Main Street Events News - What's Happening this Month?

2006 Archive: OCTOBER

NEW ERA USHERED IN FOR LONGTIME EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY
Released: Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Contact: Byron K. Rucker

Greenville, SC: Greenville Events, Inc. a Greenville-based festival and event Production Company has announced that the non-profit organization will change its name to “Main Street Events, Inc.” effective immediately. The organization was chartered in 1983, and has grown its reputation as the leading festival and event Production Company in the region.

Currently, Main Street Events owns and/or produces eight (8) events in the upstate, many of which have committed to long term contracts. The organization employs seven (7) full-time and fifteen (15) part-time staff members in its Greenville office.

“Our board has discussed this move for several months and have determined that the time has come for this name change,” stated Board Chairman Bill Foster. “As we look to the future of our business, we are convinced that we have the ability to extend our expertise to other markets that desire to create and produce first-class events for their communities. We are now positioned to strengthen our business model and offer our services to a broader market.”

Events owned by MSE
Countybank Main Street Jazz (weekly music event on Friday evenings from April through September)
The Greenville News Shaggin on Augusta (beach music event held in the spring)
BellSouth Red, White and Blue (July 4th celebration in downtown Greenville)

Events contracted with MSE for production (4 of 5 have multi–year contracts)
St. Francis Fall for Greenville
(Regions largest street festival in October – 25th anniversary in 2006)
Artisphere International Arts Festival
(Regions largest festival featuring visual and performing arts – April of each year)
Downtown Alive
(Weekly music event on Thursday evenings April through September – largest single fundraiser for Metropolitan Arts Council)
Carolina First Saturday Market
(Weekly farmers market on Saturday morning on Court Street in downtown Greenville)
USA Cycling Professional Championships
(National Championship of USA Cycling held on Labor Day of each year)

“We are fortunate to have a board of directors with vision and understanding as to the position of Main Street Events in Greenville and other potential markets”, commented Byron K. Rucker, Executive Director. “The staff is now in place to build on our success and to bring the best possible operation to any style of event. The work ethic of our turnkey staff will give us an edge on event production companies, and our partners only strengthen our organization as we prepare for new business opportunities in a multitude of markets and communities.”

Main Street Events can be viewed on the world-wide-web at www.MainStEvents.com. A full list of event information and schedules is updated constantly and serves as a source for patrons of all events.

Main Street Events, Inc. is a (501-c-6) non-profit organization that manages festivals and events to enhance community pride, economic development and tourism. For more information call (864) 467-5784 or visit www.mainstevents.com.

MAIN STREET EVENTS MARKET IMPACT

Each year, the events that are owned or produced by Main Street Events have a major impact on the greater Greenville community. Through systems that are designed and implemented in these events, many individuals and companies are affected. The following are some of the ways that MSE gives back to the community and contributes to the local economy. Numbers are listed as gathered from events beginning with the 2005 Fall for Greenville festival.

VOLUNTEERS:
60 - Partner Groups (groups actually receive funds for hours worked at events)
59 - Non-Partner Groups (groups provide services hours with hours being credited to partner groups)
4,640 – Total number of volunteers (combined from all participating groups)
18,987 – Total number of volunteer hours worked

$79,500 – Total amount of funds to non-profit groups ($4.18 per hour worked)
*As a company, MSE has contributed an additional $3,000 to local charitable organizations

FINANCIAL IMPACT IN THE GREATER GREENVILLE MARKET:
One of the major contributions of Main Street Events is the amount of partnerships with local vendors who provide goods and services providing the infrastructure to assure first class professional event production. Through contracts or solicited work for the events (generators, portable toilets, entertainment, staging, audio, restaurant/food vendor revenue, lodging, printing, office supplies, transportation, city services, etc.), MSE impacts the local economy on a daily basis.

Via events whose financial records are kept and managed by Main Street Events, the total actual paid impact to the local market is $1,100,000. This figure does not include the impact to local companies that are contracted (by MSE) to service Artisphere, the Greater Greenville Scottish Games and Highland Festival, Seneca Steam Fling, USA Cycling Professional Championships or actual staff salaries and benefits. With those numbers included, the impact would be approximately $1.7 million.