Launching a Bicycle Festival to Increase Cycling in Your Community

CapitalVĂŠloFest Inspire people of all ages to ride a bike more often

Launching A Bike Festival to Increase Cycling in Your Community

Dick Louch 613 680-4061 dlouch@CapitalVeloFest.ca

Presentation Overview • Ottawa : A Cycling City • Capital Vélo Fest Development Timeline • Festival Components : Rodeo and Tour la Nuit • Critical Steps to Launch

• Promotion • Volunteers • Budget Highlights

• Profile of Festival Attendees • Growth and Other Activities

www.CapitalVeloFest.ca

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Ottawa : A Cycling City and Cyclists’ Mecca • Urban regional population of approximately 1m • 57% of adults ride a bike * • Since 2005, cycling is the fastest growing mode of transportation in the city **

• About 300kms of bike paths • Only segregated bike lane in downtown core in Ontario. Has 2900+ peak riders/day • Every Sunday morning May-September, 60km of paved roads closed to cars

• Multiple levels of government : 2 provinces; 2 municipalities; federal; federal agencies • Supportive of cycling

• Several bike clubs and advocacy groups (3000 members) • Dozens of local cycling related websites • Information, advocacy and cycling culture • Social media : Facebook groups, Meet-up groups, Twitter chats

• Many local charities use cycling as a fund raiser and have thousands of participants every year * 2003 Study by Decima Research ** City of Ottawa web site

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Ottawa : A Cycling City and Cyclists’ Mecca • Video produced by Ottawa Tourism

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Capital Vélo Fest 6 Month Development Timeline • Conceived of idea in November 2010 • Researched concept December-January • Informed and recruited supporters January-March 2011 • City, Bike shops, advocacy groups, bike clubs, sponsors • Founded non-profit corporation -- March • Logistics planning March – May • Launched website April • Volunteer recruitment April – May • First festival June 4, 2011

First Year Results 34 Participating Organizations 1000 Festival Attendees Financially Positive www.CapitalVeloFest.ca

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Capital Vélo Fest Overview • Held at a downtown location • Ottawa City Hall Festival Plaza • Bike Rodeo during the day • Tour La Nuit in the evening

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Bike Rodeo • Information, education, and entertainment • Kids safety village • Demo bikes, workshops • Cycling games • Unique bike displays • Food & music

Participating Organizations Provided Prizes As The Cost of Entry Collected names and email addresses to build a distribution list

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Tour La Nuit

Primary source of Revenue for the Festival 8

Critical Steps To Launch • Non-profit incorporation • Establish a viable and vibrant board of directors • Recruiting supporters (one-one meetings, emails, partnerships) • Local governments • Cycling industry • Cycling advocacy groups • Environmental groups • Community associations • Sponsors • Promotion • Website • Posters • Online media • Ottawa Festivals • Volunteer Recruitment • Legal requirements • Insurance, permits, supplier contracts www.CapitalVeloFest.ca

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Promotion • • • • • • • • • •

Posters Email Newsletter Online : Website; Facebook; twitter; biking blogs; Print Media publicity: Where Magazine; Community papers; Ottawa Citizen Broadcast media : publicity interviews on university’s, CBC, CTV radio and television Connect with bike clubs and organizations News Releases Partner with advocacy groups, participate in their events Youtube video’s Contests

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Volunteers • Online recruitment : website, Facebook, Twitter • Use Google Doc’s as a survey/form • Organizations • Algonquin college; High Schools • Volunteer Ottawa; Ottawa Festivals • Align with a charitable organization • Functions • Administrative assistance • Rodeo guides • Tour La Nuit road barrier monitor and safety patrol • Photographers(still, video) • Incentives • T-shirt, Appreciation event, Prizes • Thank-you’s Over 100 Volunteers Required Majority Are to Close the Road for the Tour La Nuit

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Budget Highlights • As a start-up festival, looked for free or in-kind services where ever possible • Key expense items

• Venue rental : $2000 (festival plaza and road for Tour la Nuit) • Policing : $3000 • Insurance : $1400

• Volunteer incentives : $700 • Music : $1000 • Revenue streams

• Sponsorships • Tour La Nuit registrations • Merchandise sales

www.CapitalVeloFest.ca

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Festival Attendee Analysis Created survey on Google docs and emailed to festival participants

Even gender distribution, median age 45, part of a family

Strong propensity to follow up with festival vendors

Relatively high family income

Physically active, with a variety of sporting interests

Highlights of responses to Capital VĂŠlo Fest Survey

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Other Activities • Bike Rallies • SMOOCH rental • Day camp and school bike rodeos

Long Term Objective Grow to Become a Major Festival in Ottawa (10,000+ participants), With a Significant Impact On Tourism and Promotion of Cycling in the Capital Region www.CapitalVeloFest.ca

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Appendix

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Some Ottawa Cycling WebSites Festivals and Events • Capital Vélo Fest • Mississippi Mills • Gatineau Gran Prix

capitalvelofest.ca mmbicyclemonth.ca grandprixcyclistegatineau.com

Cycling Culture • Human Powered Vehicle Operators of Ottawa hpv.tricolour.net • Ottawa Velo Vogue ottawavelovogue.com • Cycle chic ottawa-cycle-chic.blogspot.ca • Ottawa.Bicycle.Culture facebook.com/Ottawa.Bicycle.Culture • Ottawa bike guy ottawabikeguy.blogspot.ca • Urban Commuter urbancommuter.wordpress.com • Ottawa bikes ottawabikes.ca Cycling Blogs • Muddy Bike • Velotout • Incidental Cyclist • Modal Mom • Ottawa Cross • Ottawa Velo Outaouais • 613 Cycling • N00 biker • Critical Mass

muddybike.blogspot.ca velotout.blogspot.ca theincidentalcyclist.blogspot.ca modalmom.com ottawa.cx ottawavelooutaouais.wordpress.com 613cycling.com n00biker.ca ottawacriticalmass.blogspot.ca

Bike Clubs and Associations • Almonte Bicycle Club • Carleton University Cycling • Cyclefitchicks • Kanata Nepean Bicycle Club • Ottawa Bicycle Club • Ottawa BMX Association • Ottawa Mountain Bike Association • Ottawa Bike Polo • Vélo Plaisirs • West Quebec Wheelers • Women on Wheels

almontebicycleclub.ca carletoncycling.wordpress.com cyclefitchicks.ca knbc.ca ottawabicycleclub.ca ottawabmx.com ottawamba.org ottawabikepolo.com veloplaisirs.qc.ca wqwheelers.com peakperformance.ca/womenonwheels

Cycling Advocacy • Citizens for Safe Cycling safecycling.ca • Cycling Vision Ottawa cycling-vision.ca • Envirocentre (Bike to Work Month) envirocentre.ca • Ottawa Biking Problems ottawabikingproblems.ca • Réseau Velo-boulot reseauveloboulot.ca • Responsible Cycling Coalition sites.google.com/site/responsiblecyclingcoalition • Cycling in Ottawa cyclinginottawa.ca

Tours & Charity Rides • Capital Vélo Fest (Kidney Foundation) capitalvelofest.ca • CN Cycle for CHEO cncycle.ca • Cycle For Sight cycleforsight.ca/ottawa.htm • MS Bike Tours (Ottawa) msbiketours.ca • Rideau Lakes Tour ottawabicycleclub.ca/rlct • Ride the Rideau ridetherideau.ca • Share the Road sharetheroad.ca

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