From the Chamber: The impact of the Midcoast Tree Festival, Part II - pressherald.com

As we head into our second year of the Midcoast Tree Festival (Nov. 20-22 and Nov. 27-29 at St. John’s Community Center in Brunswick), I wanted to highlight some of the impacts this type of event can have, so you can see the powerful, positive effect it’s already had in our region. Last week, I highlighted the impact the MTF has had on our communities and families.

This week I want to focus on the impact of the Midcoast Tree Festival on businesses.

On the surface, the impact that the Midcoast Tree Festival (MTF) has on businesses may seem obvious: It gave great exposure to the businesses, and organizations, who were part of the event. Yet, the impact goes far beyond just exposure.

Some people might not remember, but the festival wasn’t revealed until mid-August. Before that moment, no business had planned for this expense in their marketing budgets. This was completely unexpected. Yet, we had over 50 incredible local businesses and organizations that stepped up immediately to participate by sponsoring a tree, wreath or to sponsor an aspect of the event.

The financial impact of those early adopters was immense. To illustrate just how big it was, let’s focus on the tree spaces themselves. The 35 tree spaces with a minimum of $500 of value. The value of each space is determined by the value the items to be won including presents, gift cards and the actual decorated tree itself.

All tree spaces had themes, and though some businesses were equipped to provide presents directly from their business or organizations, nearly all of them had presents in their tree space that came from other businesses. One of the unexpected delights of the first year was just how many other businesses’ products and gift certificates were available to win.

2019 MTF gift cards total (includes traditional gift cards & tickets to an event):

10 of the 35 tree spaces included 44 gift cards from their own businesses, for a total value of $2,666
78 local businesses had their gift cards promoted on a tree space by a fellow business at the 2019 MTF totaling nearly $7,000 of value
All total there were 182 gift cards representing over 80 local businesses for a total value of $9,773 in gift cards and event tickets alone.

That’s almost $10,000 in value and that doesn’t include gifts! We had gifts like legos, toy trucks, Disney dolls, oversized keyboards, framed photography, pillows, children’s books, gnomes, a tent, Adirondack chairs, olive oils, a vintage popcorn machine, Avengers clothes, a Harry Potter sorting hat and hundreds of other gifts that were all purchased from other businesses.

2019 total financial impact:

Average tree space value: $750.83 (minimum was $500)
Highest tree space value: $1,505 (Reed & Reed, followed by the second and third highest value spaces from Midcoast Orthodontics and Mainely Chiropractic)
Total value of actual trees (meaning trees, lights and decorations for 35 tree spaces combined): $4,500
Total value of gift cards (including event tickets): $9,773
Total value of the gifts (meaning non-tree or non-gift cards): $12,006
Total value of gifts, trees and gift cards won at Midcoast Tree Festival 2019: $26,279

Our 35 tree space winners won just over $26,000 in presents last November. That’s $26,000 of value from local businesses.

This $26,000 doesn’t include the MTF becoming a destination event. People planned their day to come to the festival, and with that trip, they often made other stops too. Many shopped in downtown Brunswick after, or popped over to the Topsham Fair Mall or went for a bite at a local restaurant.

This impact doesn’t include the decorations the committee bought, the bed race supplies, the costumes and other event items.

This doesn’t include the winners using all of those gift certificates in local businesses, and often spending more than the value of the gift card alone in those places. Those 80-plus businesses who had a gift card at the MTF also had a chance to make a lifelong customer, with both the initial purchaser and the winner.

Our local economy needs this influx of activity right now, which is why the participation of your business is needed at MTF 2020.

Those 80 businesses could use you to promote their business with one of their gift cards. Your employees will love to put the tree theme together and pick out the items needed. Who knows, you may even win one of the “Best of Fest” People’s Choice Awards determined by the trees with the most tickets in their poles. The 2019 Best of the Fest (and the ones to beat if you’re competitive) were: Midcoast Federal Credit Union, One River CPAs and Mechanical Services.

Yet, it’s not about competition either, it’s about compassion. A gift card for groceries could go a long way right now. Toys for a financially-strapped family could be an unbelievable gift. A gift certificate to a local restaurant could be the much-needed date night a local couple needs.

If you’d like to get a tree space for your business, or as an individual, I’d be happy to chat with you about it at (207) 725-8797 or [email protected] Sponsorships are available too.

Also, we have the Tree Squad back this year, where if you don’t have the time to build a tree space, you can hire our elves to build a tree for you. Or if you can’t afford to give an entire tree, our team will be accepting donations of gifts and gift cards to make chamber trees again.

Whatever way you want to help the festival this year, we’d love to have your business be a part of it. We’d love to see another $26,000 spent in our local businesses, buying gifts and trees, because that impact is important. It’s not just good business to support these events, but it feels good too. I hope you can join us.

Cory R. King is the executive director of the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber.

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