Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?
Most thought we were crazy to bring the world’s largest extreme sports competition to our small town in just 8 weeks. But what people didn’t know is that our town is the perfect place for dreams to become a reality.
The economic value of bringing such an impressive event to town was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In 2019, the last in-person summer X Games in Minneapolis, the X Games brought $53 million in economic impact. Hosting an international event would boost our local economy in ways we’d never experienced before and bring media exposure our small DMO could never buy.
The XG finals weekend was streamed online and live broadcasted for 16 hours on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. We knew what that kind of media exposure would mean for years to come. Broadcasted TV content would inspire fans from across the globe to discover Ventura themselves.
The Ventura and XG brands shared a natural synergy: it was a perfect match with Ventura’s rich surfing and skateboarding history and a love for extreme sports. We had an opportunity to integrate our local businesses and community and help them shine on a worldwide platform through a partnership that made sense. And we wanted XG athletes, fans, and staff to feel they were part of the Ventura family, too. By building a strong sense of integration and community, we hoped this would build a foundation for a years long partnership between XG and Ventura.
XG would bring thousands of visitors and professional athletes (all of whom had to compete in XG Japan to qualify for the finals weekend) from across the world. This was an opportunity to promote responsible travel to our new visitors. And we knew our local community was watching how we dealt with the massive influx of visitors. Community trust and support were at stake. So we wanted to build partnerships with transportation organizations to create a transportation plan, ensuring a positive experience for fans and locals alike. And to secure a long-term partnership with XG.
Results: Which of your original goals did you achieve and how? How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign? Entrants should provide quantifiable results of their tactics or campaigns. (for example, click through rates or ad equivalency)
We showed what our small beach town was made of on a worldwide platform and what other international events could look like in Ventura. Though we’re small, we proved we’re mighty.
400 drones took flight during the City’s and XG’s first-ever drone show. Local skaters skated with the pros during Ventura’s first Skate Jam which was free for the community. 40 local businesses (8 breweries, 17 bars, and many others) participated in a city-wide initiative (that we led) to create limited beer —sold on Amtrak trains— and cocktails releases, food items, and other products like XG nail art, an XG burger, and everything in between. XG athletes showed up for local students during an elementary school event. And in just two months, we organized committee meetings where stakeholders from the local to county level collaborated to plan strategic marketing, transportation, and safety plans. We recruited 30+ local high school student-athletes to serve as an XG Hospitality team to answer questions and help direct visitors around town. Both Visit California and the XG team gave us feedback that no other destination had ever completely embraced an event like Ventura did.
Locals were worried about traffic. So we created a wholistic transportation plan which resulted in the following:
-482% increase in Pacific Surfliner boardings/alightings at Ventura compared to the same weekend in 2022
- 2,000 cars off the roads due to train travel
-3,000 riders on Park-n-Ride service
-1,283 people biked and used the free bike valet
-500 skaters took to the streets and utilized the free skateboard check
The partnership with Amtrak also resulted in the FIRST EVER train wrap advertising the XG in Ventura along 351 miles of CA coastline. We successfully positioned the XG finals weekend in Ventura as an incredible world-famous competition and also one that is eco-conscious, resulting in a transportation plan that’s a model for future large scale events.
Return on Investment: How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?
Our economic impact report with Dean Runyan and Destination Analysts is in progress, and the economic results so far are as we dreamed:
-ADR increase of 9.74% from July 2022 to 2023
-July hotel occupancy was 79.8%, a 1.01% increase from 2022
-digital advertising brought in over 608,000 impressions on Instagram and Facebook and a video interviewing a Ventura local XG athlete gained over 78,000 views on IG and YouTube.
-XG brand hired staff locally (production, catering, security), supporting local jobs
And the story of a small town taking on a big time event was told across the world. XG 2023 gained a whopping 5 BILLION media impressions; this includes media from across the spectrum — from social media to traditional digital and print media. Ventura’s name will be in people’s memory for years to come.
Our marketing efforts for the XG 2023 finals weekend totaled $236,000. And in-kind partnership totaled an additional $203,500. Our stakeholders saw the value in bringing the XG to Ventura and were eager to promote and create activations. This kind of widespread partnership doesn’t happen often. But a small beach town in California brought big players to the table and we’re proud of it.
While money is an important factor, it’s also about the memories made. The roar of a sold out crowd (1st time ever in XG history) cheering for their favorite athlete. The gasps when Motocross athletes defy gravity flying 60 feet in the air. It’s about the triumph of a small town hosting a world-class event while staying true to ourselves and our local charm. History was made in a small beach town: XG merchandise was sold out for the first time; a Native American blessing ceremony was held for the first time in XG history; and a city, county, and state-wide partnership was forged for the first time in Ventura’s history. Most of all, our community is proud of what took place on a sunny summer weekend in their hometown. And that’s what it’s all about.
Entry Title
A Small-Town Story of a Big-Time Event: the Journey of X Games 2023 Coming to Ventura
Division
Public Relations/Communications - Special Event
Category
Public Relations/Communications