Chapter7
Cassidy arrived at the Bayview General Store conference room fifteen minutes early.She balanced a leather portfolio, her laptop, and a canvas tote bag filled with printed copies of her presentation.The morning air was already thick with humidity, and she’d made the mistake of wearing a silk blouse.It clung to her back as she pushed through the door.
She set up her laptop and began arranging handouts at each seat.The presentation had taken her until two in the morning to finish, but it was good.Really good.Color-coded timelines, budget breakdowns, sponsor outreach templates, and social media calendars.Everything they needed to turn the festival around.
She smoothed her skirt and checked her watch.Ten minutes.
The door swung open.Sally Morris entered first, carrying a box of pastries.“Morning, dear.I brought bear claws.”
“That’s thoughtful.Thank you.”Cassidy gestured to the table.“I’ve prepared materials for everyone.”
Sally picked up a handout and flipped through it.Her eyebrows rose.“Well.You’ve been busy.”
Mayor West arrived next, followed by Marty Fuller.They settled into their seats and reached for the materials.Bryan came in last.He wore a faded shirt with the sleeves rolled up and jeans that had seen better days.He glanced at Cassidy’s setup, then took the seat farthest from her.
“Good morning, everyone.”Mayor West smiled brightly.“Cassidy has put together something to share with us today.”
“I can see that.”Bryan picked up his copy of the handout, but he didn’t open it.
She stood and opened her laptop.The projector hummed to life.“I’ve spent the last few days analyzing the festival’s historical performance data and comparing it to similar events in coastal communities.What I’ve found is that we have significant opportunities for growth, but we need to approach this strategically.”
She clicked to the first slide.It showed a graph tracking attendance over the past decade.“As you can see, attendance has declined by thirty-eight percent since 2015.However, that’s actually on par with similar events that haven’t adapted their marketing approach.”
Bryan leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest.
“The good news is that coastal tourism in Florida is actually up.We’re not losing visitors because people don’t want to come to places like Starlight Shores.We’re losing them because they don’t know we exist.”She clicked to the next slide.“Here’s our current digital footprint.”
The screen showed their barely active Facebook page, the lack of an Instagram presence, and a website that looked like it hadn’t been updated since 2010.
Sally winced.“Oh my.”
“It’s not great,” Cassidy agreed.“But it’s fixable.What we need is a comprehensive digital strategy that reaches our target demographics where they actually spend their time.”She clicked through slides showing sample social media posts, influencer partnership opportunities, and targeted ad campaigns.
“Now, I’ve broken down the action items into phases.”She distributed a second handout.This one was a detailed timeline spanning the next six weeks.“Phase one focuses on establishing our digital presence and creating shareable content.Phase two is about partnership development and sponsor outreach.Phase three is the final push with coordinated advertising and media coverage.”
Marty studied the timeline.“This is thorough.”
“Thank you.I’ve also included budget estimates for each phase.Some of this we can do for free using existing platforms and community volunteers.The paid advertising component would require an investment of approximately five thousand dollars, but I believe we could secure local business sponsorships to cover most of that cost.”
She clicked to another slide.“I’ve identified twelve potential sponsors who align with our target demographics.Here’s a draft sponsorship package with tiered benefits.”
Mayor West leaned forward.“Cassidy, this is impressive.”
Bryan’s chair scraped against the floor.“Can I say something?”
“Of course.”She paused the presentation.“I’m open to feedback.”
“This isn’t the Starlight Harbor Festival.”He tapped the handout.“This is some corporate marketing campaign that could be for any event in any town.”
Heat flushed her face.“I’m not sure what you mean.Everything here is specifically tailored to this community.”
“Really?Because I see a lot of buzzwords about authentic coastal experiences, curated local culture, and Instagram-worthy moments.What I don’t see is anything about the actual people in this town, the ones who’ve been running this festival for years.”
“The timeline includes multiple community engagement touchpoints?—”
“Touchpoints.”Bryan shook his head.“You want to turn this into a photo op.Get some influencers to show up and post pretty pictures so tourists will come, spend money, and then leave.That’s not what this festival is about.”
She gripped the edge of the table.“What it’s about is survival.Your attendance is down by nearly forty percent.If you don’t make changes, there won’t be a festival in five years.”
