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[tom poe <tompoe AT amihost.com>]

-----Forwarded Message-----

> From: New Orleans Blues Project <bluesprjct AT yahoo.com>
> To: BLUES-L AT LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
> Subject: Jazzfest revenue falls short of forecast/Foundation looking for 
> ways to cut costs
> Date: 22 May 2004 09:12:07 -0700
> 
> This from Thursday's (5/20) Times-Picayune, that may be of interest to roots
> music fans, fans of the fest, festival/concert/tour promoters everywhere.
> Is there a lesson here?
> I'd be interested to know what others might think...
> Sally
> New Orleans Blues Project
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> Jazzfest revenue falls short of forecast
> 
> Foundation looking for ways to cut costs
> 
> Thursday, May 20, 2004
> By Leslie Williams
> Staff writer
> 
> This year's rain-plagued, seven-day New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
> produced about $600,000 to $900,000 less revenue than projected, according 
> to a
> preliminary report from Festival Productions Inc.
> 
> "It's the first time since the '70s that revenues have not exceeded
> expenditures," said Louis Edwards, associate producer of the Jazzfest.
> 
> Expenditures totaled about $10 million, Edwards said.
> 
> Consequently, belt-tightening is the order of the day.
> 
> In response to the expected shortfall, the Jazz and Heritage Foundation has
> laid off half its staff and may cut back on the hundreds of thousands of
> dollars it contributes to diverse organizations.
> 
> 
> Four members of the foundation's eight-person staff were laid off and the
> salaries of the remaining staff were reduced, said Byron Hughey, foundation
> treasurer.
> 
> 
> Festival Productions, which the foundation hires to roll out Jazzfest each
> year, has been asked to reduce costs. It is expected to shorten by a week or
> more the normal 10-month work schedule of some of the more than 90 seasonal
> employees whose salaries are paid by the foundation.
> 
> 
> And, Hughey said, the foundation next year may have to curtail the more 
> than $1
> million in philanthropic contributions it makes each year to various 
> interests,
> including radio station WWOZ, jazz funerals for musicians and the Don 
> Jamison
> Heritage School of Music, which provides music instruction to middle and 
> junior
> high school students.
> 
> 
> No decisions have been made regarding specific cuts, Hughey said.
> 
> 
> David Oestreicher II, first vice president of the foundation's governing 
> board,
> said the foundation has not yet received a report detailing the precise
> shortfall from Jazzfest, one of the foundation's three revenue sources, but 
> the
> $600,000-plus estimate is in the ballpark.
> 
> 
> A confluence of factors explains the shortfall, Oestreicher said, noting 
> that
> rain or the threat of inclement weather affected four of Jazzfest's seven 
> days.
> And the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks still limit the number of
> international visitors who attend the festival, he said.
> 
> 
> Edwards also blamed the Iraq war buildup for discouraging travel.
> 
> 
> Festival Productions has not completed a report detailing the precise
> expenditures and revenue from this year's festival, but that information 
> may be
> provided in a couple of weeks to the foundation's board so it can prepare 
> its
> fiscal 2005 operating budget, Hughey said.
> 
> 
> Festival proceeds are the chief source of revenue for the foundation, 
> followed
> by ticket sales to the foundation's annual gala and grants.
> 
> 
> The amount of money the foundation hands out for "special programs" could be
> cut substantially based on what the final figures show, Hughey said. Such
> programs include hiring a police escort for neighborhood second-line 
> parades,
> contributing money to finance neighborhood music festivals and paying for 
> jazz
> funerals.
> 
> 
> The budget knife may also slice into "budgeted programs," but those cuts 
> will
> not be as substantial. Budgeted programs are activities principally 
> financed by
> the foundation, such as the jazz radio station WWOZ and the Workshop Series,
> which brings musicians into local schools and universities to interact with
> students.
> 
> 
> In response to the revenue shortfall, ways to increase revenue are being
> explored as well, Oestreicher said. Among the options are creating a second
> fund-raising gala, seeking new grants, creating a fund-raising organization
> like Fans of the Foundation or Friends of the Foundation and allowing a
> corporation to tie its name to the festival via a corporate sponsorship, he
> said. The Jazz and Heritage Festival name would remain, but a company 
> sponsor's
> name could be added, Oestreicher said.
> 
> 
> . . . . . . .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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