TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
John Jalili, Designated Interim City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Eve Irvine, Chief of Police
Tim Hageman, Police Captain
Andrew Harrod, Police Lieutenant
SUBJECT:Title
Discuss and Provide Direction for the International Surf Festival’s Charlie Saikley 6-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament and Beachsport Sponsorship Agreement (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction for the International Surf Festival’s Charlie Saikley 6-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament and the Beachsport Sponsorship Agreement.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The fiscal impact for the 2013 International Surf Festival’s (ISF) Charlie Saikley Six-Man event was a net loss of $50,238 for the City (Attachment 1). The total operational costs were $91,288, and the total revenue for the event was $41,050 ($11,050 in team registrations and $30,000 from Beachsport). The fiscal year 2013-2014 budget anticipated a deficit of $43,000, therefore the imbalance exceeded the budget by $7,238. This shortfall can be accommodated within existing appropriations and does not require a budget adjustment. The estimated operational cost for the 2014 event is $74,500 with $30,000 in revenue and a total net loss of $33,450.
BACKGROUND:
At the October 1, 2013 City Council Meeting, a report on the 2013 International Surf Festival’s Charlie Saikley Six-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament was discussed (Attachment 2). There were a number of items addressed during the discussion including: event operations, finances, stakeholder feedback, tournament dates, team entry fees and sponsorship. To further address these items, the City Council asked staff to reconvene the Charlie Saikley Six-Man Ad-hoc Committee. The Committee was initially formed to address many of the event concerns including overcrowding, house parties and excessive alcohol use. The committee is comprised of volleyball players, downtown business owners and downtown residents. The City Council directed staff to obtain additional feedback from the committee and bring the recommendations back to the City Council for consideration.
DISCUSSION:
Staff invited all members of the original Charlie Saikley Six-Man Ad-hoc Committee including downtown businesses, downtown residents and volleyball players. The Committee met on Thursday, October 17, 2013 to discuss options for the 2014 event. The input received at the meeting was documented and circulated to the group to share with those who were unable to attend and for an additional opportunity to give input.
Downtown Business Feedback
Overall, the downtown businesses were pleased with the event. There was a consensus that the crowds were well controlled and that the tournament was all about the volleyball, not parties. There was a request to provide additional trash and recycle bins in the downtown area and to open the upper pier parking lots at the end of the day whenever possible.
At a previous Downtown Business Association meeting held on August 8, 2013, the Downtown Business Association stated that they are in favor of a Thursday/Friday event unless the Police or Fire departments deem this a safety issue. Further, the Downtown Business Association would like the event to stay on Thursday/Friday for many years, to maintain consistency for the event moving forward.
Downtown Resident Feedback
The downtown residents shared positive feedback about the event and how the changes have greatly improved their quality of life during the tournament. The residents appreciated the Police presence in the downtown area and stated that crowds were controlled. The residents also appreciated that the tournament was about the volleyball and that you could enjoy watching on the beach without the large crowds.
The downtown residents were in favor of maintaining the Wednesday/Thursday event dates, but were open to a Thursday/Friday event if there was a commitment that the event would not be moved to the weekend and if resources were put in place to ensure safety of the event. The downtown residents also stated that they would like to continue to be a part of the International Surf Festival and appreciate the weekend lifeguarding and community events.
Volleyball Player Feedback
The volleyball players stated that their biggest concern for the tournament is the gradual loss of teams. They stated that the event has taken fifty years to build and that they do not want to lose it. The players stated that they helped to market the event including personal phone calls to previous team captains, and marketing through the California Beach Volleyball Association, but still struggled to register fifty teams. They also noted that a competing six-man tournament is held the weekend prior to the Charlie Saikley 6-Man which further reduced participation. The players noted the reduction in the number of attendees, and that the players now outnumber the spectators. Last, the players expressed concern for the number of City resources deployed at the event including bicycle fencing, City staff and security personnel.
Committee Recommendations
The Committee agreed that changing the event to mid-week, instituting the residential rental ordinance, and Police enforcement have virtually eliminated the negative impacts in the downtown area. However, the unintended consequence of these changes was the reduction in team participation. The consensus among all committee members was the concern for the reduction in teams and maintaining this fifty-one year legacy event for the City of Manhattan Beach.
In looking towards possible solutions for increasing team participation for the 2014 event, the committee presented potential options including:
1. Decreased team registration fees - the committee suggested that the registration fee be reduced from $650 to $500 per team for men’s and women’s open divisions and 40+ men’s division. The suggested registration fee for the 35+ women’s masters and 50+ men’ masters divisions would be $300, as they complete play in one day.
2. Appointment of a liaison to work with the Downtown Business Association and Chamber of Commerce to communicate with local businesses to sponsor teams.
3. Develop sponsorship opportunities for local Manhattan Beach store owners to sponsor a team.
4. Evaluate the possibility of moving the tournament dates from Wednesday/Thursday to Thursday/Friday.
The committee members offered to assist in working with the Downtown Businesses, Chamber of Commerce, Beachsport, and the volleyball players to develop sponsorship opportunities to increase team participation and event revenue for the 2014 event.
Sponsorship for the 2014 Event
Beachsport is the sponsorship contract agency for the International Surf Festival which supports the Festival’s many community and lifeguarding events and the Medal of Valor Dinner. Although there has not been a formal agreement between the City and Beachsport, Beachsport has worked closely with the City to provide resources and support to the Six-Man event. Beachsport contributed $50,000 cash in 2012 and $30,000 in 2013 to the Charlie Saikley Six-Man. In addition to the cash contributions, Beachsport has provided insurance for the event, pallets of water for the players, the event sound system, and marketing through the California Beach Volleyball Association.
For the 2014 event, Beachsport would like to enter into an agreement (Attachment 3) with the City. The proposed agreement formalizes what is currently in place, including: a $30,000 cash contribution, comprehensive insurance policy indemnifying the City, marketing through the California Beach Volleyball Association, and providing water and a sound system for the event.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on the International Surf Festival’s Charlie Saikley Six-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament and Beachsport Sponsorship Agreement.
Attachment:
1. 6-Man 2013 Operational Costs & 2014 Estimated Cost
2. 6-Man Staff Report from the October 1, 2013 City Council Meeting
3. Agreement between the City of Manhattan Beach and Scott Hubbell Productions Inc. (Beachsport)