DOVER—
For 24 years, the Cochecho Arts Festival has been a source of pride and entertainment for residents of Dover, as well as thousands of Garrison City visitors. Each Friday morning, blankets and chairs can be spotted in Henry Law Park, stationed there by seasoned Festival veterans looking to secure their favorite spots for viewing that evening’s concert.
“It seems to get a little bigger and a little better each year,” agrees Chamber Executive Director Kirt Schuman. “People have come to expect great things from the Festival, and we go to great lengths to see that they don’t leave disappointed. Adding Livingston Taylor to the entertainment lineup this year really raised the bar for future seasons, but the fact that 10,000 people came out to the Park that night certainly tells us that we’re headed in the right direction.”
Interestingly, however, it isn’t just local residents who have flocked to the Festival, but local businesses as well, with literally dozens of them supporting the Festival through sponsorships, vending opportunities, and participation in the Festival’s “Button Benefits” program.
“It’s fantastic,” notes Mike Macone, Manager at Papa Gino’s, who has been selling pizza in the Park on Friday nights during the Festival. “It’s a great opportunity for us to not only make money, but also to get a lot of community exposure.”
Papa Gino’s is also participating in the Button Benefits program, offering a coupon for a free slice of pizza to all Button purchasers. Over two dozen local businesses are also participating, offering a wide variety of free and discounted food, entertainment, merchandise and services.
The Button program has always been successful, but this year’s Button sales have been especially brisk, exceeding last year’s record totals in the very first week of the Festival. Aaron Wensley, Marketing Manager at the Chamber, attributes the sharp uptick in Button sales to the addition of “Instant Benefits” to the program.
“In past years, you’ve had to wear the Button around town in order to access the Benefits,” comments Wensley, “and that’s been a bit of a negative for some people, who either forget to wear their Button, lose it, or simply don’t like wearing it. The idea behind the Instant Benefits was to give people coupons and Gift Cards - things that they’re much more comfortable with, and more accustomed to using – and to give people enough value that it made the purchase of a $10 Festival Button purchase a no-brainer.”
“Unlike other major Festivals in the seacoast, we don’t force people to contribute when they arrive to our ‘free’ shows,” commented Schuman. “However, we think the Button Program is an incredible way to support the Festival. Your $10 button gets you over $300 worth of value - it’s a great way to help the Chamber cover the costs of bringing you over 30 free musical performances every summer.”
“It’s been great,” says Dover Bowl owner Mark Bowen, whose Instant Benefit is a $10 Gift Card to his Central Avenue bowling center. “People started redeeming the coupons almost immediately, so it’s clear that the Buttons are helping to drive customers through the door.”
Dover Bowl also took advantage of the opportunity to sponsor a Tuesday Children’s Series event, during which they offered the audience an afternoon of free bowling.
“We really appreciate how creative the people at the Chamber are when it comes to promoting member businesses,” remarks Bowen. “No matter what the event, they really go out of their way to make sure you get some bang for your sponsorship buck, as opposed to just a thank you letter or a logo on the back of a program. It makes a huge difference.”
“We’re constantly looking to pair member businesses and non-profits with opportunities that really fit,” acknowledges Schuman, adding, “It doesn’t make sense for us to just go around with our hand out, when we can instead offer members something truly valuable in exchange for their participation.”
Photo caption: Livingston Taylor drew 10,000 people to the Cochecho Arts Festival on the 4th of July (Courtesy photo)
For 24 years, the Cochecho Arts Festival has been a source of pride and entertainment for residents of Dover, as well as thousands of Garrison City visitors. Each Friday morning, blankets and chairs can be spotted in Henry Law Park, stationed there by seasoned Festival veterans looking to secure their favorite spots for viewing that evening’s concert.
“It seems to get a little bigger and a little better each year,” agrees Chamber Executive Director Kirt Schuman. “People have come to expect great things from the Festival, and we go to great lengths to see that they don’t leave disappointed. Adding Livingston Taylor to the entertainment lineup this year really raised the bar for future seasons, but the fact that 10,000 people came out to the Park that night certainly tells us that we’re headed in the right direction.”
Interestingly, however, it isn’t just local residents who have flocked to the Festival, but local businesses as well, with literally dozens of them supporting the Festival through sponsorships, vending opportunities, and participation in the Festival’s “Button Benefits” program.
“It’s fantastic,” notes Mike Macone, Manager at Papa Gino’s, who has been selling pizza in the Park on Friday nights during the Festival. “It’s a great opportunity for us to not only make money, but also to get a lot of community exposure.”
Papa Gino’s is also participating in the Button Benefits program, offering a coupon for a free slice of pizza to all Button purchasers. Over two dozen local businesses are also participating, offering a wide variety of free and discounted food, entertainment, merchandise and services.
The Button program has always been successful, but this year’s Button sales have been especially brisk, exceeding last year’s record totals in the very first week of the Festival. Aaron Wensley, Marketing Manager at the Chamber, attributes the sharp uptick in Button sales to the addition of “Instant Benefits” to the program.
“In past years, you’ve had to wear the Button around town in order to access the Benefits,” comments Wensley, “and that’s been a bit of a negative for some people, who either forget to wear their Button, lose it, or simply don’t like wearing it. The idea behind the Instant Benefits was to give people coupons and Gift Cards - things that they’re much more comfortable with, and more accustomed to using – and to give people enough value that it made the purchase of a $10 Festival Button purchase a no-brainer.”
“Unlike other major Festivals in the seacoast, we don’t force people to contribute when they arrive to our ‘free’ shows,” commented Schuman. “However, we think the Button Program is an incredible way to support the Festival. Your $10 button gets you over $300 worth of value - it’s a great way to help the Chamber cover the costs of bringing you over 30 free musical performances every summer.”
“It’s been great,” says Dover Bowl owner Mark Bowen, whose Instant Benefit is a $10 Gift Card to his Central Avenue bowling center. “People started redeeming the coupons almost immediately, so it’s clear that the Buttons are helping to drive customers through the door.”
Dover Bowl also took advantage of the opportunity to sponsor a Tuesday Children’s Series event, during which they offered the audience an afternoon of free bowling.
“We really appreciate how creative the people at the Chamber are when it comes to promoting member businesses,” remarks Bowen. “No matter what the event, they really go out of their way to make sure you get some bang for your sponsorship buck, as opposed to just a thank you letter or a logo on the back of a program. It makes a huge difference.”
“We’re constantly looking to pair member businesses and non-profits with opportunities that really fit,” acknowledges Schuman, adding, “It doesn’t make sense for us to just go around with our hand out, when we can instead offer members something truly valuable in exchange for their participation.”
Photo caption: Livingston Taylor drew 10,000 people to the Cochecho Arts Festival on the 4th of July (Courtesy photo)
