The City of Andalusia is looking to expand activities for visitors and residents through a partnership with a company for promotions.
The city council ratified the signing of a contract to work with The Art of the Game, Inc. in the creation and organizing more events in the city. The contract requires that the city pay to the company an annual fee of $3500.
As per The Art of the Games’ website, the organization’s branding and marketing workshop develops entertainment, corporate and sports brands with an unique mix of imaging, marketing and targeted revenue generation and major event as well as traditional media as well as social network activation. The Art Of The Game’s live events group creates and produces fully integrated marketing and promotional programs, live shows, performances and visual art forms, as well as celebrity chef cooking demonstrations at major cultural and sporting occasions.
In the past, the council was considering establishing the new position of coordinator for events However, officials suggested hiring contractors for the job could be an alternative.
“We organize our most recognizable celebration in Candyland. We invest lots of time also spending money Candyland which is lots of effort to put that on. Since 2013 our tax revenues from sales in December has grown almost every year. The increase is around 35 percent (since Candyland started). We’re thinking after that we will be focusing on filling up the remainder season. Someone must come up with these ideas and plans, and that’s exactly the job (Art of game) will be charged with,” said City Clerk John Thompson.
Thompson said that any events designed, as well as their budgets will be presented at the Council for their approval.
“This is a major step towards making Andalusia one of the cities that is a tourist destination,” said Mayor Earl Johnson. “We are looking to become the place people go to because of reasons. We are aware of the significance that Candyland has been to us, and I believe we can create other things that create them to be as well. We need someone who knows more about the subject than we do so that they can aid us. This is the reason this company is about.”
Officials have said that the scope of the event will likely vary in both size and extent.
“It’s anything from a tiny concert to something bigger such as a barbeque celebration, something we’ve discussed before. We don’t have the resources to pull this off by ourselves. We hope that the events will be worth the cost,” Thompson said.
Other issues which were discussed by the council include:
- Approving to spend $136,000 on upgrades to City’s computers. One of the goals is to improve security for the city’s data. The cost of this will be borne using funds provided by the CARES Act.
- Approving the resignation of Dist. 4-City Councilor Ralph Wells. Wells wrote in a letter addressed to the council that he wanted for more quality time with family.
- Approving surplus property for several city departments.
- Approving a donation of $1500 to the Alabama Junior Rodeo Association.
- Approving the abatement of the three properties that are nuisances.
The next meeting of the city council will be held on Tuesday, March 7, at 6 p.m. at the city hall. The work session starts at 5:45 p.m. on the 2nd floor in the conference room.
The article City of Andalusia signs agreement with an events company was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
