In the short term, the One Spark festival is an opportunity for Downtown merchants to take advantage of greater than usual retail foot traffic and for visitors to “see Downtown at its best.”
In the long term, it could change Jacksonville’s image on a global scale leading to future economic development, said Paul Astleford, CEO of Visit Jacksonville.
The second annual crowdfunding festival began Wednesday and continues daily through Sunday. More than 600 exhibitors, called “creators,” are showing their work and ideas in more than 77 Downtown venues.
Last year more than 130,000 people were estimated to have attended the five-day event.
“It was such a success and we know it’s going to continue to build,” Astleford said.
He said based on polling conducted after the 2013 inaugural One Spark, people who take part in the festival, either as exhibitors or spectators, become more aware of Downtown.
“The feel of Downtown becomes very different. The traffic it brings in is important to the future of Jacksonville,” Astleford said. “This is an opportunity to see Downtown at its best.”
Hotel occupancy this week is up by 17 percentage points, according to data gathered by Visit Jacksonville. Astleford said the average occupancy of Downtown hotels is 65 percent, but with One Spark underway, 82 percent of Downtown’s hotel rooms are booked this weekend.
In the long term and with a worldwide perspective, Astleford said Jacksonville lacks a “global image in the marketplace.” One Spark can help change that by attracting exhibitors and visitors.
“This is an event that draws people from around the globe,” he said
Predicting larger attendance numbers this year than last, Astleford said the founders and staff of One Spark made sure the conversation about the event didn’t diminish after the April 2013 inaugural festival.
Comparing the festival to other annual events, Astleford said, “The Florida-Georgia game brings 80,000 people, but that’s just for one day. One Spark is the largest Downtown event.”
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