QuoteThe Players Championship is Northeast Florida's signature event -- or is it?
he Players Championship, whose blue skies and green grass are being broadcast around the world, is certainly one of the biggest, most important events in Northeast Florida.
But it has rivals for that honor, one old and one new. At least that's what some people around town told us after we asked them: What is the area's signature event? What event is synonymous with this northeast corner of Florida? Responses were all over the place which, as a couple of them noted, is a good thing.
MARIA COPPOLA
Coppola Public Relations
The Players is a strong contender, but the champ is still the Florida-Georgia game. "A significant event has to have a tradition. ... Look at the history of Florida-Georgia, how hard the city fights to keep the event here, what the economic impact is, how it's become almost a weeklong event — and even though we add seats it's always sold out."
Watch for One Spark, too: "That has a lot of value for the city. We're not just a place to drink beer and watch football, or drink beer and watch The Players. Though at One Spark you can drink beer — craft beer — and eat from food trucks. And it certainly showcases downtown."
TREY HEBRON
Talent booker for 1904 Music Hall and a founder of The Elbow, a group of downtown entertainment venues
"Monster Jam?" That was his first response, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, via Facebook. "Let me think about it. That's a toughie. Florida-Georgia is what I think introduces the most people to Jacksonville overall. I'd love to attribute it to something involved in music but I really can't."
KERRY SPECKMAN
Freelance writer, entertainment blogger at TheSpecktator.com
For the city of Jacksonville, it's Florida-Georgia. For the region as a whole, it's The Players.
For the future, it's "One Spark for sure." She attended Austin's South By Southwest festival before it got huge, and sees that possibility with One Spark. Then there's this: "All the attention it brought to Jacksonville, and it made Jacksonville look so progressive — it made us look good, fun and positive. It's just so original."
THERESA O'DONNELL PRICE
Director of major events at the University of North Florida, past special events director for city of Jacksonville
The Players definitely rules — this week, at least. But what about other college football games, the Jazz Festival, the up-and-coming One Spark? "And of course the Jaguars. To be one of the few markets in the country that has an NFL team? Absolutely."
But she has a hard time picking just one signature event. That's a good sign, though: She's a native of the city, and has seen more and more happening here. How can you narrow it down to just one? "The bar has been raised on events."
RON WHITTINGTON
Corporate communications manager at Visit Jacksonville
He has a hard time picking one event, but says that in Jacksonville itself, Florida-Georgia attracts about 100,000 people. Many out-of-towners are among the 100,000 who come to the Jazz Festival. The Gator Bowl varies, depending on the teams. About 51,000 of the estimated 260,000 people who came to One Spark were from outside the area.
The Players, of course, is set outside Jacksonville, but it's a big deal — the Players said attendance last year was 173,946. And half of those visitors are from outside the area.
KAREN SADLER
Founder of World Arts Film Festival (May 15-17)
"I guess World Arts Film Festival would be my first choice." She laughed. "It's the only thing I spend time thinking about."
No, seriously: It's events such as that, all over town, that are defining the area, rather than a handful of big splashy occasions. "I like the sort of micro-events that are happening, like a craft beer festival or an eco-fest and then all these sorts of causes, focuses, interests. I love it."
TONY ALLEGRETTI
Executive director of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville
Watch out for One Spark, but it has a long way to go before catching up with the clout of The Players.
He likes that TV broadcasts now show the city skyline and mention Jacksonville, even though the event's one county south. "They're really making an extra effort to highlight that it's us."
STEPHEN DARE
A founder of metrojacksonville.com, downtown advocate
For the area, it's The Players. For Jacksonville it's already One Spark — "definitely." "There's the right combination of money and creativity and cutting-edgeness. No city has those three things in the same place very often, and when you have that, good things happen."
There's a buzz about it, here and elsewhere. "They've been unself-consciously promoting it, all across the country."
Matt Soergel: (904) 359-4082
http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-05-09/story/players-championship-northeast-floridas-signature-event-or-it-0 (http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-05-09/story/players-championship-northeast-floridas-signature-event-or-it-0)
My list
1. The Players (Most known outside the area)
2. Florida-Georiga (Biggest event)
3. One Spark (Rising fast and may already have the biggest impact)
4-11 Jags home games.
12. Jazz Fest
13. The Fair
14. Springing the Blues
Quote from: JeffreyS on May 10, 2014, 12:01:11 PM
3. One Spark (Rising fast and may already have the biggest impact)
I agree. Although someone who many agree with said that it didn't do anything for Jax.
QuoteAveraged over four months during the bulk of the publicity push, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival reached nearly 825,000 people per day. These impressions were earned by convincing reporters, bloggers, editors and individuals with social media profiles that the 2011 Jacksonville Jazz Festival was "cool" and worth paying attention to.
During the course of the campaign, The Jacksonville Jazz Festival had more than 1.1 million post views on the Facebook account – and it wasn't a one-way conversation. There were 7,426 comments, wall posts and likes made during the campaign.
Facebook ads proved to be highly effective as well. Six unique ads were developed which garnered more than 23 million impressions, 13,335 "clicks" and had an overall click-through rate of .057% – well above industry standards of 0.049%. If we were to combine the impressions made through the Facebook ads and earned media efforts via public relations and social media, the 2011 Jacksonville Jazz Festival made quite an impression – 122,934,528 to be exact.
SOURCE: Dalton Agency
Yet it appears to me that the city is either too poor, too dumb or too unmotivated to capitalize on this massive PR event. Not one program director at our many radio stations was smart enough to 'own' the festival and switch to a modern jazz format. Our excellent jazz station broadcasting from Jones College closed down in 84-85 with an offer to give all of the recordings in the collection to anyone that would carry on... no takers. In 2006, the city decided to begin charging admission, but the deficit stayed around $500,000. The 2007-8 budget included significant cuts that required the Jazz Festival to be scaled back. The numbers of headliners plunged from 6-10 down to 2-3, and the wind was officially out of our sails...AGAIN! This year, the only real stars IMO are on stage Friday and Saturday night, the rest is (yawn) rather plain.
Before we completely screw this pooch, it's time to find the money to once again make it that event where world jazz fans converge on Jacksonville. The payback would be incalculable!
I think the buzz for TPC was tempered this year because it was the same weekend as the NFL Draft.
If the NFL is going to keep the draft in May it would behoove the TPC and PGA to have the tournament the week after.
Quote from: JeffreyS on May 10, 2014, 12:01:11 PM
My list
1. The Players (Most known outside the area)
2. Florida-Georiga (Biggest event)
3. One Spark (Rising fast and may already have the biggest impact)
4-11 Jags home games.
12. Jazz Fest
13. The Fair
14. Springing the Blues
What about the Gator Bowl? (aka Taxslayer)
And what are the 11 Jags home games?
Quote from: ProjectMaximus on May 11, 2014, 02:23:23 PM
Quote from: JeffreyS on May 10, 2014, 12:01:11 PM
My list
1. The Players (Most known outside the area)
2. Florida-Georiga (Biggest event)
3. One Spark (Rising fast and may already have the biggest impact)
4-11 Jags home games.
12. Jazz Fest
13. The Fair
14. Springing the Blues
What about the Gator Bowl? (aka Taxslayer)
And what are the 11 Jags home games?
Gator Bowl should be between the fair and Springing the blues. I have probably forgotten some others as well.
It wasn't 11 Jags home games it was item numbers 4 thru 11 as the 8 jag home games.
^ lol got it...reading comprehension not so good this afternoon
Whoa - One Spark has been around 2 years and already its the savior. You do know that the numbers used for attendance are not unique visitors daily? I hope you read the fine print, like the one they never tell you about eating fast food, but you pickup one day with the tire around your belly.
One Spark is below the Gator Bowl in daily attendance. It is not a top 5, top 10 event. Not yet.
I like One Spark, but what direct impact to Jacksonville has One Spark created, besides a new festival like it in Germany? Its not the holy grail, not yet.
Jax sports and entertainment throws around a 30 million dollar impact for the Gator Bowl game here, yearly. Can One Spark say the same thing, year over year? Even at a top 3, that would be an impact of over $100 million a year. If that is the case, where is my check? Is it in the mail? What is the real direct impact of One Spark, can it be counted?
Most of you forget the RAM festival that happens every weekend most of the year. A major impact for many artists, farmers, and themed events. How quickly we forget One Spark would not have succeeded without events like RAM, to prove that people would support downtown events.
Quote from: FSBA on May 11, 2014, 01:38:25 PM
I think the buzz for TPC was tempered this year because it was the same weekend as the NFL Draft.
If the NFL is going to keep the draft in May it would behoove the TPC and PGA to have the tournament the week after.
Sorry but no....the NFL draft was in May this year due to scheduling conflicts at Radio City...meanwhile, The Players has claimed Mother's Day weekend for the past 5 years.
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 11, 2014, 07:30:20 PM
One Spark is below the Gator Bowl in daily attendance. It is not a top 5, top 10 event. Not yet.
Lots of cities have jazz festivals. Too many cities host bowl games. Lots of cities host golf tournaments (and The Players isn't even in Duval County). One Spark is the one big event that Jacksonville has that isn't yet repeated elsewhere. That alone makes it pretty special.
Quote from: tufsu1 on May 11, 2014, 08:36:17 PM
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 11, 2014, 07:30:20 PM
One Spark is below the Gator Bowl in daily attendance. It is not a top 5, top 10 event. Not yet.
Lots of cities have jazz festivals. Too many cities host bowl games. Lots of cities host golf tournaments (and The Players isn't even in Duval County). One Spark is the one big event that Jacksonville has that isn't yet repeated elsewhere. That alone makes it pretty special.
Ditto for me on One Spark. Plus, it's rising quickly. It was huge for a second-year event, I thought. Also, an honorable mention, especially for runners and people who follow them, is the Gate River Run which is now the official U.S. Championship run in its category and attracts a boatload of out-of-towners. In fact, Jax is becoming known in general as a runner's town for competitions, etc.
Quote from: tufsu1 on May 11, 2014, 08:34:13 PM
Quote from: FSBA on May 11, 2014, 01:38:25 PM
I think the buzz for TPC was tempered this year because it was the same weekend as the NFL Draft.
If the NFL is going to keep the draft in May it would behoove the TPC and PGA to have the tournament the week after.
Sorry but no....the NFL draft was in May this year due to scheduling conflicts at Radio City...meanwhile, The Players has claimed Mother's Day weekend for the past 5 years.
Well, the NFL is planning to keep the draft in May. Nothing has been decided, so I don't think the TPC should necessarily wait on the whim of the NFL, but it's entirely possible the draft and TPC might coincide again. Actually, the rumor is that they're considering making it even later in May...pushing back towards Memorial Weekend.
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 11, 2014, 07:30:20 PM
Whoa - One Spark has been around 2 years and already its the savior. You do know that the numbers used for attendance are not unique visitors daily? I hope you read the fine print, like the one they never tell you about eating fast food, but you pickup one day with the tire around your belly.
One Spark is below the Gator Bowl in daily attendance. It is not a top 5, top 10 event. Not yet.
I like One Spark, but what direct impact to Jacksonville has One Spark created, besides a new festival like it in Germany? Its not the holy grail, not yet.
Jax sports and entertainment throws around a 30 million dollar impact for the Gator Bowl game here, yearly. Can One Spark say the same thing, year over year? Even at a top 3, that would be an impact of over $100 million a year. If that is the case, where is my check? Is it in the mail? What is the real direct impact of One Spark, can it be counted?
If I made a ranking (which will remain a hypothetical) I would rank based on what is happening NOW and the potential in the near future. I wouldn't care as much about history or longevity beyond factoring in the likelihood that the event survives/grows. So that said, One Spark to me benefits greatly from the growth potential, the cool factor, and the change in perception/reputation. Economic impact from a sports game is awesome and real, but it's nothing more than that. If a sports event were the biggest for its stage then that would be on the same scale...as One Spark transcends because of its uniqueness. Just my opinion.
Quote from: IrvAdams on May 11, 2014, 08:59:39 PM
Ditto for me on One Spark. Plus, it's rising quickly. It was huge for a second-year event, I thought. Also, an honorable mention, especially for runners and people who follow them, is the Gate River Run which is now the official U.S. Championship run in its category and attracts a boatload of out-of-towners. In fact, Jax is becoming known in general as a runner's town for competitions, etc.
That's cool. It does always seem like a big event, but I really have no idea how it compares to other official runs as that isn't really my world at all. I did hit Burrito Gallery yesterday afternoon and was surprised to see about ten different Crossfit teams (maybe 75 or so people) pass through the restaurant while I was there. Googled it and realized the Southeast Regionals of the Crossfit games were being held at the Arena. It would be great if Jax can build its reputation for fitness! (My buddy is an Xfit coach in DC and he judges at the National Championships of the Crossfit games so I am very aware how serious these athletes take it)
Crossfit is huge and getting even bigger, the games are now broadcast on ESPN. The Southeast Regional's are held in Jacksonville every year at the Veteran's Memorial Arena. City government and corporate leadership needs to support the games, because I'm sure other cities in the southeast will try luring the regional games to their city, especially as the popularity and media exposure increase. Maybe the city could even do something crazy and try to lure the CrossFit Games to Jacksonville. At the very least, this is something the city should be building upon. Justin Bergh, who owns CrossFit Southside, is the Crossfit Games General Manager, and Lead Instructor for the CF HQ Seminar Team. He was interviewed for Bloomberg's C-Suite show about CrossFit, and could be a good resource.
Oh wow, I did not know the Crossfit Games GM was local. That's a bit of cache that I'm gonna drop with my friends in the future. And of course I agree, it would be great to keep this in Jax as it continues to grow!
The Players, in my opinion is the runaway number 1 event, even for the City of Jacksonville. I won't even discuss the usual analysis of visitors to area for that weekend and what it does for the economy....
Last year The Players donated 7.1 million dollars to local charities. Now, I know some of those dollars go to charities that aren't in COJ, but I believe a substantial amount are. The Players is also a huge event for corporations that have local offices here. Many of the big wigs come down and make a week of it...in fact, I've heard it said that some relocations have happened partially as a result of execs/senior employees being able to come here for The Players and also to play the course in the offseason. Which brings me to the next point, The Players has become such a popular event nationwide among golf fans, that it has become a destination trip, not just for the tourney, but also to play the course. I don't know how common it is, but I've heard going to the Tourney or coming here for a golf/beach weekend has become a stop on the bachelor party circuit....its definitely on the guys trip circuit. So really, its not just a one weekend thing, the course/tourney brings people here year round....I'll also add that it brings quite a bit of pro athletes, actors, and celebs.
There are also a substantial amount of upper middle class to wealthy people that would probably not live in the Jacksonville Beaches or Ponte Vedra if not for The Players. Not even going to make a guess on how many, but I'll say it is a substantial amount. Would the Town Center have stores like Nordstroms, Tiffany's, Louis Vutton, etc if not for that influx of wealth? Possibly not. Would there be as much fine dining (by Jax standards) in town if not? The city generates a substantial amount of sales tax and ad valorem taxes as a result of having a strong base of upper middle class/wealthy people at The Beaches. Additionally, local businesses also get a direct windfall from the tourney. I know of a local engineering firm (based in COJ) that got quite a bit of $ to work on the new clubhouse and other course additions. I'm sure a lot of Jax based restaurants made out quite well at the tourney also (they had a fantastic dining lineup btw). There are probably countless contractors, marketing/ad firms and so on that also get work from the tourney.
Ultimately, The Players has done for Jax/North Florida for the golfing/beach loving segment of the middle class to wealthy, what One Spark hopes to do for the more artistically and creatively inclined. IF One Spark can match that and attract outsiders to move here, invest here, visit here, and open businesses here, we will be blessed with two great events.
Quote from: CityLife on May 12, 2014, 08:45:38 AM
Last year The Players donated 7.1 million dollars to local charities. Now, I know some of those dollars go to charities that aren't in COJ, but I believe a substantial amount are. The Players is also a huge event for corporations that have local offices here. Many of the big wigs come down and make a week of it...in fact, I've heard it said that some relocations have happened partially as a result of execs/senior employees being able to come here for The Players and also to play the course in the offseason. Which brings me to the next point, The Players has become such a popular event nationwide among golf fans, that it has become a destination trip, not just for the tourney, but also to play the course. I don't know how common it is, but I've heard going to the Tourney or coming here for a golf/beach weekend has become a stop on the bachelor party circuit....its definitely on the guys trip circuit. So really, its not just a one weekend thing, the course/tourney brings people here year round....I'll also add that it brings quite a bit of pro athletes, actors, and celebs.
-How much does the Gator Bowl give each year? I can't find an exact figure.
-Read about this relocation to St Aug due to the TPC: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/05/09/the-players-area-culture-inspires-defenshield-to.html
-I posted this story over five years ago :o (man my life has changed so much lol) about the underperforming Jax golf tourism industry. http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=4304.0
Quote from: tufsu1 on May 11, 2014, 08:36:17 PM
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 11, 2014, 07:30:20 PM
One Spark is below the Gator Bowl in daily attendance. It is not a top 5, top 10 event. Not yet.
Lots of cities have jazz festivals. Too many cities host bowl games. Lots of cities host golf tournaments (and The Players isn't even in Duval County). One Spark is the one big event that Jacksonville has that isn't yet repeated elsewhere. That alone makes it pretty special.
tufsu1, were you not at the 'Mayport and All that Jazz,' festival? How about the next 5 or 6? Every music lover in the world has heard of 'Monterey' and likely the 'Montreux Jazz Festival' and/or 'New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.' We were well on the way to likewise be considered a 'World Cultural Event' as these 3 are known.
Once we started moving it around and charging admission, closed the Jazz stations and regulating gates, and basically 'doing the Jacksonville' we shot this gem in the head. My point being that you are right, it is not the Players, TaxGator Bowl, One Spark etc... but it could have been bigger then all 3 put together. I say this because international media in Brasil, Colombia, Panama, Surinam as well as in Portland OR, Seattle and even Monterey, demonstrated the one thing they all knew was 'JACKSONVILLE AND ALL THAT JAZZ.' (I must confess among the railroaders they all knew two words, JACKSONVILLE and SKYWAY!) We have typically screwed the pooch on this though we could possibly get our momentum back.
I was at a bar this weekend in Anchorage, Alaska and guess what was on the big screen. The Players. What was really interesting is there was almost no mention of Jacksonville in the coverage.
Quote from: fsujax on May 12, 2014, 12:50:07 PM
I was at a bar this weekend in Anchorage, Alaska and guess what was on the big screen. The Players. What was really interesting is there was almost no mention of Jacksonville in the coverage.
I've noticed that too. Only mentioned it when talking about the weather.
Quote from: Ocklawaha on May 12, 2014, 12:20:58 PM
Quote from: tufsu1 on May 11, 2014, 08:36:17 PM
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 11, 2014, 07:30:20 PM
One Spark is below the Gator Bowl in daily attendance. It is not a top 5, top 10 event. Not yet.
Lots of cities have jazz festivals. Too many cities host bowl games. Lots of cities host golf tournaments (and The Players isn't even in Duval County). One Spark is the one big event that Jacksonville has that isn't yet repeated elsewhere. That alone makes it pretty special.
tufsu1, were you not at the 'Mayport and All that Jazz,' festival? How about the next 5 or 6? Every music lover in the world has heard of 'Monterey' and likely the 'Montreux Jazz Festival' and/or 'New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.' We were well on the way to likewise be considered a 'World Cultural Event' as these 3 are known.
Once we started moving it around and charging admission, closed the Jazz stations and regulating gates, and basically 'doing the Jacksonville' we shot this gem in the head. My point being that you are right, it is not the Players, TaxGator Bowl, One Spark etc... but it could have been bigger then all 3 put together. I say this because international media in Brasil, Colombia, Panama, Surinam as well as in Portland OR, Seattle and even Monterey, demonstrated the one thing they all knew was 'JACKSONVILLE AND ALL THAT JAZZ.' (I must confess among the railroaders they all knew two words, JACKSONVILLE and SKYWAY!) We have typically screwed the pooch on this though we could possibly get our momentum back.
I attended Jazz Fest when it was at Mayport and I must admit that although a small area it had a lot of pizazz and a great background. It looked organic and natural in its original setting.
Quote from: fsujax on May 12, 2014, 12:50:07 PM
I was at a bar this weekend in Anchorage, Alaska and guess what was on the big screen. The Players. What was really interesting is there was almost no mention of Jacksonville in the coverage.
Did you watch the entire event? I was there and didn't see the broadcast, but they usually show a couple of aerials of the Jax and Jax Beach Skylines from the blimp, and say countless times how far the course is from DT Jax. Even casual golf fans around the country know its in/near Jax. I did catch the latter part on DVR and they referenced Jim Furyk several times as a local native from Jax.
I didn't get to watch the whole event, unfortunately. So my statement only applies to the few hours I got to watch it.
QuoteLast year The Players donated 7.1 million dollars to local charities.
Big Effin deal! Go do a google search on all the money that Wayne and Delores Weaver spread around Jacksonville. They donated 50 million in 2012, a million here and there, one year the Jags donated 14 million around Jacksonville on their own.
Now Khan thumps his chest and he's invested money in several local companies, but what has he donated in charity to the tune of the Weavers? TPC donating 7 million is good money, for sure. But don't forget the people who have really opened the spigot for donating in the community, Wayne and Delores Weaver.
^all very true, but the "Weaver Family Foundation" isnt a signature event in Northeast Florida. That's what the conversation is about.
Quote^all very true, but the "Weaver Family Foundation" isnt a signature event in Northeast Florida. That's what the conversation is about.
You are correct, but the topic of how much money is donated to charity.........did come up. I think we can quash future discussions of charitable giving for later. Players remains a significant event, but any Jag game has the potential to make as large or great local impact.
This just in.....
QuoteAn economic study on the impact of the second annual One Spark festival in downtown Jacksonville last month has been released this week and it shows the five-day festival had a $1.816-million impact on the local economy.
The study was conducted by the Public Opinion Laboratory at the University of North Florida for Visit Jacksonville, Duval County's tourism bureau. Much of the analysis focuses on tourism-related industries such as the impact on hotels during the crowdfunding festival which ran from April 9-13....
One Spark 2014 only a 1.8 million impact locally. Is that close to TPC or even a Jaguar game? Nice to know it is growing, but come on folks, its nowhere near the impact of TPC or other large dollar events. Remember, its free to attend One Spark, no gate receipts, so 1.8 million is a good impact, just on visitors and new people to Jax. Would like to see some paid events to raise the level of the impact.
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 13, 2014, 10:52:56 AM
This just in.....
QuoteAn economic study on the impact of the second annual One Spark festival in downtown Jacksonville last month has been released this week and it shows the five-day festival had a $1.816-million impact on the local economy.
The study was conducted by the Public Opinion Laboratory at the University of North Florida for Visit Jacksonville, Duval County's tourism bureau. Much of the analysis focuses on tourism-related industries such as the impact on hotels during the crowdfunding festival which ran from April 9-13....
One Spark 2014 only a 1.8 million impact locally. Is that close to TPC or even a Jaguar game? Nice to know it is growing, but come on folks, its nowhere near the impact of TPC or other large dollar events. Remember, its free to attend One Spark, no gate receipts, so 1.8 million is a good impact, just on visitors and new people to Jax. Would like to see some paid events to raise the level of the impact.
But that 1.8 million is just tourist dollars for visitors and maybe locals buying lodging and food, etc.? Does it include crowd sourcing dollars for all the various projects and startups? Don't those dollars mostly flow into the local economy, eventually?
I can't imagine the one week impact ever matching the players. However OneSpark has an advantage on the impact scale in that it crowd funds business opportunities that continue to impact the area. Another big advantage is according to the news reports I watched Venture Capital investors came from all over the country, Europe and even Argentina to vest money more directly. Most of those were just getting introduced to the area and Jax has now been put on the investment dollar's map. My guess is while other events have a bigger immediate direct impact OneSpark's indirect impact may be as good or better than any of them.
Quote from: JeffreyS on May 13, 2014, 11:27:45 AM
I can't imagine the one week impact ever matching the players. However OneSpark has an advantage on the impact scale in that it crowd funds business opportunities that continue to impact the area. Another big advantage is according to the news reports I watched Venture Capital investors came from all over the country, Europe and even Argentina to vest money more directly. Most of those were just getting introduced to the area and Jax has now been put on the investment dollar's map. My guess is while other events have a bigger immediate direct impact OneSpark's indirect impact may be as good or better than any of them.
Yes. Totally agree.
Quote from: stephendare on May 13, 2014, 11:04:16 AM
Quote from: tufsu1 on May 11, 2014, 08:36:17 PM
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 11, 2014, 07:30:20 PM
One Spark is below the Gator Bowl in daily attendance. It is not a top 5, top 10 event. Not yet.
Lots of cities have jazz festivals. Too many cities host bowl games. Lots of cities host golf tournaments (and The Players isn't even in Duval County). One Spark is the one big event that Jacksonville has that isn't yet repeated elsewhere. That alone makes it pretty special.
this.
plus both the jazz festival and the tpc crowds are aging and pre social media.
There is an event horizon, unfortunately, and just as people cannot really imagine the world before telephones and television, the new world will not be able to imagine things before social media.
One Spark is all new media and its having a global recognition factor. For free almost.
The TPC spends a lot of money and there are millions of people who have never heard of the event because they don't play golf, and its not twittered.
Jazz Fest crowd is aging for sure. Even the New Orleans Jazz Fest has started transitioning into more of a cross genre festival instead of just Jazz and R&B. Last year they had Dave Matthews Band, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Fleetwood Mac, Phoenix, Black Keys to name a few. This year they had Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Phish, Santana, Vampire Weekend, and so on. Jax Jazz Fest will have to start going the same route to stay relevant going forward, simply because there really aren't too many big names in Jazz anymore.
TPC isn't aging at all though...possibly even the opposite is happening. There are probably more attendees under 35 than over 35. My mother in law was with me there on Saturday (who lives elsewhere), and said to me, "Why are there so many young people in Jacksonville". It is loaded with young people, just usually more of the business school, frat/sorority type crowds, as opposed to the more artistic, creative type crowds at One Spark or Art Walk.
Jax having two large events that cater to both types (and those that straddle both) is definitely a good thing.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/04/21/the-players-championship.html
QuoteThe Players Championship reached an important milestone last year: For the first time, more guests attended from outside the five-county area than inside, said Matt Rapp, executive director of the Players.
Quote"We talk about Jacksonville, and one of the challenges is that people outside of Jacksonville don't understand just how great it is," said Rapp, who lived in the Jacksonville area for several years before taking over as executive director. "Well, the Players Championship can pull audiences from all over the world both in TV and also in person."
QuoteThe Jacksonville International Airport has historically seen its biggest traffic during the week of The Players Championship, said Rapp, even counting major holidays like Christmas.
It doesn't stop there. Rapp said there are more hotel bookings and car rentals that week than any other time as well.
QuotePerdue isn't alone in seeing the tournament as a brand booster.
"More than 400 local, national and international businesses use the tournament to entertain clients, build relationships and network," Rapp said.
Of those 400, more than 350 of those businesses are Northeast Florida businesses— businesses like Perdue, Sea Best and TacoLu.
The tournament generates an estimated $151 million to the Northeast Florida region, according to the Jax Chamber.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/04/23/involvement-with-players-championship-is-an.html
I'd put TPC and Florida-Georgia about on a level, personally. The Players is more followed nationally, has the bigger economic impact, and draws more people over more days. Florida-Georgia draws more people in one day and it has the history and uniqueness (there are a number of high-profile golf tournaments, but few other games like Florida-Georgia).
I'm with the others who say that One Spark has the potential to get to that level if not beyond. It's definitely unique and it can draw a big crowd. I think Mtrain has an interesting point about adding paying events. I think something like a ticketed music festival or tech conference like SXSW has would add a new dimension and could greatly increase revenue.
The lectures are ticketed, right? Just not well-attended.
The general event has to remain free though, otherwise you've countered the main purpose of One Spark which is to remove obstacles from connecting ideas with potential funders. ArtPrize generates some revenue through ticketed events and a membership club. www.artprize.org
^I meant more along the lines of adding new dimensions to the existing format that would be ticketed, like a conference or trade show or more substantial music festival, etc, that folks would be willing to pay for. I agree that the street festival should remain free. I expect they'll fall into a good grove, it's already one of the biggest events we've got after only 2 years.
I think going the music festival route is a good idea and something I mentioned on here as something I'd like to see help grow the festival after the first one. The festival scene is just crazy these days and there really isn't an extremely popular diverse one in Florida yet. Hangout (Bama), Shaky Knees (Atlanta), Sasquatch (Washington), Governors Ball (NYC), Pitchfork (Chicago), and Firefly (Deleware) are a few relatively recent festivals that have solid lineups that would attract the type of millennials from around the state, southeast, and country that would be interested in One Spark...and that isn't even mentioning the established huge festivals like Bonnarroo, Coachella, Austin City Limits, and New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Obviously the founders of One Spark don't want a music festival to trump the intent of their event, but I think a 3 day Thursday-Sat night time festival during One Spark would really boost it and attract more out of towners. I'm going to a huge music festival in NYC in a few weeks (Governors Ball), pretty much on par with the lineups of Bonnarroo/Coachella this year...and the festival ends at 11 each night, with after parties and concerts at local clubs (mostly in Brooklyn). Similarly, I think One Spark could set up After One Spark shows at Florida Theater, TU Center, Elbow venues, MAAAAYBE Met Park, and possibly on street like Jazz Fest (paid only entry), and create a really cool urban music fest type component of the event.
Shaky Knees Festival was this past weekend in ATL (Atlantic Station) and in only its 2nd year had a lineup of: The National, The Replacements, Modest Mouse, Spoon, Alabama Shakes, Edward Sharpe, Local Natives, and quite few other fairly popular acts. If One Spark had even half of that lineup, it would do a lot to grow the event, create an even more unique experience, attract out of town guests, and perhaps bring in more revenue.
Quote from: Tacachale on May 13, 2014, 04:32:30 PM
^I meant more along the lines of adding new dimensions to the existing format that would be ticketed, like a conference or trade show or more substantial music festival, etc, that folks would be willing to pay for. I agree that the street festival should remain free. I expect they'll fall into a good grove, it's already one of the biggest events we've got after only 2 years.
Yeah, I figured thats what you meant I was just specifying that it should be something "in addition to."
Quote from: CityLife on May 13, 2014, 05:00:47 PM
Shaky Knees Festival was this past weekend in ATL (Atlantic Station) and in only its 2nd year had a lineup of: The National, The Replacements, Modest Mouse, Spoon, Alabama Shakes, Edward Sharpe, Local Natives, and quite few other fairly popular acts. If One Spark had even half of that lineup, it would do a lot to grow the event, create an even more unique experience, attract out of town guests, and perhaps bring in more revenue.
I think it will definitely be worth exploring, but just caution that it's tricky to bring a paid music festival component in to mix with the crowd funding festival's music category. It could definitely work but I wouldn't want to see the new big name festival completely overshadow the musicians who come seeking funding. For the aspiring artists there's a fine line between capturing the exposure that comes with big bands playing alongside you, and being completely trampled by them.
SXSW has obviously managed this carefully.
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 13, 2014, 10:52:56 AM
One Spark 2014 only a 1.8 million impact locally.
The quote was bad...the $1.8 million is purely based on out-of-town attendees, which comprised 15% of One Spark attendance.
QuoteI agree that the street festival should remain free. I expect they'll fall into a good grove, it's already one of the biggest events we've got after only 2 years.
As it grows, it will have to pay for the police and fire presence downtown. I can see VIP offerings, and a commercial public/private partnership with more sponsorships sold. Jazz fest used to be a nice offering in Met park, but now we have VIP to help defray the costs of shutting down streets, adding more security, calling it "Mayor Alvin Brown presents".....
It will become more commercialized as it grows, everything always ends up that way. Nothing you will be able to do to stop it.
QuoteAs it grows, it will have to pay for the police and fire presence downtown
The special event permit holder pays for the police/fire presence themselves. JSO and JFRD will actually tell you how much staff/hours you'll pay for when you apply for your permit (whether you agree with that number or not).
Quote from: ProjectMaximus on May 13, 2014, 05:36:16 PM
SXSW has obviously managed this carefully.
That's key. SXSW is almost 3 separate events in one time "area" spanning 2+ weeks. Most of the tech conferences aren't simultaneous to the music festival component, and it's really 3 separate crowds almost that go. The "OneSpark" segment is mostly not concurrent to the music festival, even though there is a little bit of overlap. The film festival runs the whole time because in addition to the people that are there exclusively for the film component, the films being shown need an audience to test and they get one with both the music festival crowd and the tech/interactive crowd.
I think depending on the music/festival, your average festival attendee is not going to be remotely similar to your average OneSpark/Techie/Interactive convention goer, even if there is *some* overlap. A large variety of more mainstream/headlining acts won't draw a specific antagonistic crowd, but could overshadow OneSpark quite easily.
I definitely don't think OneSpark is even close to Jacksonville's signature event. Lots of cities have something at least kind of similar in theory at this point, and only a few cities have anything remotely sizable or noteworthy (Austin, SF, etc). Jax needs to let OneSpark age and grow into itself before it can even consider it a top 5 event.
The TPC is probably the biggest event in the region in my mind. It's the only event that is truly national. I live in tech/VC hub of the universe and never once heard OneSpark mentioned here (and I know *a ton* of people who would have an interest in going if it were worth their time), but I watched the TPC with folks this weekend and saw my hometown/region highlighted very nicely.
Golfers come in from around the world as do their fans. It's really the only thing that gives the area massive exposure. Football games not so much unless you aggregate Jags games into one "event", and then it would probably be #1. The FL-GA game is totally regional. People outside of NE FL, UF, and UGA have barely ever even heard of it, if at all, nor do they shred an ounce of care. The Gator Bowl is one of countless bowl games that only college football fans watch, and it depends on who's playing in the bowl for how much exposure there is to the area and outside of region presence.
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival - I understand at one point it was a real big event. I have the 2010 Jazz Fest theme painting framed in my apartment, actually. I don't think it's one of the great Jazz Fests around the country, and certainly not enough for a national draw. I wish that weren't the case and it were right up there with NOLA.
QuoteI definitely don't think OneSpark is even close to Jacksonville's signature event. Lots of cities have something at least kind of similar in theory at this point, and only a few cities have anything remotely sizable or noteworthy (Austin, SF, etc).
Jax needs to let OneSpark age and grow into itself before it can even consider it a top 5 event.
+1
The Jazz Festival, when held at Met Park was a huge event, along the river, it was a signature event. Now Alvin has moved it to where it is really just part of the concrete in one of John Peyton's Pocket Parks. How exactly does having a concrete concert help solidify our city with a major river as a destination? Lots of cities have a downtown, let the Hemming Plaza Sweet Pete's fix Hemming Plaza. Move the festival back to the river. You could have multiple stages between the Shipyards and the old practice fields of the Jags. Move it back to the river, Mr. Mayor and give its name back to the Citizens of Jacksonville!
The TPC is moving back to March.
http://jacksonville.com/sports/golf/2017-08-07/players-championship-making-move-back-march
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
Didn't there used to be a fairly large women's tennis tournament in Amelia?
Quote from: Non-RedNeck Westsider on August 08, 2017, 10:54:34 AM
Didn't there used to be a fairly large women's tennis tournament in Amelia?
Yes - I think it was the Bausch & Lomb Championships. I saw Gabriela Sabatini and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario there in the early 90s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Island_Championships
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 08, 2017, 08:59:19 AM
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
TPC far eclipses the FL-GA game. I used to work with a guy who was an avid golfer. He knew about Jax b/c of the TPC. The TPC has far more national and international recognition than the FL-GA game. No one outside of the south east who doesn't really care about college football or those teams really knows that much (if anything at all) about that game.
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 11:08:14 AM
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 08, 2017, 08:59:19 AM
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
TPC far eclipses the FL-GA game. I used to work with a guy who was an avid golfer. He knew about Jax b/c of the TPC. The TPC has far more national and international recognition than the FL-GA game. No one outside of the south east who doesn't really care about college football or those teams really knows that much (if anything at all) about that game.
FL-GA pulls the larger regional crowd.
PGA pulls the larger national/international crowd.
FL-GA pulls the larger overall non-resident crowd. No reason to make them a competition between each other.
Quote from: Jim on August 08, 2017, 11:37:22 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 11:08:14 AM
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 08, 2017, 08:59:19 AM
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
TPC far eclipses the FL-GA game. I used to work with a guy who was an avid golfer. He knew about Jax b/c of the TPC. The TPC has far more national and international recognition than the FL-GA game. No one outside of the south east who doesn't really care about college football or those teams really knows that much (if anything at all) about that game.
FL-GA pulls the larger regional crowd.
PGA pulls the larger national/international crowd.
FL-GA pulls the larger overall non-resident crowd. No reason to make them a competition between each other.
Not "making a competition" so much as providing a comment in line with the title of the thread (or perhaps the spirit of it).
Anyway - what are the television viewing figures? I am curious (I don't know the answer) and when I made my comment, I wasn't thinking in terms of people attending the events.
4.45 million watched the GA-FL game this past year and The Players was 3.7
Quote from: fsquid on August 08, 2017, 03:28:37 PM
4.45 million watched the GA-FL game this past year and The Players was 3.7
Thanks!
That's crazy, given that the 2015 TPC apparently managed 19.3 million (cumulative - and maybe not unique) viewers. What a drop-off!
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/nbcs-coverage-of-the-players-championship-draws-19-3-million-viewers-and-is-most-watched-weekend-pga-tour-event-since-2013/
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 03:37:19 PM
Quote from: fsquid on August 08, 2017, 03:28:37 PM
4.45 million watched the GA-FL game this past year and The Players was 3.7
Thanks!
That's crazy, given that the 2015 TPC apparently managed 19.3 million (cumulative - and maybe not unique) viewers. What a drop-off!
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/nbcs-coverage-of-the-players-championship-draws-19-3-million-viewers-and-is-most-watched-weekend-pga-tour-event-since-2013/
Yes, that's not unique views. Unique views for 2015 were 5 million. It's still a substantial drop, but that's been happening for over a decade. FL-GA was also down over past years, though that game often fluctuates depending on how the two teams are doing going into it.
Both events are big for the city (and region) but one thing to keep in mind is that FL-GA is actually played in Jax and most of its impact is here. TPC is in St. Johns and very many people who come into "town" for it barely set a foot in Duval County.
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2017/05/players-championship-ratings-down-pga-tour-slump-nbc/
2017 was the worst leaderboard The Players (or any big tournament) has had in some time. Not surprising that ratings were bad.
Moving it back to March should be a good thing. The heat in late May was brutal for fans and players and generally speaking Mom's don't want to watch golf on Mother's Day.
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 03:37:19 PM
Quote from: fsquid on August 08, 2017, 03:28:37 PM
4.45 million watched the GA-FL game this past year and The Players was 3.7
Thanks!
That's crazy, given that the 2015 TPC apparently managed 19.3 million (cumulative - and maybe not unique) viewers. What a drop-off!
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/network-press-releases/nbcs-coverage-of-the-players-championship-draws-19-3-million-viewers-and-is-most-watched-weekend-pga-tour-event-since-2013/
The March date will only compete with college basketball conference tournaments and mid-season basketball/hockey. I think it is a good move.
Jax will host the NCAA tournament in 2019. March 2019 should be a good month for the local economy.
Quote from: CityLife on August 08, 2017, 04:41:32 PM
"...generally speaking Mom's don't want to watch golf on Mother's Day."
I always thought that was bizarre. Happy Mother's Day! Want to pay to park on a dirt lot, walk several miles, pay $9 for Miller Light, and stand (in 90 degree weather) behind people watching a sporting event that have been camping for four hours to be able to have a good view? What more could a mother ask for? For a sporting event, on the other hand, all of those things are just par for the course...
Not being a local (yet), I can't even begin to get involved in the "debate". That said, what I will say is something that I've said on other threads, which involved Jacksonville's "identity crisis". If you ask 100 golf fans who are not from the Southeast where the TPC is played at, most can tell you "Sawgrass" or "Ponte Vedra Beach". Probably less than 25 of those could identify it as "Jacksonville area". That is a problem, if you are desiring to have folks come here and spend money. When I told people over the past two years that I was moving to Jacksonville, I was stunned that I had to tell far to many of them that it was in Florida! That is also a problem.
We came to Jacksonville on a whim, only because we had already seen every other large city in Florida, save for the Panhandle. We were blown away by all that it had to offer, especially that it's almost entirely driven by non-tourism dollars. Imagine if Jax/NE Florida actually started marketing themselves properly to us northerners! Golf destination? Check. Beach destination? Check. Great shopping? Check. Easy access airport? Check.
As for me, I can't wait to check out a FL/GA game as a resident! I want to share in that excitement that you don't get on TV from 1200 miles away! I would also love to take in a round at the TPC during the tournament week. Something that was impossible for a teacher from Michigan to do.
^Welcome! I'm sure you'll love it here. Jacksonville is a largely unappreciated gem. As someone who grew up in Jacksonville and then moved away and later came back, I can tell you that it is hard to know just how good we have it here till one tries living in another city. The complacency is real around here.
Quote from: remc86007 on August 09, 2017, 10:07:19 PM
^Welcome! I'm sure you'll love it here. Jacksonville is a largely unappreciated gem. As someone who grew up in Jacksonville and then moved away and later came back, I can tell you that it is hard to know just how good we have it here till one tries living in another city. The complacency is real around here.
Thank you! I totally get that vibe on these forums. People are simply spoiled by all of this and only see the negatives. Granted, there are plenty of things that could be improved on, but what a gem this city is. October 1 can't come soon enough, for me! ;)
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 11:08:14 AM
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 08, 2017, 08:59:19 AM
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
TPC far eclipses the FL-GA game. I used to work with a guy who was an avid golfer. He knew about Jax b/c of the TPC. The TPC has far more national and international recognition than the FL-GA game. No one outside of the south east who doesn't really care about college football or those teams really knows that much (if anything at all) about that game.
I think you have it exactly backwards, my friend. And you're obviously not alone. This is from our buddy simms3 on May 13, 2014, 07:13:49 PM and it is the kind of maddening personal bubble take that should be guarded against:
- Golfers come in from around the world as do their fans. It's really the only thing that gives the area massive exposure. Football games not so much unless you aggregate Jags games into one "event", and then it would probably be #1. The FL-GA game is totally regional. People outside of NE FL, UF, and UGA have barely ever even heard of it, if at all, nor do they shred an ounce of care.
Simms is apparently unaware, like Adam, the Florida-Georgia game is annually televised nationally on CBS (not some cable outlet) for at least two decades now and outdraws Players Championship television viewers, especially when Tiger Woods is not challenging for the win. This means CBS has decided for at least two decades now the Florida-Georgia game is one of the few events on the college football calendar worthy every damn year of national telecast to Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine / Miami, Florida and Miami, Oklahoma. And it isn't merely televised nationally every year, it is *the* most televised game by the SEC on CBS package which, oh by the way, is *the* most popular broadcast of college football in the feaking nation. Not just the state of Florida. Not just the Southeast. Not just the South. The nation. But yeah, *nobody* outside of UF or UGA circles or northeast Florida have even heard of the game. Wow -- the idiocy of that statement, man.
Florida-Georgia is
*easily* the signature event for our area. The Players is easily number two. But the Jaguars are absolutely the most significant and signature *happening* for our area by far. My fellow Florida fans sometimes don't like to hear it but the Jaguars make the impact of, and support for, the Gators look puny by comparison.
TimmyB:You're right, of course. People underplay this point I'm about to make but if the city had changed its name after consolidation to Duval, it would be much better off, perception-wise. Long city names ending in ville have a subliminal psychological effect that scream "rural" or country. You combine this with the St. Augustine people not knowing how to combine efforts and insisting on a separate branding strategy -- well, you get what we have.
Hopefully Shad will soon have things in place, in concert with the city and other local & national developers, so that downtown Jacksonville will become a legitimate destination for conferences, sports and musical nightlife. Because you're right, TimmyB, Jacksonville is a largely unappreciated gem of rivers, beaches, sunshine and history.
Quote from: RattlerGator on August 11, 2017, 09:31:22 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 11:08:14 AM
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 08, 2017, 08:59:19 AM
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
TPC far eclipses the FL-GA game. I used to work with a guy who was an avid golfer. He knew about Jax b/c of the TPC. The TPC has far more national and international recognition than the FL-GA game. No one outside of the south east who doesn't really care about college football or those teams really knows that much (if anything at all) about that game.
I think you have it exactly backwards, my friend. And you're obviously not alone. This is from our buddy simms3 on May 13, 2014, 07:13:49 PM and it is the kind of maddening personal bubble take that should be guarded against:
- Golfers come in from around the world as do their fans. It's really the only thing that gives the area massive exposure. Football games not so much unless you aggregate Jags games into one "event", and then it would probably be #1. The FL-GA game is totally regional. People outside of NE FL, UF, and UGA have barely ever even heard of it, if at all, nor do they shred an ounce of care.
Simms is apparently unaware, like Adam, the Florida-Georgia game is annually televised nationally on CBS (not some cable outlet) for at least two decades now and outdraws Players Championship television viewers, especially when Tiger Woods is not challenging for the win. This means CBS has decided for at least two decades now the Florida-Georgia game is one of the few events on the college football calendar worthy every damn year of national telecast to Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine / Miami, Florida and Miami, Oklahoma. And it isn't merely televised nationally every year, it is *the* most televised game by the SEC on CBS package which, oh by the way, is *the* most popular broadcast of college football in the feaking nation. Not just the state of Florida. Not just the Southeast. Not just the South. The nation. But yeah, *nobody* outside of UF or UGA circles or northeast Florida have even heard of the game. Wow -- the idiocy of that statement, man.
Florida-Georgia is *easily* the signature event for our area. The Players is easily number two. But the Jaguars are absolutely the most significant and signature *happening* for our area by far. My fellow Florida fans sometimes don't like to hear it but the Jaguars make the impact of, and support for, the Gators look puny by comparison.
TimmyB:
You're right, of course. People underplay this point I'm about to make but if the city had changed its name after consolidation to Duval, it would be much better off, perception-wise. Long city names ending in ville have a subliminal psychological effect that scream "rural" or country. You combine this with the St. Augustine people not knowing how to combine efforts and insisting on a separate branding strategy -- well, you get what we have.
Hopefully Shad will soon have things in place, in concert with the city and other local & national developers, so that downtown Jacksonville will become a legitimate destination for conferences, sports and musical nightlife. Because you're right, TimmyB, Jacksonville is a largely unappreciated gem of rivers, beaches, sunshine and history.
Did you just call me an idiot, JB (in a roundabout way)?
If a bunch of college football-loving inbreds watch that game all over America, then fine. But people outside the USA certainly aren't that aware of it. The TPC, however, has an international following. That was my point.
That said, it might be that the FL-GA game gets more TV viewers. I'm still not sure, based on the info I've seen. In any event, it's fair to say (I think) that One Spark is nowhere near either of these events.
Edit: as far as the NFL is concerned, it has a much wider global audience (for some reason I have yet to figure out). But it does help with Jacksonville's name recognition. And it helps line the pockets of corporate welfare queen Shahid Khan.
Not sure why this is a competition, or why it's gotten so heated. TPC and FL-GA are not totally comparable, with the former being a multi-day event. TPC probably has higher *total* attendance and viewership but a lot of those are repeat attendees/viewers. The average attendance and TV viewership is lower than FL-GA.
FL-GA's profile is more dependent on how relevant the two teams are that year. Some years, when both are serious SEC and national contenders, its viewership is considerably higher than it has been the last several years. Other years, it's lower. Of course most of its draw is regional. It's mostly UF and UGA fans that follow it, then SEC fans, then college football fans. TPC has an international draw. However, it and the sport of golf is declining. Fewer people play the sport every year, and even fewer watch it.
TPC also takes place in Ponte Vedra and a lot of its impact is in St. Johns County. FL-GA takes place in Downtown Jacksonville and its impact is far and away in Duval County. People who know the game, know it takes place in Jacksonville; there are probably many TPC viewers and even some attendees who don't realize that Ponte Vedra is a suburb of Jacksonville.
Quote from: Tacachale on August 11, 2017, 11:24:44 AM
Not sure why this is a competition, or why it's gotten so heated. TPC and FL-GA are not totally comparable, with the former being a multi-day event. TPC probably has higher *total* attendance and viewership but a lot of those are repeat attendees/viewers. The average attendance and TV viewership is lower than FL-GA.
FL-GA's profile is more dependent on how relevant the two teams are that year. Some years, when both are serious SEC and national contenders, its viewership is considerably higher than it has been the last several years. Other years, it's lower. Of course most of its draw is regional. It's mostly UF and UGA fans that follow it, then SEC fans, then college football fans. TPC has an international draw. However, it and the sport of golf is declining. Fewer people play the sport every year, and even fewer watch it.
TPC also takes place in Ponte Vedra and a lot of its impact is in St. Johns County. FL-GA takes place in Downtown Jacksonville and its impact is far and away in Duval County. People who know the game, know it takes place in Jacksonville; there are probably many TPC viewers and even some attendees who don't realize that Ponte Vedra is a suburb of Jacksonville.
To be fair, JB and I are cool with each other and it's all in good fun. Not heated at all, though it probably reads that way.
I completely admit that I'm probably wrong when it comes to my estimation of the size of FL-GA, but I stand by my assessment of its profile internationally. The truth is that very few people outside the USA follow college football. Golf is more popular (again, for reasons I cannot understand).
TPC, obviously.
FL/GA may pull a lot of viewers, but giving it the 3:30 CBS slot is responsible for a lot of that. There are tons of college football fans who just watch college football all day. They're going to watch whatever game is on, and millions of tvs in bars and restaurants will also be tuned in to whatever football game is on, too.
TPC does not share such advantages and yet it hangs with FL/GA. Plus TPC can and has raised our profile among the type of people who can have an impact on the area or we'd actually want in the area- business leaders and the affluent.
Plus who cares if trashy drunks and the RV city set likes Jax.
Quote from: jlmann on August 11, 2017, 11:50:23 AM
Plus TPC can and has raised our profile among the type of people who can have an impact on the area or we'd actually want in the area- business leaders and the affluent.
Or rather, 64-year-old men. (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/06/05/Research-and-Ratings/Viewership-trends.aspx)
Quote from: Tacachale on August 11, 2017, 03:16:01 PM
Quote from: jlmann on August 11, 2017, 11:50:23 AM
Plus TPC can and has raised our profile among the type of people who can have an impact on the area or we'd actually want in the area- business leaders and the affluent.
Or rather, 64-year-old men. (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/06/05/Research-and-Ratings/Viewership-trends.aspx)
Hey...don't bring Donald Trump into this!
(I realise he's actually 71. But he's male and apparently likes golf. A lot.)
Quote from: Adam White on August 11, 2017, 09:42:29 AM
Quote from: RattlerGator on August 11, 2017, 09:31:22 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 11:08:14 AM
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 08, 2017, 08:59:19 AM
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
TPC far eclipses the FL-GA game. I used to work with a guy who was an avid golfer. He knew about Jax b/c of the TPC. The TPC has far more national and international recognition than the FL-GA game. No one outside of the south east who doesn't really care about college football or those teams really knows that much (if anything at all) about that game.
I think you have it exactly backwards, my friend. And you're obviously not alone. This is from our buddy simms3 on May 13, 2014, 07:13:49 PM and it is the kind of maddening personal bubble take that should be guarded against:
- Golfers come in from around the world as do their fans. It's really the only thing that gives the area massive exposure. Football games not so much unless you aggregate Jags games into one "event", and then it would probably be #1. The FL-GA game is totally regional. People outside of NE FL, UF, and UGA have barely ever even heard of it, if at all, nor do they shred an ounce of care.
Simms is apparently unaware, like Adam, the Florida-Georgia game is annually televised nationally on CBS (not some cable outlet) for at least two decades now and outdraws Players Championship television viewers, especially when Tiger Woods is not challenging for the win. This means CBS has decided for at least two decades now the Florida-Georgia game is one of the few events on the college football calendar worthy every damn year of national telecast to Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine / Miami, Florida and Miami, Oklahoma. And it isn't merely televised nationally every year, it is *the* most televised game by the SEC on CBS package which, oh by the way, is *the* most popular broadcast of college football in the feaking nation. Not just the state of Florida. Not just the Southeast. Not just the South. The nation. But yeah, *nobody* outside of UF or UGA circles or northeast Florida have even heard of the game. Wow -- the idiocy of that statement, man.
Florida-Georgia is *easily* the signature event for our area. The Players is easily number two. But the Jaguars are absolutely the most significant and signature *happening* for our area by far. My fellow Florida fans sometimes don't like to hear it but the Jaguars make the impact of, and support for, the Gators look puny by comparison.
TimmyB:
You're right, of course. People underplay this point I'm about to make but if the city had changed its name after consolidation to Duval, it would be much better off, perception-wise. Long city names ending in ville have a subliminal psychological effect that scream "rural" or country. You combine this with the St. Augustine people not knowing how to combine efforts and insisting on a separate branding strategy -- well, you get what we have.
Hopefully Shad will soon have things in place, in concert with the city and other local & national developers, so that downtown Jacksonville will become a legitimate destination for conferences, sports and musical nightlife. Because you're right, TimmyB, Jacksonville is a largely unappreciated gem of rivers, beaches, sunshine and history.
Did you just call me an idiot, JB (in a roundabout way)?
If a bunch of college football-loving inbreds watch that game all over America, then fine. But people outside the USA certainly aren't that aware of it. The TPC, however, has an international following. That was my point.
That said, it might be that the FL-GA game gets more TV viewers. I'm still not sure, based on the info I've seen. In any event, it's fair to say (I think) that One Spark is nowhere near either of these events.
Edit: as far as the NFL is concerned, it has a much wider global audience (for some reason I have yet to figure out). But it does help with Jacksonville's name recognition. And it helps line the pockets of corporate welfare queen Shahid Khan.
College Football-Loving Inbreds? Where did you go to college? Interestingly, college football also has one of the most highly educated followings of any sport with schools like Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, Texas, Texas A&M, Stanford, etc. having large alumni bases and a high percentage of those alumni closely following the sport.
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 11, 2017, 03:57:55 PM
Quote from: Adam White on August 11, 2017, 09:42:29 AM
Quote from: RattlerGator on August 11, 2017, 09:31:22 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2017, 11:08:14 AM
Quote from: FlaBoy on August 08, 2017, 08:59:19 AM
Florida-Georgia weekend and the TPC are by far the biggest events in Jacksonville where people from outside the city want to come in to attend. Good move by the PGA and it should be fine for Jax.
TPC far eclipses the FL-GA game. I used to work with a guy who was an avid golfer. He knew about Jax b/c of the TPC. The TPC has far more national and international recognition than the FL-GA game. No one outside of the south east who doesn't really care about college football or those teams really knows that much (if anything at all) about that game.
I think you have it exactly backwards, my friend. And you're obviously not alone. This is from our buddy simms3 on May 13, 2014, 07:13:49 PM and it is the kind of maddening personal bubble take that should be guarded against:
- Golfers come in from around the world as do their fans. It's really the only thing that gives the area massive exposure. Football games not so much unless you aggregate Jags games into one "event", and then it would probably be #1. The FL-GA game is totally regional. People outside of NE FL, UF, and UGA have barely ever even heard of it, if at all, nor do they shred an ounce of care.
Simms is apparently unaware, like Adam, the Florida-Georgia game is annually televised nationally on CBS (not some cable outlet) for at least two decades now and outdraws Players Championship television viewers, especially when Tiger Woods is not challenging for the win. This means CBS has decided for at least two decades now the Florida-Georgia game is one of the few events on the college football calendar worthy every damn year of national telecast to Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine / Miami, Florida and Miami, Oklahoma. And it isn't merely televised nationally every year, it is *the* most televised game by the SEC on CBS package which, oh by the way, is *the* most popular broadcast of college football in the feaking nation. Not just the state of Florida. Not just the Southeast. Not just the South. The nation. But yeah, *nobody* outside of UF or UGA circles or northeast Florida have even heard of the game. Wow -- the idiocy of that statement, man.
Florida-Georgia is *easily* the signature event for our area. The Players is easily number two. But the Jaguars are absolutely the most significant and signature *happening* for our area by far. My fellow Florida fans sometimes don't like to hear it but the Jaguars make the impact of, and support for, the Gators look puny by comparison.
TimmyB:
You're right, of course. People underplay this point I'm about to make but if the city had changed its name after consolidation to Duval, it would be much better off, perception-wise. Long city names ending in ville have a subliminal psychological effect that scream "rural" or country. You combine this with the St. Augustine people not knowing how to combine efforts and insisting on a separate branding strategy -- well, you get what we have.
Hopefully Shad will soon have things in place, in concert with the city and other local & national developers, so that downtown Jacksonville will become a legitimate destination for conferences, sports and musical nightlife. Because you're right, TimmyB, Jacksonville is a largely unappreciated gem of rivers, beaches, sunshine and history.
Did you just call me an idiot, JB (in a roundabout way)?
If a bunch of college football-loving inbreds watch that game all over America, then fine. But people outside the USA certainly aren't that aware of it. The TPC, however, has an international following. That was my point.
That said, it might be that the FL-GA game gets more TV viewers. I'm still not sure, based on the info I've seen. In any event, it's fair to say (I think) that One Spark is nowhere near either of these events.
Edit: as far as the NFL is concerned, it has a much wider global audience (for some reason I have yet to figure out). But it does help with Jacksonville's name recognition. And it helps line the pockets of corporate welfare queen Shahid Khan.
College Football-Loving Inbreds? Where did you go to college? Interestingly, college football also has one of the most highly educated followings of any sport with schools like Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, Texas, Texas A&M, Stanford, etc. having large alumni bases and a high percentage of those alumni closely following the sport.
Simmer down. I was just baiting RG.
For the record, I went to UF and UNF.
http://www.youtube.com/v/NG0PHeYyuks
why are golf broadcast advertisers comprised mostly of investment, tax, global consulting companies and the like?
why are college football commercials mostly sophomoric bud light and taco bell commercials?
Advertiser tend to do their research on whos watching.
Like it or not 64 y/o men who like golf are far more likely to have business operations and assets that could be redirected to NE FL than your average FL/GA attendee. They're also much wealthier on average and would contribute much more to our local economy by moving here compared to an out-of-town FL/GA goer.
The boxes at FL/GA are mostly full of the same folks sitting there for jags games. TPC attracts top shelf corporate sponsors who bring their best clients to their hospitality tents.
Let's say Shad Khan was looking for outside partnership or investment for a major endeavor in Jax. He's going to bring a group of highly powerful, connected and influential people to one event in Jax and describe it as our signature event, which one should he choose?
^He'd probably do both. That's the beauty of living in Jacksonville.
Seriously guys? Are we really having a sports influence/marketing penis contest?
Quote from: Jim on August 14, 2017, 12:25:45 PM
Seriously guys? Are we really having a sports influence/marketing penis contest?
http://www.youtube.com/v/NG0PHeYyuks