The second annual Hollister Air show lost money and attracted
fewer attendees and participants than in its inaugural year, but a
report from the organizer said its economic impact on the community
tripled to more than $156,000.
The second annual Hollister Air show lost money and attracted fewer attendees and participants than in its inaugural year, but a report from the organizer said its economic impact on the community tripled to more than $156,000.
Airport Director Mike Chambless told the city council that higher fuel costs and rainy weather kept people away from the Memorial Day weekend event, which he suggested should be given another chance in 2012. The council gave the go-ahead to hold another event next year.
“The 2011 Hollister Airshow expanded into new areas and reached new heights,” Chambless said in his report, presented Tuesday night.
The event, funded by the city’s airport fund, lost $2,809.18; with expenses totaling just more than $40,000. The economic impact number – which jumped from just more than $54,000 last year – was reached using a formula, developed by the International Council of Airshows, that factors in the number of attendees, how many days they stay in the area and the average amount of money they spend.
“I used very conservative estimates on what was spent and we had a much bigger budget this year,” Chambless said. “Our prices went up and more money was spent this year than last year.”
The price of fuel “was a real challenge,” he noted, with a price increase of a dollar between the initial budget and what it cost during the show weekend.
“We had even attendance on both days (but) we believe the weather on Saturday depressed the attendance by as much as 20 percent,” Chambless said.
Overall attendance, factoring in fly-ins, paid attendees, volunteers and vendors, dropped nearly 300 from last year, with 143 planes flying in to the inaugural event compared to 79 this year.
Paid attendance increased by 61 people and admission revenue nearly doubled to more than $24,000. However, personnel expenses along with services and supplies climbed from $14,558 in 2010 to nearly $41,000 this year.
“The layout was expanded to our maximum capacity and (we) received very positive reviews from the public and staff,” Chambless said, proposing that the city hold “a very similar event next year.”
“I believe we should continue on a two-day format,” he said. “I would like to continue exploring the possibility of including more nonprofits in the event. We would continue to refine our equipment and techniques for the show. I believe we have the formula correct.
“All we need is to give it time to mature. I think with some good weather next year that the air show will once again attain new heights.”
Chambless said he will work to improve the sound system for next year’s event and he plans more outreach into the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County to attract visitors and participants.
More than 70 percent of those attending the weekend event were first-timers, and more than half of the visitors were Hollister residents.
The air show was designed as a way to market the airport, and Chambless said it has served that purpose through its first two years.
“We’ve had a lot more inquiries for hangars available as more and more people from the Bay Area find out about us down here,” he said. “I believe other people have had inquiries from businesses about possibly coming here.”
