AgdaPkt 2012-06-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.1.D. - Page 1 RE PO RT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the Cit Mana er June 25, 2012 SUBJECT Live Performance Agreement between the City of Redwood City and Zoppe Circus RECOMMENDATION Approve by motion the Live Performance Agreement between the City of Redwood City and Zoppe Circus BACKGROUND Positioning Downtown as "The Arts and Entertainment Destination on the Peninsula" has required the necessary resources to develop and support a critical mass of cultural events and entertainment programs which has enticed people to visit Redwood City and has helped to create a vibrant Downtown environment. In the December 2010 Redwood City Neighborhood Survey, we learned that the second highest rated City service was "attracting people to Downtown"; that an incredible "70% of households have attended a Downtown event"; and that "those who have attended a Downtown event also showed a higher sense of community than those who have not". In 2008, the Redwood City Redevelopment Agency entered into an agreement with Zoppe Circus as part of its "Downtown Wow!" programming. The addition of a family friendly program at the end of October helped to extend the season of events, and provided an incredible draw to Downtown. The Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) staff worked alongside a consultant (Labadie Productions) to host and coordinate the operations for Zoppe Circus. The inaugural year of the Circus realized a net loss of $35,927 for one week of performances. However, we received rave reviews, sold over 3,000 tickets and knew that with some modifications, we could eventually turn a profit. In 2011, with two weeks of performances and over 7,900 tickets sold, PRCS staff was able to cover the entire costs of the circus and also realized a profit of $7,500. ANALYSIS With Redevelopment Agency resources suspended because of state legislation, 2012 marks the second year that the City itself would fund the Zoppe Circus. The City's funding of the Zoppe serves a public purpose because the City is expending effort and resources to bring cultural events downtown to help further the creation of a vibrant downtown community. Like other downtown events, the Zoppe Circus brings business to the downtown, and furthers a greater sense of community among City residents.