As interim manager (Festival Director) and senior advisor, working with the founders through four years of a commercial, three-day ‘Jazz on the Mountain,’ music festival at Blue Mountain Resort in Ontario, Canada.
- Built a virtual team that spanned Canada from Vancouver to New Brunswick and extended beyond the national borders to New Zealand and the United States.
- Worked directly with programming, sales/sponsorship, production, and operations equipping each department lead with the tools, knowledge, and new work technology to better execute the overall the project.
- Developed and subsequently fine-tuned all ticket sales and sponsorship initiatives to reflect a more inclusive partnership and customer focus.
- Directly operated each year’s production week from initial team arrival at the ski chalet’s home base to final tear-down and clean-up after the close of the weekend festival.
- Maintained overall view of the operation by reviewing all communications in order to keep the operation, light, tight, and to foresee any and all upcoming challenges.
RESULTS:
- Successful build of a new music festival which hosted, among others, Holly Cole, Naturally 7, Gino Vannelli, The Commodores, Nicki Yanofsky, The Yellow Jackets, Kenny Garret, Swing out Sisters, and Larry Carlton.
- Filled the Blue Mountain village square stage with up-and-coming Canadian artists throughout the weekends which increased both restaurant and retail shop traffic and revenues.
- Increased both Blue Mountain hotel room and local summer ski chalet rentals during the traditionally low attendance times during the first week of July.
- Sales and Sponsorship increased by approximately 10% each year with nearly sold-out shows for the Friday and Saturday evening main stage performances.
- Saturday and Sunday afternoon Masterclasses increased from year to year with the series hosting standing-room-only attendance and the post-concert jam sessions in the village kept the bars full until closing.
William Kerr And associates 