rethreaded ($6,768.42)

Estimated 130,000 people attended the 5-day festival in downtown Jacksonville

Over 40,000 people rode the Skyway between Wednesday and Saturday, according to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority

Over 50,000 verified votes

STACHE Investments will invest in 5-7 companies and work with them over the next six months to support, build and grow their ventures in Jacksonville, FL.

(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/2465804135_fgdvtVg-600x1000)The One Spark Robot man.

Quote from: TheCat on April 22, 2013, 12:30:22 PM

Which brings me to why some of the category winners don't seem to relate to the category. Like why is "123 Fresh" a winner in Science? Or, why is rethreaded in Art? Or, Why is the Kona School in technology? Those links should be made clear. I shouldn't have to guess. Which probably means One Spark wasn't very clear how each category was defined when the creators were submitting their applications.

It looked as if creators could list their project under several categories, such as Technology, Invention and Education. Next year it might be good to limit them to only one category.

As the owner of Fresh (8th place overall, 3rd place science), we were very proud just to be a part of this amazing event!  The creators of One Spark did an amazing job with setting up this 5 day event and finally drawing thousands to downtown for something other than a football game or concert. 

Fresh is looking to expand in the near future, we are combining 3 business into 1 - healthy local organic foods, personal training, and yoga.  We're not exactly sure why we were in the science category, but we were just happy to be involved with this great event.  To learn more about Fresh, please check out our Facebook page - www.fb.com/FreshJax

Have a Great Day! 

Quote from: Fresh on April 22, 2013, 01:52:26 PM
As the owner of Fresh (8th place overall, 3rd place science), we were very proud just to be a part of this amazing event!  The creators of One Spark did an amazing job with setting up this 5 day event and finally drawing thousands to downtown for something other than a football game or concert. 

Fresh is looking to expand in the near future, we are combining 3 business into 1 - healthy local organic foods, personal training, and yoga.  We're not exactly sure why we were in the science category, but we were just happy to be involved with this great event.  To learn more about Fresh, please check out our Facebook page - www.fb.com/FreshJax

Have a Great Day! 

Loved your presentation Fresh.  :)

Quote from: ProjectMaximus on April 22, 2013, 01:03:51 AM
It's one thing for the festival to be "spread out" evenly throughout downtown (which I think is fine)...another thing entirely to have pockets of extremely isolated areas. And while I did not visit them (did anyone?), I know that there were a couple dozen creators who were placed on the southbank (myself included although I just decided to set up elsewhere since I had that option) If I had been stuck by myself waaaay out there I would've been so pissed! I also know the One Spark HQ Lounge got very very little use, presumably because it was kinda far away from everything else.

There were no creators on the southbank....on the northbankl riverwalk, yes....and those between the TUPAC and the Landing did just fine in getting visitors....the ones between the Landing and the Hyatt, not so much.

and which lounge are you referring to...the one that was on Bay Street?  If so, it was meant to be used in the evening as part of  the entertainment zone.  I staffed that area Friday night and it was pretty liveley

Thank you Cheshire Cat!  Did you see our presentation on stage for the pitch deck, or did you come to our booth?   By the end, Hillary and I (Jason) lost our voices.  It got very loud around us and we almost had to yell our pitch to visitors.  We wound up handing out 2,000 pamphlets and probably speaking with many more people.  That was a long 5 days of hard work, but now thousands of people know about Fresh (fb.com/FreshJax).

Everyone is totally right that they need a minimum, or even just flat out tiered prizes based on vote rankings.

Quote from: TheCat on April 22, 2013, 12:30:22 PM
Which brings me to why some of the category winners don't seem to relate to the category. Like why is "123 Fresh" a winner in Science? Or, why is rethreaded in Art? Or, Why is the Kona School in technology? Those links should be made clear. I shouldn't have to guess. Which probably means One Spark wasn't very clear how each category was defined when the creators were submitting their applications.

They let you choose as many categories as you wanted during registration. In most cases it would benefit the creator to be listed in as many as possible to get the most eyeballs.

Quote from: tufsu1 on April 22, 2013, 02:09:50 PM
There were no creators on the southbank....on the northbankl  riverwalk, yes....and those between the TUPAC and the Landing did just fine in getting visitors....the ones between the Landing and the Hyatt, not so much.

and which lounge are you referring to...the one that was on Bay Street?  If so, it was meant to be used in the evening as part of  the entertainment zone.  I staffed that area Friday night and it was pretty liveley

Well that's good to know. ;) When I checked in, the staffer told me I was on the southbank and pointed it out on the map. But I never went to scout my location cause I just had no interest in going there. Which brings up another point...many of the volunteers were woefully uninformed. I'm sure just kinks of being a first time event.

As for the lounge on bay street, my friends who were volunteering said that nobody came by except for dinnertime. The place would be packed but then empty out once the food was gone. AND, they said it was intended to be for VIP or Creators only, but they always opened up to everyone due to a lack of traffic. Don't know if that jives with what you saw first-hand, TUFSU, but that's what I was told.

Quote from: Fresh on April 22, 2013, 02:28:27 PM
Thank you Cheshire Cat!  Did you see our presentation on stage for the pitch deck, or did you come to our booth?   By the end, Hillary and I (Jason) lost our voices.  It got very loud around us and we almost had to yell our pitch to visitors.  We wound up handing out 2,000 pamphlets and probably speaking with many more people.  That was a long 5 days of hard work, but now thousands of people know about Fresh (fb.com/FreshJax).

I came to your booth Friday and chatted quite awhile.  Have photo's on the hubby's Iphone.  Will try and post some later when he and his phone return from work. :)

Quote from: ProjectMaximus on April 22, 2013, 02:30:18 PM
As for the lounge on bay street, my friends who were volunteering said that nobody came by except for dinnertime. The place would be packed but then empty out once the food was gone. AND, they said it was intended to be for VIP or Creators only, but they always opened up to everyone due to a lack of traffic. Don't know if that jives with what you saw first-hand, TUFSU, but that's what I was told.

yes....all the lounges were restricted spaces, but the one on Bay Street was opened up to everyone for Thursday and Friday night....lesson learned is that the entertainment zone need not be "open" on Wednesday night....on Friday night we had a good crowd in the lounge from 9pm until about 10:30...and then again after 11:15pm when people came in to get out of the rain

It did end way too early on sunday, they should've just said that it was from the 17th to the 20th. I rode bus DT and got there by 1pm. I had to sit there for nearly 2 hours until my next bus came. (at least the landing was still happening. I went to Hooters and had a beer and a cheese steak.) Like L.P. Hovercraft said, there's no reason it can't wait until early evening to close up.

Other than the SkyWay being open later, the buses were not. I had to walk home firday night. Again, I made the best of it by stopping off at Burdies and Kickbacks on the way.

JTA needs to run ALL buses later next time. Stop putting all of your eggs in the carcentric basket. Just because people ride the bus, it doesn't mean that they don't have any money to spent at events like this. JTA, you need to start catering to EVERYONE, weather they drive or not!

I loved everything else about it!

I, and many of the other volunteers and creators, were exhausted by Sunday....I do not think the festival should be any longer, but.....

I would support shifting the schedule to open at 5 or 6pm on Wednesday (instead of 3pm) and add a few hours to Sunday (say closing at 3pm).

Quote from: tufsu1 on April 22, 2013, 04:31:57 PM
I, and many of the other volunteers and creators, were exhausted by Sunday....I do not think the festival should be any longer, but.....

I would support shifting the schedule to open at 5 or 6pm on Wednesday (instead of 3pm) and add a few hours to Sunday (say closing at 3pm).

I really like this idea!  I hope it is considered by organizers.

Quote from: Cheshire Cat on April 22, 2013, 04:34:57 PM

Quote from: tufsu1 on April 22, 2013, 04:31:57 PM
I, and many of the other volunteers and creators, were exhausted by Sunday....I do not think the festival should be any longer, but.....

I would support shifting the schedule to open at 5 or 6pm on Wednesday (instead of 3pm) and add a few hours to Sunday (say closing at 3pm).

I really like this idea!  I hope it is considered by organizers.

That could work. It started while people were still working. But at least they were pretty well set up by the time they were ready to come out.

Come to think of it, the Landing was full of people with their dogs. I don't know what that was all about, but it looked like everyone was having lots of fun. So maybe the vendors, creators and other mobile exhibits can close up shop like they did this time; And the brick and mortar businesses can encourage the public to come to after parties in order to keep things going and to get some last minute sales in the process.

Speaking of that, I forgot to mention that I went to this store in the Landing called Aly Cat. There I bought a salt lamp. It's basically a chunk of salt from the Hemalayas. It has a hole carved in it for a tea light candle. It glows really pretty and has dehumidifying properties. It also clears the room of allergens.

I advise everyone to check out the stores at the Landing. They really need and deserve our business.

I thought it was a fantastic event - the creativity was really abuzz downtown...the energy was just amazing to feel. It was unlike anything I've experienced in this city. Kudos!

My one thought, is that I felt all of the vendors (creators) were set up randomly - there seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to who was placed where. I thought it would be nice if there were designated areas for each type of category...say these few blocks are designated for business ideas...these few blocks are for performance art...these few blocks are for visual arts...etc. etc. Just a thought so that it would seem a little more organized.

I also was confused on how to vote - so I didn't vote. A phone app would have been a nice option for that (perhaps there was one, but if there was, it wasn't clearly explained).

Outside of those few suggestions, I just have to say it was a great event!

I think the first year of One Spark was great.

I made 3 separate trips to the event and plenty of my family and friends went as well. Many of these suggestions came from them, keeping in mind the age and socialeconomic groups are well varied.

They complained about the voting. Those that didn't spend time reading up on the event didn't understand the process of casting their ballot, some without smartphones felt it was too much of a hassle and some didn't know they could vote more than once.

The venues were extremely far apart if you were an 75 year old with bad knees. Perfect if you had the health, time and drive to see it all.  Having volunteers point out the venues was a good idea but it wasn't enough. Maybe instead of being spread out that far we could co-op a few of the crummy surface lots and put tents up.  And consider  "districts". We had an entertainment area, why not have serperate districts for art, technology, etc. A clearer map would help as well.

I agree with the statements about chosing one category to be entered in. It gives the appearance of "salting" the vote somehow. If your idea is entered under many categories and if you have the benefit of a large group of constituents (say a mega church or two) and request votes from you can't help but win.

I'd like to see much more substantial cash prizes to the winners, but everyone get a little something to offset their costs of doing business downtown for 5 days.

If a creator was a no show they should not be allowed to take a space the following year.  And a creator should be required to staff their booth at all times during the event. I was downtown from 10 am until 3 pm on Friday and their were many booths that were not set up. (yes, I know it is a work day but make other arrangements)

Honestly, all in all I loved it. It can only get better each year.

Lunican taught me how to share pics.  Thanks Lunican!  Here are two from my Friday visit to One Spark
(http://i.imgur.com/3qKiqmP.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/RVSXGWA.jpg)

Way to go Cheshire, hitting on the hunky firefighters!

Quote from: Cheshire Cat on April 21, 2013, 09:12:20 PM
I christen thee "Quacker Jax"

(http://i.imgur.com/GryylKw.jpg)It's no secret that I think the "One Spark" event was a success.  The numbers for event attendance and voting support that reality.  Considering the fact that some very talented folks, investors and volunteers created such a great venue in a very short time I give them all a big "Two Thumbs Up"!

As is to be expected after the inauguration of any new venue, there is always a time to discuss what was a hit, what might be made better and to add new ideas to what is already established for the next event.  So I respectfully begin by making a single idea suggestion that is neither earth shaking or event changing but simply fun. 

I want to talk about the whimsy to be discovered downtown during the event and one big smile maker was the huge yellow duck.  You know the one that appeared the morning of the event floating in a Hemming Plaza fountain.  It was such a fun entry and one that I believe should be considered as a mascot for future "One Spark" events.  I have even come up with a name for him which is "Quacker Jax"!  lol  The media spin on the duck could cover everything from T Shirts for adults and children, to small rubber ducks being sold to benefit the event or another cause.  The duck could be presented in a different location or pose from year to year.  My family really loved it.

Perhaps others would like to share their comments and ideas on this thread in order to help the One Spark creators make next years event even bigger and better.  Things like how the voting is done or more food trucks.  A much larger food venue filled with many of the wonderful food trucks talked about on this site would be fantastic and perhaps moving the entertainment district closer to the action. 

Any other ideas or comments?

Quacker Jax moves out to home pond tomorrow at 10am. Should get just as many double takes going out as it did coming in.

Quote from: Ralph W on April 22, 2013, 09:31:20 PM

Quote from: Cheshire Cat on April 21, 2013, 09:12:20 PM
I christen thee "Quacker Jax"

(http://i.imgur.com/GryylKw.jpg)It's no secret that I think the "One Spark" event was a success.  The numbers for event attendance and voting support that reality.  Considering the fact that some very talented folks, investors and volunteers created such a great venue in a very short time I give them all a big "Two Thumbs Up"!

As is to be expected after the inauguration of any new venue, there is always a time to discuss what was a hit, what might be made better and to add new ideas to what is already established for the next event.  So I respectfully begin by making a single idea suggestion that is neither earth shaking or event changing but simply fun. 

I want to talk about the whimsy to be discovered downtown during the event and one big smile maker was the huge yellow duck.  You know the one that appeared the morning of the event floating in a Hemming Plaza fountain.  It was such a fun entry and one that I believe should be considered as a mascot for future "One Spark" events.  I have even come up with a name for him which is "Quacker Jax"!  lol  The media spin on the duck could cover everything from T Shirts for adults and children, to small rubber ducks being sold to benefit the event or another cause.  The duck could be presented in a different location or pose from year to year.  My family really loved it.

Perhaps others would like to share their comments and ideas on this thread in order to help the One Spark creators make next years event even bigger and better.  Things like how the voting is done or more food trucks.  A much larger food venue filled with many of the wonderful food trucks talked about on this site would be fantastic and perhaps moving the entertainment district closer to the action. 

Any other ideas or comments?

Quacker Jax moves out to home pond tomorrow at 10am. Should get just as many double takes going out as it did coming in.

Where is the home pond?  Do you know who created it?

^It was created by UNF design students and was formerly in one of the ponds on campus. I think the intention is to bring it back there.

^That's great!  It really was fun and the design students did a terrific job.  I am sure "Quaker Jax" will be happy on campus.  I hope we see him again next year at One Spark, perhaps wearing something "trendy" around his ducky neck. Bling, bling perhaps.  :)

Quote from: stephendare on April 22, 2013, 09:59:34 PM
Diane.  On a personal note, you really look fantastic.

Wow, thank you Stephen!  That was really sweet.  I am digging being sixty by the way.  :)

Quote from: Charles Hunter on April 22, 2013, 09:26:27 PM
Way to go Cheshire, hitting on the hunky firefighters!

Indeed Charles.  You know me.  They had to pull me off the dance poll a street over.  lmao

Quote from: tufsu1 on April 22, 2013, 03:40:41 PM

Quote from: ProjectMaximus on April 22, 2013, 02:30:18 PM
As for the lounge on bay street, my friends who were volunteering said that nobody came by except for dinnertime. The place would be packed but then empty out once the food was gone. AND, they said it was intended to be for VIP or Creators only, but they always opened up to everyone due to a lack of traffic. Don't know if that jives with what you saw first-hand, TUFSU, but that's what I was told.

yes....all the lounges were restricted spaces, but the one on Bay Street was opened up to everyone for Thursday and Friday night....lesson learned is that the entertainment zone need not be "open" on Wednesday night....on Friday night we had a good crowd in the lounge from 9pm until about 10:30...and then again after 11:15pm when people came in to get out of the rain

I'll defer to your knowledge over my hearsay for sure, although it sounds like what my friends were saying might be the same thing you witnessed. It's all relative, right?  ;)

Maybe they will bring the "Quacker Jax" back for Jazz Fest.

I cant believe the top creators only got a few thousand dollars for 5 days work plus prep work. That needs to go up to interest quality innovators. Not every particpant needs to get a cookie.

Quote from: John P on April 23, 2013, 09:12:02 AM
I cant believe the top creators only got a few thousand dollars for 5 days work plus prep work. That needs to go up to interest quality innovators. Not every particpant needs to get a cookie.

I'm sure a lot of the creators made great connections and got more exposure for their projects....but $6,000 is nothing and certainly isn't going to entice anyone from outside of North Florida next year. IF this is to truly be a Worldwide, National, or even statewide event, the money needs to go up significantly and there needs to be some quality control.  I'd also be interested to know how much of the money raised/donated to the project went to creators and how much went to administrative costs, marketing, and salaries. Anyone know?

A few friendly ideas:

-Not have it at the same time as Coachella. Not that many Coachella types would have been here this year, but if the event is to grow, you simply can't have it at the same time. For those that don't know Coachella is one of the  best music/arts festivals in the world and attracts tons of media attention....not to mention many of the bright minds and deep pockets you would want at OneSpark.

-Work with the Florida Theater, Arena, etc to bring in big music acts that would make the event more enticing to out of towners. I went to a massive international conference in Toronto recently and Maroon 5 played a concert at the Arena just for attendees. Obviously Maroon 5 wouldn't be the target type of act for artists and creatives, but you get the point. The hosts could probably even work out deals to get creators into a concert/concerts for free.

-Piggybacking on the last one, find more carrots that will entice creators and visitors to come from around the state, country, world. Whether it be free access to concerts, the chance to win an opportunity to pitch your products to Silicon Valley or NYC investors, have a small blurb printed about winners in industry magazines, and so on.

-Don't brand it as the World's Crowdfunding Festival and not have much world representation. A lot of festivals started small and organically grew into what they are because they were special. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact it makes it even easier to grow because then the founders could say...wow we really have something here. We were just expecting this to be a regional/statewide festival and it far exceeded everyone's expectations. Just imagine how great it can be next year when we make it a national festival.

I didn't get to spend as much time at OneSpark as I would have like due to weather and work issues, so I don't have that many ideas on the setup/design/user experience, but all in all it seemed like a success. The true value of it will be the intangible...the people that realized how cool downtown can be and will now come to the Entertainment District, The Riverwalk, or Artwalk more; the people that may be more interested in investing DT now; the social connections made; the sharing of ideas; the exposure for creators, etc.....however, I would be really interested in the financials of the whole deal. How much did Jacksonville residents/businesses donate? How many city resources were spent/used? How much money did the event bring in to the local economy and how much money did the event bring to downtown businesses?

OneSpark is kind of based on the same premise as Artprize.  http://www.artprize.org/about/history 

As folks share insights and suggestions, check out this article on One Spark.  Pretty good stuff.  Make sure to click the link to view the entire article.  This is the kind of out of town press Jacksonville needs.

QuoteRob on April 23, 2013.


One Spark Opening Ceremony

What if you did not have to sell your soul to fund your dream? In many cases, potential business owners cannot justify the risks associated with financing a new start-up venture. Often, when funding cannot be obtained through traditional sources like bank financing or investments from individuals, a new business opportunity never makes it off the ground.

Crowdfunding, a revolutionary way of collecting capital for a project, lets the masses decide the destiny of the creators. When the group, rather than a bank or a board of directors, calls the shots, it is not about a large individual quantitative return, but rather, it is about a large collective qualitative return. Some may call this approach something akin to socialism; others, like John Mackey at Whole Foods, note this new shift in capitalism towards a sustainable approach to development and capitalism they call “Conscious Capitalism.” The world’s first crowdfunding festival, One Spark, not only physically demonstrated the pros and cons of the crowdfunding ecosystem, but also shed light on how entrepreneurs can quickly change the destiny of an entire region.
Elton Rivas talks at OneSpark

Elton Rivas talks at One Spark

Elton Rivas, one of the leaders behind One Spark, had a vision that started with coworking and then grew into something much more as entrepreneurs began to sign up. The coworking location became not just a place to work, but a community that hosted events to inspire knowledge and collaboration. Jacksonville native, Paige Calvert, the current director of Cowork Jax, was one of the passionate early adopters of coworking. Like many young Americans, Paige was attracted to the big city life of New York, but eventually returned home to Jacksonville for the weather and to be around the familiar people she loved and grew up with. After her return to Florida, she vied for the passionate urban community feel of New York in her hometown. This desire to couple her two favorite locales became a reality when she met entrepreneur Elton Rivas during a coworking preview weekend; she quickly signed up to help shift the urban landscape in Jacksonville, which already had its own big-city style. “I have an apartment in downtown Jacksonville,” she boasts, “I walk to work. Nearby, there are coffee shops like Bold Bean. This is awesome.

http://www.eastcoopercompany.com/events/onespark-ignites-crowdfunding-capitalism-and-jacksonville/

QuoteThey complained about the voting. Those that didn't spend time reading up on the event didn't understand the process of casting their ballot, some without smartphones felt it was too much of a hassle and some didn't know they could vote more than once.

The venues were extremely far apart if you were an 75 year old with bad knees. Perfect if you had the health, time and drive to see it all.  Having volunteers point out the venues was a good idea but it wasn't enough. Maybe instead of being spread out that far we could co-op a few of the crummy surface lots and put tents up.  And consider  "districts". We had an entertainment area, why not have serperate districts for art, technology, etc. A clearer map would help as well.

I agree with the statements about chosing one category to be entered in. It gives the appearance of "salting" the vote somehow. If your idea is entered under many categories and if you have the benefit of a large group of constituents (say a mega church or two) and request votes from you can't help but win.

I'd like to see much more substantial cash prizes to the winners, but everyone get a little something to offset their costs of doing business downtown for 5 days.

If a creator was a no show they should not be allowed to take a space the following year.  And a creator should be required to staff their booth at all times during the event. I was downtown from 10 am until 3 pm on Friday and their were many booths that were not set up. (yes, I know it is a work day but make other arrangements)

Honestly, all in all I loved it. It can only get better each year.

^^^Agree with everything CityLife said.

I LOVED OneSpark and hope it "sparks" downtown, grows and that next year is even better. Just a few ideas for pondering:

- A "vetting" process for the creators - nothing big, but a re-focus from this year regarding categories, tiers, etc. Depending on the focus, should large, long-established groups like the Zoo and YMCA who get loads of money from individual investors and foundations be competing on the same level as a newbie like Kona School, etc?
- A creator "happy hour"/networking session. etc. for the creators since it's difficult to spend a lot of time going around to all of the incredible groups.
- Disqualify the creators who don't fully participate. (It was worth repeating that one. ;-)) I volunteered on Saturday morning on the Riverwalk. It was COLD and RAINY and 8:30 AM. But me and lots of other folks were there with smiles on. MANY of the creators were not there until well after the weather cleared.
- Consolidate or organize the areas/venues more...at least until the festival grows to the size of this year's designated area
- Consider moving the times - start on Thursday afternoon? Go noon to midnight Th and F and 9-9 Sat and Sun.

Just a few for now. :-)

"Breaking News.....Breaking News....Breaking News!!!!!!!!!" (wow it is fun to cry wolf! lol)

A downtown shop keeper did not like the "dance pole" so near their property. lmbo  Really?  I liked the pole.  It's exercise right?

Now this nice piece from Mark Woods of the T.U.

Quote

There are a lot of ways to gauge what happened for five days in downtown Jacksonville. But if I were to describe my experiences at the first One Spark, I’d start at the end, standing in the middle of a crowded Skyway car.

After spending a few hours downtown, I had hopped on at Hemming Plaza, then switched at Central for the ride back to the parking garage at Kings Avenue. A large group of parents and children also boarded there. And as the car climbed up the Acosta Bridge, some of the out-of-town riders pointed their cellphones toward downtown, recording photos and video of where they had just been.

They seemed excited to have been there. I felt oddly proud that they were excited, as if I personally had done something other than go downtown, listen to some music, check out some projects and wander through the closed streets with an Intuition Ale One Spark in hand.

I did a quick head count. The Skyway car wasn’t Tokyo-at-rush-hour full. But it was standing-room-only. And I was thinking about how good it felt to be standing in a crowded car with 21 other people when one of the kids giggled and several others groaned, waving their hands in front of their noses.

Crowded cars on the Skyway. Traffic congestion downtown. Long waits at restaurants.

Isn’t it wonderful?

More than once I heard someone talking about the vibe, even the seemingly negative aspects, by saying, “Isn’t this great? ... This feels like a real downtown.”

It’s not just that the inaugural One Spark attracted an eclectic mix of serious and whimsical projects, making it feel like a science fair, music festival, art exhibit, live infomercial and reality show â€" your votes decide the winners! â€" all rolled into one.

It’s also that the first One Spark attracted an eclectic mix of tens of thousands of people. From wealthy to homeless, cocktail attire to beach casual, urban to redneck, old to young. All seemingly having a good time at what was billed as the world’s first crowdfunding festival.

There were some complaints here and there. One of the stories in the paper during the event said a business owner wasn’t thrilled about the project on her street: pole-dancing-for-fitness. (I missed this project. Honest. But another columnist, whom I won’t name, seemed quite impressed by it.)

In the days since the first One Spark ended, most of the people I’ve talked to about it have declared it a great debut. And then they have inevitably rattled off some things they think should be done differently.

Bigger checks for the big winners. Less isolated venues. More food trucks. Fewer food trucks. A shorter festival. One that extends until Sunday evening ...

But here’s the thing: This wasn’t like a lot of the criticism I hear (and, yes, sometimes make) about what is happening in town.

It wasn’t grumbling for the sake of grumbling. It was people excited about what they experienced this year, already looking forward to something even bigger and better next year.

mark.woods@jacksonville.com

http://members.jacksonville.com/opinion/premium/blog/455124/mark-woods/2013-04-24/mark-woods-downtown-felt-downtown-should-feel

"Breaking News......Breaking News......"Freakin" Breaking News!!!!!!!"  (Get's old quick doesn't it?  lol)

"Quacker Jax" the large and whimsical yellow duck who made his national debut during Jacksonville's "One Spark" festival, went missing from a Hemming Park fountain shortly after the close of the event which ended on Sunday.  Rumors circulated that a group of questionable looking individuals were seen taking "Quacker" from the downtown location.   Worried officials sent out an A.P.B. with descriptions of the duck who some claim was seen headed toward the UNF campus.  Some believed the duck may have bonded with his creators in the Design Department there and those creators had somehow managed to convince the unknown group to abscond with "Quacker".  I have yet to verify this information, but it does sound feasible.  The break in this story came when this reporter was perusing her FB page to see the post of a friend, MJ poster and educator extraordinaire, "Jaxson" who had found "Quacker Jax" well and happy, now floating in a pond near the library entrance at UNF.  I wonder, will "Quacker Jax" be happy out of the spotlight or will the call of celebrity again draw the duck center stage in upcoming Jacksonville events?  We shall see.

(http://i.imgur.com/a0HDEGu.jpg)

Hello,
I was one of the creators participating in One Spark. While I admit the process was difficult and somewhat vague at times, the event was fun and worthwhile to take part in. I actually find it slightly offensive that several people who could not even be botherd to vote are on here giving sugestions on how to change One Spark. For those who were confused on how to vote, did you ever bother to ask one of the creators? I spent just as much time pitching for One Spark as I did for my project. I managed to get several people who were in town for business and had no idea what was going on to register and participate on the spot. If you were confused, all you had to do was communicate. That is kind of the point of One Spark. That a little idea can grow into something big if you share it.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of lumping all of the creators into designated Zones. My project was heavily art based buy I do not want to be lumped into the Southlight gallery area, or the Art Center, or the Jen Jones Gallery, etc. Look at what happened to the folks on the sixth floor of Suntrust. They were largely tech and seemed to be mostly smartphone apps. We are all so inundated with apps everyday that people ignored that area.  Nobody checked it out there was no buzz. What if a couple of the cool art projects were up there? What if Boneshaker had been up there? If you lump things together it gets segregated and you never discover anything new. I can here the qoutes now "I don't care for all of that smeary abstract art stuff so I avoided the art area entirely, after all I only wanted to check out inventions." What if in the process of looking for a particular inventor you stumble upon an art piece that actually moves you?

Why does everyone want to change the prize structure? If you want to see the big prizes go up then simply contribute to the causes/projects you care about. Again this was a major point of One Spark. Want to see even bigger prizes for the top vote getters then make the overall pot even bigger.  Think about how much 2% of 1 million would be. Imagine being a person who only received .026% of the vote but the pot is a million dollars.  That would be something to talk about, that would get peoples attention.

At the very least before you start wanting to change things you should at least get in and participate instead of just standing on the side lines and complaining.

Quote from: gonz69n on April 24, 2013, 04:42:06 PM
Hello,
I was one of the creators participating in One Spark. While I admit the process was difficult and somewhat vague at times, the event was fun and worthwhile to take part in. I actually find it slightly offensive that several people who could not even be botherd to vote are on here giving sugestions on how to change One Spark. For those who were confused on how to vote, did you ever bother to ask one of the creators? I spent just as much time pitching for One Spark as I did for my project. I managed to get several people who were in town for business and had no idea what was going on to register and participate on the spot. If you were confused, all you had to do was communicate. That is kind of the point of One Spark. That a little idea can grow into something big if you share it.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of lumping all of the creators into designated Zones. My project was heavily art based buy I do not want to be lumped into the Southlight gallery area, or the Art Center, or the Jen Jones Gallery, etc. Look at what happened to the folks on the sixth floor of Suntrust. They were largely tech and seemed to be mostly smartphone apps. We are all so inundated with apps everyday that people ignored that area.  Nobody checked it out there was no buzz. What if a couple of the cool art projects were up there? What if Boneshaker had been up there? If you lump things together it gets segregated and you never discover anything new. I can here the qoutes now "I don't care for all of that smeary abstract art stuff so I avoided the art area entirely, after all I only wanted to check out inventions." What if in the process of looking for a particular inventor you stumble upon an art piece that actually moves you?

Why does everyone want to change the prize structure? If you want to see the big prizes go up then simply contribute to the causes/projects you care about. Again this was a major point of One Spark. Want to see even bigger prizes for the top vote getters then make the overall pot even bigger.  Think about how much 2% of 1 million would be. Imagine being a person who only received .026% of the vote but the pot is a million dollars.  That would be something to talk about, that would get peoples attention.

At the very least before you start wanting to change things you should at least get in and participate instead of just standing on the side lines and complaining.

Agreed,

I went up there several times. Two of my roommates were there and I had to go back to see exhibits that I liked but had no one available at that time.

What was your idea? I may've even talked with you at length.

Quote from: urbaknight on April 24, 2013, 04:58:09 PM

Quote from: gonz69n on April 24, 2013, 04:42:06 PM
Hello,
I was one of the creators participating in One Spark. While I admit the process was difficult and somewhat vague at times, the event was fun and worthwhile to take part in. I actually find it slightly offensive that several people who could not even be botherd to vote are on here giving sugestions on how to change One Spark. For those who were confused on how to vote, did you ever bother to ask one of the creators? I spent just as much time pitching for One Spark as I did for my project. I managed to get several people who were in town for business and had no idea what was going on to register and participate on the spot. If you were confused, all you had to do was communicate. That is kind of the point of One Spark. That a little idea can grow into something big if you share it.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of lumping all of the creators into designated Zones. My project was heavily art based buy I do not want to be lumped into the Southlight gallery area, or the Art Center, or the Jen Jones Gallery, etc. Look at what happened to the folks on the sixth floor of Suntrust. They were largely tech and seemed to be mostly smartphone apps. We are all so inundated with apps everyday that people ignored that area.  Nobody checked it out there was no buzz. What if a couple of the cool art projects were up there? What if Boneshaker had been up there? If you lump things together it gets segregated and you never discover anything new. I can here the qoutes now "I don't care for all of that smeary abstract art stuff so I avoided the art area entirely, after all I only wanted to check out inventions." What if in the process of looking for a particular inventor you stumble upon an art piece that actually moves you?

Why does everyone want to change the prize structure? If you want to see the big prizes go up then simply contribute to the causes/projects you care about. Again this was a major point of One Spark. Want to see even bigger prizes for the top vote getters then make the overall pot even bigger.  Think about how much 2% of 1 million would be. Imagine being a person who only received .026% of the vote but the pot is a million dollars.  That would be something to talk about, that would get peoples attention.

At the very least before you start wanting to change things you should at least get in and participate instead of just standing on the side lines and complaining.

Agreed,

I went up there several times. Two of my roommates were there and I had to go back to see exhibits that I liked but had no one available at that time.

What was your idea? I may've even talked with you at length.

Oh yeah, welcome to MJ! Glad to see our demographic's growing!

Quote from: gonz69n on April 24, 2013, 04:42:06 PM
Hello,
I was one of the creators participating in One Spark. While I admit the process was difficult and somewhat vague at times, the event was fun and worthwhile to take part in. I actually find it slightly offensive that several people who could not even be botherd to vote are on here giving sugestions on how to change One Spark. For those who were confused on how to vote, did you ever bother to ask one of the creators? I spent just as much time pitching for One Spark as I did for my project. I managed to get several people who were in town for business and had no idea what was going on to register and participate on the spot. If you were confused, all you had to do was communicate. That is kind of the point of One Spark. That a little idea can grow into something big if you share it.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of lumping all of the creators into designated Zones. My project was heavily art based buy I do not want to be lumped into the Southlight gallery area, or the Art Center, or the Jen Jones Gallery, etc. Look at what happened to the folks on the sixth floor of Suntrust. They were largely tech and seemed to be mostly smartphone apps. We are all so inundated with apps everyday that people ignored that area.  Nobody checked it out there was no buzz. What if a couple of the cool art projects were up there? What if Boneshaker had been up there? If you lump things together it gets segregated and you never discover anything new. I can here the qoutes now "I don't care for all of that smeary abstract art stuff so I avoided the art area entirely, after all I only wanted to check out inventions." What if in the process of looking for a particular inventor you stumble upon an art piece that actually moves you?

Why does everyone want to change the prize structure? If you want to see the big prizes go up then simply contribute to the causes/projects you care about. Again this was a major point of One Spark. Want to see even bigger prizes for the top vote getters then make the overall pot even bigger.  Think about how much 2% of 1 million would be. Imagine being a person who only received .026% of the vote but the pot is a million dollars.  That would be something to talk about, that would get peoples attention.

At the very least before you start wanting to change things you should at least get in and participate instead of just standing on the side lines and complaining.

Hello and welcome.  Don't be to angry with the folks who had difficulty with the voting process though as many tried to get it right. ;) That above anything else has been the number one issue folks have said was a bit off and needed to be revisited.  I know of several who attempted to get help with voting by calling the One Spark assistance line.  As it turned out many of those volunteers were on cell phones and for whatever reason, many calling for help were disconnected or the call dropped.  In some cases even the directions given were not clear.  It's all good though as the One Spark folks have already said this is something they will work to streamline and make more user friendly next time around.

I agree with you about clumping like venues together.  I don't care for the idea and think it might prevent folks for happening upon some ideas that interest which they may miss if they only decided to visit a single area like tech or art for instance.  :)

Another idea that I have for next year, is to find a good bunch of people from all over Duval that are of like mind and willing to run for council. Think of it, a great platform for candidates to kick off their campaigns, to get their word out to a huge crowd that's out there to change Jax in the first place.

Some on this website said, the best way to defeat the special interests, is to become a special interest ourselves.

So how about it? We have an entire year to get prepared; And I believe that 2014 is an election year!

The candidates can even set up booths just like all of the other creators. And if they're well liked and have a strong vote, campaign contributions from the people at large, not those evil developers!

The idea has merit but I doubt One Spark want's to get knee deep in politics.  It can be deadly to creative efforts.  lol  However there is nothing to stop an independent group from setting up an area for candidates in the core.  I think location and timing would be important to such an effort.

Quote from: gonz69n on April 24, 2013, 04:42:06 PM
Hello,
I was one of the creators participating in One Spark. While I admit the process was difficult and somewhat vague at times, the event was fun and worthwhile to take part in. I actually find it slightly offensive that several people who could not even be botherd to vote are on here giving sugestions on how to change One Spark. For those who were confused on how to vote, did you ever bother to ask one of the creators? I spent just as much time pitching for One Spark as I did for my project. I managed to get several people who were in town for business and had no idea what was going on to register and participate on the spot. If you were confused, all you had to do was communicate. That is kind of the point of One Spark. That a little idea can grow into something big if you share it.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of lumping all of the creators into designated Zones. My project was heavily art based buy I do not want to be lumped into the Southlight gallery area, or the Art Center, or the Jen Jones Gallery, etc. Look at what happened to the folks on the sixth floor of Suntrust. They were largely tech and seemed to be mostly smartphone apps. We are all so inundated with apps everyday that people ignored that area.  Nobody checked it out there was no buzz. What if a couple of the cool art projects were up there? What if Boneshaker had been up there? If you lump things together it gets segregated and you never discover anything new. I can here the qoutes now "I don't care for all of that smeary abstract art stuff so I avoided the art area entirely, after all I only wanted to check out inventions." What if in the process of looking for a particular inventor you stumble upon an art piece that actually moves you?

Why does everyone want to change the prize structure? If you want to see the big prizes go up then simply contribute to the causes/projects you care about. Again this was a major point of One Spark. Want to see even bigger prizes for the top vote getters then make the overall pot even bigger.  Think about how much 2% of 1 million would be. Imagine being a person who only received .026% of the vote but the pot is a million dollars.  That would be something to talk about, that would get peoples attention.

At the very least before you start wanting to change things you should at least get in and participate instead of just standing on the side lines and complaining.

Thanks for your thoughts!! I am for the grouping of categories but definitely see your point and agree there's a lot to consider. As for the prize system, it just seems that you need big potential dollars to attract players on a national and perhaps international level. The amount of time and energy that some of the major projects put into this has to at least see some of them reap a return on investment. BTW, 2% of 2 Million is just $20k, which is not much at all for some of the ideas that were presented.

Quote from: gonz69n on April 24, 2013, 04:42:06 PM
Hello,
I was one of the creators participating in One Spark. While I admit the process was difficult and somewhat vague at times, the event was fun and worthwhile to take part in. I actually find it slightly offensive that several people who could not even be botherd to vote are on here giving sugestions on how to change One Spark. For those who were confused on how to vote, did you ever bother to ask one of the creators? I spent just as much time pitching for One Spark as I did for my project. I managed to get several people who were in town for business and had no idea what was going on to register and participate on the spot. If you were confused, all you had to do was communicate. That is kind of the point of One Spark. That a little idea can grow into something big if you share it.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of lumping all of the creators into designated Zones. My project was heavily art based buy I do not want to be lumped into the Southlight gallery area, or the Art Center, or the Jen Jones Gallery, etc. Look at what happened to the folks on the sixth floor of Suntrust. They were largely tech and seemed to be mostly smartphone apps. We are all so inundated with apps everyday that people ignored that area.  Nobody checked it out there was no buzz. What if a couple of the cool art projects were up there? What if Boneshaker had been up there? If you lump things together it gets segregated and you never discover anything new. I can here the qoutes now "I don't care for all of that smeary abstract art stuff so I avoided the art area entirely, after all I only wanted to check out inventions." What if in the process of looking for a particular inventor you stumble upon an art piece that actually moves you?

Why does everyone want to change the prize structure? If you want to see the big prizes go up then simply contribute to the causes/projects you care about. Again this was a major point of One Spark. Want to see even bigger prizes for the top vote getters then make the overall pot even bigger.  Think about how much 2% of 1 million would be. Imagine being a person who only received .026% of the vote but the pot is a million dollars.  That would be something to talk about, that would get peoples attention.

At the very least before you start wanting to change things you should at least get in and participate instead of just standing on the side lines and complaining.

Because you participated as a creator your views may differ from many that were just attendees. I don't think opinions voiced here are just "negative nellies". Many of us fully embraced the experience, visiting as many booths as possible and voting as allowed. But we see room for improvement.

As someone that used to chair large events I can assure you that the One Spark committee will look at every bit of feedback they receive and will make decisions based
on all that data for next year. It's part of their job (paid or unpaid).

Quote from: gonz69n on April 24, 2013, 04:42:06 PM
Hello,
I was one of the creators participating in One Spark. While I admit the process was difficult and somewhat vague at times, the event was fun and worthwhile to take part in. I actually find it slightly offensive that several people who could not even be botherd to vote are on here giving sugestions on how to change One Spark. For those who were confused on how to vote, did you ever bother to ask one of the creators? I spent just as much time pitching for One Spark as I did for my project. I managed to get several people who were in town for business and had no idea what was going on to register and participate on the spot. If you were confused, all you had to do was communicate. That is kind of the point of One Spark. That a little idea can grow into something big if you share it.

I hate, hate, hate the idea of lumping all of the creators into designated Zones. My project was heavily art based buy I do not want to be lumped into the Southlight gallery area, or the Art Center, or the Jen Jones Gallery, etc. Look at what happened to the folks on the sixth floor of Suntrust. They were largely tech and seemed to be mostly smartphone apps. We are all so inundated with apps everyday that people ignored that area.  Nobody checked it out there was no buzz. What if a couple of the cool art projects were up there? What if Boneshaker had been up there? If you lump things together it gets segregated and you never discover anything new. I can here the qoutes now "I don't care for all of that smeary abstract art stuff so I avoided the art area entirely, after all I only wanted to check out inventions." What if in the process of looking for a particular inventor you stumble upon an art piece that actually moves you?

Why does everyone want to change the prize structure? If you want to see the big prizes go up then simply contribute to the causes/projects you care about. Again this was a major point of One Spark. Want to see even bigger prizes for the top vote getters then make the overall pot even bigger.  Think about how much 2% of 1 million would be. Imagine being a person who only received .026% of the vote but the pot is a million dollars.  That would be something to talk about, that would get peoples attention.

At the very least before you start wanting to change things you should at least get in and participate instead of just standing on the side lines and complaining.

I agree on all points.

I am far from tech savvy (still haven't completely figured out how to use iTunes) and I was able to get the voting down quickly.  In many cases, I voted while the creator was making their pitch.  At the end they would say "I would appreciate your vote" and I would show them my phone and say "I already did".

I too like things mixed up.  It would put me into a situation where I saw exhibits that I might not have thought I would find interesting initially.  And then I was surprisingly intrigued.

And to your point about making donations, I did that as well.  I set myself a budget for what I would have been willing to pay to attend such an event and contributed that much extra.

Maybe there are some tweaks to be made.  But I have also seen many a great idea "fixed" so well that it was found dead on the side of the road.

I loved the event! I thought it had a grass roots feel. I went 2 days, Wednesday and Friday nights. As far as suggestions go I'd just like to see the event keep going each year. It's going to take momentum to build up to something great and wonderful. As far as the purse sizes, one would be surprised with what little it takes and that much exposure to get things up and running. I was pleasantly surprised with how many creators I knew and grew up with here in Jax! There is so much talent and I agree with one spark, lets get it up and running here!

Quote from: Cheshire Cat on April 24, 2013, 10:19:41 AM
"Breaking News......Breaking News......"Freakin" Breaking News!!!!!!!"  (Get's old quick doesn't it?  lol)

"Quacker Jax" the large and whimsical yellow duck who made his national debut during Jacksonville's "One Spark" festival, went missing from a Hemming Park fountain shortly after the close of the event which ended on Sunday.  Rumors circulated that a group of questionable looking individuals were seen taking "Quacker" from the downtown location.   Worried officials sent out an A.P.B. with descriptions of the duck who some claim was seen headed toward the UNF campus.  Some believed the duck may have bonded with his creators in the Design Department there and those creators had somehow managed to convince the unknown group to abscond with "Quacker".  I have yet to verify this information, but it does sound feasible.  The break in this story came when this reporter was perusing her FB page to see the post of a friend, MJ poster and educator extraordinaire, "Jaxson" who had found "Quacker Jax" well and happy, now floating in a pond near the library entrance at UNF.  I wonder, will "Quacker Jax" be happy out of the spotlight or will the call of celebrity again draw the duck center stage in upcoming Jacksonville events?  We shall see.

Guess who's back, back again:

(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/931270_442250272535582_1821673912_n.jpg)

Maybe next year we can have this floating in the St. Johns...

(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/gU1i5JN9zPw9wMRcPLVaTQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00NDc7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-05-02T054054Z_940318265_GM1E95211WW01_RTRMADP_3_HONGKONG.JPG)

http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/hong-kong-s-giant-rubber-ducky-slideshow/florentijn-hofmans-floating-duck-sculpture-20130502-000425-666.html

^I love it!   LOL 

Is that the same duck from our one spark?

Quote from: urbaknight on May 03, 2013, 02:23:16 PM
Is that the same duck from our one spark?

No, check the size of it next to the people and the boats.  lol   Our "Quacker Jax" would be this one's baby.  :)

Quote from: Cheshire Cat on May 03, 2013, 02:30:32 PM

Quote from: urbaknight on May 03, 2013, 02:23:16 PM
Is that the same duck from our one spark?

No, check the size of it next to the people and the boats.  lol   Our "Quacker Jax" would be this one's baby.  :)

LOL, oops, I was just focused on the duck. Wow that's one huge duck!

any coverage on this years event?

any coverage on this years event?

We'll have some coverage as the event goes on.

Quote from: Cheshire Cat on May 03, 2013, 02:30:32 PM

Quote from: urbaknight on May 03, 2013, 02:23:16 PM
Is that the same duck from our one spark?

No, check the size of it next to the people and the boats.  lol   Our "Quacker Jax" would be this one's baby.  :)

Anybody know what happened to Cheshire Cat?  ???

#onespark was trending nationally on twitter this evening.  That was pretty cool.

If I might be allowed to think out loud for a moment....   Always offering options about ways to look at things ... I'm wondering if it might be ultimately more exciting, and more productive as to the quality of the projects offered by creators -- as a consequence of having more time for them -- to have One Spark every other year, and actually, to consider alternating each year between the Jazz Festival and One Spark ... for reasons explained below.

Given that a primary objective of One Spark is to engage new ideas and creations by participants, especially ones potentially having great gains for the creators -- by way of money and support -- one might consider that it takes time for some individuals, perhaps more than a few months, to imagine, contemplate, plan, design, produce, and have ready to submit, a creation worthy of One Spark.   

By this move of giving the One Spark creators more time for their projects, it might encourage One Spark projects to be even greater than so far, and would distant it from a tendency to become a second Jazz Festival. 

Perhaps my offering of the idea of giving more time for generating ideas and projects is because I've always been slow in general... in reading.... in thinking, and in doing.  I realize that many people are not slow, and therefore might not require the extra time to imagine and produce the more exciting projects suitable for One Spark.

The relatively short time of a few months, to "do" an idea or project, might be a limiting factor, on average, as to the overall quality of the them.  Of course, those who are slow, like myself, could simply skip a year, and have their project ready after two years of work.  Why didn't I think of that in the first place, and avoid offering this post of thinking out loud?  :-\

Or, maybe we can have the restaurants open on alternate days instead of all at one time? It seems like a waste of resources and very short sided to have all of the available restaurants open at one time in such a tight area. Just a thought I'd like to put out there.

On a serious note, really consider alternating open days for restaurants.

On a more serious note, people aren't just incubating ideas the 11 months prior to one spark. This is just an annual window for ideas to be presented, One Spark presented concepts may have been in the works for years. As long as the prize pool is real and there is a genuine sense of fairness in the award distribution the ideas will get better each year.

Quote from: TheCat on April 11, 2014, 12:22:13 AM
Or, maybe we can have the restaurants open on alternate days instead of all at one time? It seems like a waste of resources and very short sided to have all of the available restaurants open at one time in such a tight area. Just a thought I'd like to put out there.

On a serious note, really consider alternating open days for restaurants.

On a more serious note, people aren't just incubating ideas the 11 months prior to one spark. This is just an annual window for ideas to be presented, One Spark presented concepts may have been in the works for years. As long as the prize pool is real and there is a genuine sense of fairness in the award distribution the ideas will get better each year.

It will get better, but larger as well putting it on every year. As for restaurants being open alternating days, that's a great idea! It would encourage restaurants to be more genuine and well thought out in what they serve... also just putting it out there.

Thanks for considering the point I intended to make .....whatever promotes and achieves excellence and creativity, and avoids mediocrity ... repetition ...... loudness ... or frequency.   :)

Quote from: ronchamblin on April 11, 2014, 02:55:33 AM
Thanks for considering the point I intended to make .....whatever promotes and achieves excellence and creativity, and avoids mediocrity ... repetition ...... loudness ... or frequency.   :)

So OneSpark is mediocre, repetitive, and too loud this year?

Also why should a downtown be quiet? While I often love finding a quiet street in the cities I have visited through out the world, for the most part they are loud entities. That is how you know they are alive...

I honestly don't know what to say to this.

(http://i.imgur.com/aSGGIwE.gif)

Quote from: jason_contentdg on April 11, 2014, 07:09:39 AM
I honestly don't know what to say to this.

Tuesday night, Jerry Moran said QUOTE 'One Spark belongs at the Fairgrounds, not Downtown'

Despite what old clueless people say, a new generation is changing things. Either hop on, or get left behind. There is no time to play fiddle with people that can't hold a tune any longer.

(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Events/One-Spark-2014/i-89HRJjb/0/L/DSCF1335-L.jpg)

As One Spark grows, participants will change. One Spark and the Jazz Fest should remain annual. We should add more events for the remaining 50 weeks of the year. You start getting decent foot traffic in the core on a consistent basis and a lot of perceived problems will resolve themselves.

As happens occasionally ... and this is understandable....  a select few ... those with either a case of myopia .. or for ulterior motives ..   miss the point .... misinterpret....  and jump on the simplest and easiest emotions emerging from these attributes.  The momentum of emotions and junk gains, and few seldom stop to understand the real point or points being made.  Its okay... its good....its expected .  Press on. :)

Quote from: thelakelander on April 11, 2014, 08:13:14 AM
As One Spark grows, participants will change. One Spark and the Jazz Fest should remain annual. We should add more events for the remaining 50 weeks of the year. You start getting decent foot traffic in the core on a consistent basis and a lot of perceived problems will resolve themselves.

Agreed! There is obviously a demand for festivals like One Spark and Jazz Fest. Why not something else/more?

Damn blasting music from them rowdy kids! I'm trying to get some decent sleep here! GET OFF MY LAWN!!!  ;)

So One Spark is only in it's second year and we already want to limit how often it can take place? Not every booth can be a winning idea but there are a lot of people walking around downtown. For Jacksonville that is a huge success.

I appreciate what Chamblin's has done for downtown, but no way should they back this event off. I do agree that we shouldn't close the street for every person that wants to have an event, but this event could do for Jacksonville what SXSW has done for Austin. I seriously think this might be the best thing Downtown has going for it-an opportunity to show 150,000 people that Downtown is safe.

Ron Chamblin basically just stands downtown with his pants pulled up to his nipples, waving a broom wildly and yelling "get off of my yard!"  Why does anyone listen to him any more?  He does not want to do anything that will allow Jacksonville to progress.  He'd rather stay stagnant in the hopes that some magical end-state "infill and vibrancy" will be achieved without the exposure that  we get by creating temporary draws to downtown.  (As long as that infill and vibrancy stays quiet and doesn't have frequent events that might draw people to downtown business, apparently.)  I simply can't understand the logic of that group of people.  As downtown business owners, you would think they'd be thrilled to have the exposure and extra traffic that events like One Spark bring.  Even if someone doesn't purchase goods or eat in a restaurant downtown during the festival, they may take notice.  Then a couple of months later, they may think, "hey, a nice first edition book might make a great gift for my S.O.  Maybe that bookstore downtown will be be able to help me get a copy," or "I remember that restaurant on Laura St. that I wanted to try... let's go there tonight."  Additionally, a big draw to living downtown is having stuff to do downtown.  Every event, from One Spark to the farmer's market, adds to overall attractiveness of downtown Jacksonville.

Are there many truly innovative, game changing ideas at One Spark on a national/global scale? Probably not. Hopefully there will be more in the future.... If you have a great idea, 1. Its not smart to broadcast it to the world, so that it can be stolen (unless proprietary). 2. It's not that hard to find money or investors if you have a legit concept. This is pretty much why there aren't many out of town creators here. I'm actively exploring side projects and looked at a lot of the innovators and most were from Jax and were in conceptual stages.

All that said, One Spark has done a lot of great things for Jax and Downtown. Its helped a lot of local non-profits get more attention, helped fund some good causes, brought a lot of people Downtown, energized local leaders, and inspired local creatives to do more. I don't know how much local money has been pumped into the festival, but I'm sure its gone a lot further than money the city or other local non-profits use on less impactful projects.

Before this momentum of trashing me gets too far, perhaps I can steer the rush of misinterpretation, to one of understanding.

I do not wish to promote limiting One Spark, nor things like One Spark.  My objective is offer ideas to seek, by way of measured options, greater excellence in whatever we do ....and to go the maximum to achieve that excellence.  Sometimes excellence is not a consequence of volume, amplitude, total freedom, quantity, or high frequency of anything.  Crowds and events are interesting in that they sometimes run amok, giving excitement, but sustained mediocrity in the end.  I am suggesting that we consider what can be done to achieve even more excitement and excellence in the end, which just might not include a high frequency of the same event, but, especially in the case of the creative aspect of One Spark, perhaps more time to engage the creative process -- by having the event every two years, instead of each year.  This kind of thinking is only an offering .... against the habit of running with the crowd ... something I have difficulty doing, as should be obvious to most.  I simply cannot help it.  Spare me please.

And I disagree totally with Jerry Moran's idea about having One Spark at the fairgrounds.  The location in the DT is perfect in my opinion. 

Events do introduce "outsiders" to all DT businesses, and this is greatly appreciated.   :)

It always seems like there are competing events each year (Jazz festival vs. Beaches, etc.).  Was the Clay County Fair running concurrent to One Spark last year as well?

I have seen a lot of new faces in this year's One Spark.  I don't believe having it every other year allows an extra year for the creative process to stew because it's not the same people going home to think up new ideas for the following year's event.  By limiting One Spark to a biennial event you are cutting the potential of funding worthy causes and ideas in half.

Quote from: ronchamblin on April 11, 2014, 10:01:01 AM
Before this momentum of trashing me gets too far, perhaps I can steer the rush of misinterpretation, to one of understanding.

I do not wish to promote limiting One Spark, nor things like One Spark.  My objective is offer ideas to seek, by way of measured options, greater excellence in whatever we do ....and to go the maximum to achieve that excellence.  Sometimes excellence is not a consequence of volume, amplitude, total freedom, quantity, or high frequency of anything.  Crowds and events are interesting in that they sometimes run amok, giving excitement, but sustained mediocrity in the end.  I am suggesting that we consider what can be done to achieve even more excitement and excellence in the end, which just might not include a high frequency of the same event, but, especially in the case of the creative aspect of One Spark, perhaps more time to engage the creative process -- by having the event every two years, instead of each year.  This kind of thinking is only an offering .... against the habit of running with the crowd ... something I have difficulty doing, as should be obvious to most.  I simply cannot help it.  Spare me please.

And I disagree totally with Jerry Moran's idea about having One Spark at the fairgrounds.  The location in the DT is perfect in my opinion. 

Events do introduce "outsiders" to all DT businesses, and this is greatly appreciated.   :)

Do you not get that there will be no critical mass and the festival would not grow, if one spark is some strange bi-annual event? Do you realize it is extremely difficult to gain traction with any festival, and when visitors, inventors, investors, and locals can not count on it being there, it would die? I asked you questions before you left unanswered to safe face, but I was sincerely looking for answers. I may have been slamming you a little in my tone but that was only out of the massive disappointment from reading your statements. Statements that almost made me regret riding my bike as a kid to a book shop on Herschel every week...

I apologize if you think i am misinterpreting because I'm not patting you on the back, but when I see the outlandish b.s. from you I start to wonder. Wonder if you're right for a downtown. Wonder if others could do better and more with the space in the core, and to be honest I don't like wondering these things.

Have the creators of OneSpark ever talked about how big they would like this event to become? It would be fantastic if it became a kind of SXSW for the kickstarter and indiegogo scene drawing more national and international entrepreneurs. Hopefully, any perceived notions of the limitations of downtown (lack of hotel/convention space or other amenities) wouldn't prevent that from happening.

Quote from: ronchamblin on April 11, 2014, 10:01:01 AM
Before this momentum of trashing me gets too far, perhaps I can steer the rush of misinterpretation, to one of understanding.

I do not wish to promote limiting One Spark, nor things like One Spark. 
...
I am suggesting that we consider ... having the event every two years, instead of each year.  This kind of thinking is only an offering .... against the habit of running with the crowd ... something I have difficulty doing, as should be obvious to most.  I simply cannot help it.  Spare me please.

And I disagree totally with Jerry Moran's idea about having One Spark at the fairgrounds.  The location in the DT is perfect in my opinion. 

Events do introduce "outsiders" to all DT businesses, and this is greatly appreciated.   :)

Contradict yourself much?

Can we all try and keep this friendly and constructive? At least while the festival is still going on? It's springtime, the weather is fantastic, and a lot of people are having a good time downtown. Lets all just sit back and enjoy it for what it is. There will be plenty of time to discuss it after the fact when the dust has settled.

Alternating years for OneSpark and JazzFest? Are you serious? Are you mentally ill? Also, having restaurants open every other day is about the dumbest fucking thing I have ever heard. You guys must seriously have no clue what's going on. It's time you guys leave the downtown game. We are all tired of your bullshit. There is a large group of us with momentum who's sole purpose is to revitalize downtown, but you small minded dinosaurs just don't get it. If you don't like what's going on, leave.

And just so people can't use the old "he's hiding behind a message board avatar argument"

My name is Cameron Beard. I own Underbelly. And if this is seriously the bullshit you fools can come up with, then consider me and a ton of other people your enemy.

Quote from: camicus on April 11, 2014, 02:46:23 PM
Also, having restaurants open every other day is about the dumbest fucking thing I have ever heard.

The idea of restaurant with alternating days was said as sarcastic mocking of the idea of alternating festivals, as the one who proposed it is involved in the downtown food sector to a degree.

Quote from: camicus on April 11, 2014, 02:46:23 PM
Also, having restaurants open every other day is about the dumbest fucking thing I have ever heard.

Pretty sure this was said tongue-in-cheek as a response to alternating events. I don't think anyone actually thinks that is logical (or even legal for that matter)

Quote from: CityLife on April 11, 2014, 12:51:18 PM
Can we all try and keep this friendly and constructive? At least while the festival is still going on? It's springtime, the weather is fantastic, and a lot of people are having a good time downtown. Lets all just sit back and enjoy it for what it is. There will be plenty of time to discuss it after the fact when the dust has settled.

You make good sense CityLife.  Seems to be a little emotion running wild here.  :)

Ron, I hear the essence of what you're saying but I think you've misunderstood the nature of One Spark. Hopefully it evolves from being a drawing board for the same creators year after year...to eventually becoming "The World's Crowdfunding Festival" which would certainly deserve to be annual. In fact, if it reaches that lofty scale it could even be sustainable multiple times a year in multiple cities...

Quote from: Todd_Parker on April 11, 2014, 11:30:04 AM
Have the creators of OneSpark ever talked about how big they would like this event to become? It would be fantastic if it became a kind of SXSW for the kickstarter and indiegogo scene drawing more national and international entrepreneurs. Hopefully, any perceived notions of the limitations of downtown (lack of hotel/convention space or other amenities) wouldn't prevent that from happening.

I think I heard the co-founders say somewhere that SXSW and ArtPrize were their inspiration. I was also at that lecture given by the ArtPrize Director and founder (Cultural Council Awards Banquet in 2011 or 2012) so if they were following ArtPrize's lead I'm sure the goal is to grow it to be huge on a global scale.

And with regards to the geographical footprint, I have not had a chance to see much of the ideas/creators, but I can offer a personal anecdote: I booked flights for some musicians flying in and out this weekend and I did the same thing last year. I did not notice any unusual pricing last year, for NYC-JAX, which is generally $250 when I book a month out. This year, again about five weeks out, the cost of that same direct flight from NYC was $750.

My only critiques would be:
  1) Create a new group for philanthropy/non-prof projects. Right now, they seem to crowd out business/creative innovation in the rest of the categories.
   2) Pull more of the focus to street level or make bigger clusters of projects in higher-floor spaces (a small group of creators in the 8th floor of an office building don't get much traffic).
   3) Less Landing, more Elbow.

Overall, it's an absolutely fantastic event. Makes me glad to live in the Urban Core.

Agreed on your points, particularly #1. I noticed that tonight. While I definitely appreciate the non-profits, they shouldn't overshadow the business ideas.

I'll have to say that I am impressed, and surprised at, the huge crowd that One Spark has drawn to the core.  This is not only a message as to the need and "fit" for something like One Spark, but a message as to the willingness of the population.... the participants ..... to actually get out .... work..... and "do" their projects.  I think the event holds good potential still, and will continue on to greater things.  The progress will be interesting.  I certainly appreciate all the work done by the facilitators who've worked so hard to get it to where it is. 

The problem for us however, is that now we don't know what to do with all the extra cash we've accumulated because of the crowds coming into our place.  Its just too damned much. We'll figure something out.  Recycle it perhaps.  ;D

That's funny, Ron. All that cash, indeed.

I've heard that Ron has the best prices on beer in the One Spark area.
Was down last night - amazing crowds.  The Skyway to/from both the Convention Center and Southbank parking areas was jammed, as were the parking lots.  I heard that the private operator of the mudhole parking at Jefferson Station did not open his mudhole ... er parking lot ... last night.  C'mon, man, make a little extra cash ($5/car), and at least fill in some of the deeper canyons on that lot.

Loved One Spark. Can't wait for next year. My two friendly suggestions for next year:
1. A "donate $1" button next to the voting button on the app would be a super easy way to generate a lot of money for some of the creators. I know you could click a donate button and enter an amount but one-click would be better, IMO.
2. For those who donate $1 with the idea above, automatically send their email to the creator to easily enable a longer term relationship between the creators and their supporters.

Quote from: EatDrinkJax on April 18, 2014, 04:40:15 PM
Loved One Spark. Can't wait for next year. My two friendly suggestions for next year:
1. A "donate $1" button next to the voting button on the app would be a super easy way to generate a lot of money for some of the creators. I know you could click a donate button and enter an amount but one-click would be better, IMO.
2. For those who donate $1 with the idea above, automatically send their email to the creator to easily enable a longer term relationship between the creators and their supporters.

That is brilliant
+1000