Talking event finances with Portland Rose Festival USA

Talking Regional Events (with Linda Tillman)

In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Curtis, the CEO of one of largest festival organisations in the US - Portland Rose Festival, based in the City of Roses Portland Oregon USA. With a festival budget‎ of over $3 million and attendance by over 1.2 million event attendees, I will be exploring with Jeff the topic of FINANACE and how such a large festival remains sustainable and rides out the tough patches. In the early 2000's the committee, the volunteer non-profit Portland Rose Festival Association, created a strategic plan that challenged traditional thinking and gave the festival a new vision. The plan didn't cut the budget or program elements but raised revenue with new program elements and by investing in core elements, using the festival's strengths. It also included an aggressive strategy to increase the city government's support of the festival.