Oktoberfest looking forward
Posted Sep 21, 2010 03:29:33 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The financial failure of 2009 is firmly in the rear view mirror. Oktoberfest organizers insist they’re not looking back at the $90,000 deficit the festival posted last year but instead looking ahead to several bright spots already emerging this year and with a renewed confidence that the festival’s finances are back on track for the future.
“You take no pride in running a $1.7-million budget and ending up with a deficit of $90,000,” admits Oktoberfest president Paul Buttinger.
While he won’t make excuses, Buttinger points to a “perfect storm” of conditions that created the climate for a rough ride financially last year. The automotive industry was being battered as the economy dipped deeply into recession and, to make matters worse, the festival started in heavy rain that dampened the enthusiasm usually associated with the keg tapping.
Under the second year of Buttinger’s leadership, the festival has worked closely with the government to find every possibly available dollar in grant money while also conducting a “committee by committee” analysis of the organization in a quest to find savings and trim any unnecessary fat.
“We want it clearly understood that this organization is alive and well and we’re confident that the 2010 financial results will reflect a new era in the organization,” Buttinger enthuses.
He points to positive signs of a turnaround early in the planning stages of this year’s festival as new sponsors came forward looking to attach themselves to the Oktoberfest brand.
In addition to new events like the Tour de Hans, Buttinger says the “Rocks the Tent” concert with Our Lady Peace (October 2nd) is showing strong ticket presales compared to last year when the organization didn’t even have tickets on the market by early September.
“The signs are out there that we’re going to have a great year,” Buttinger says confidently. “Ticket sales are well ahead of previous years and that’s an outstanding signal that things are beginning to turn around for the festival and for the community.”
Oktoberfest 2010 runs from October 8-16.
