Celebration of Light to return in 2010!

[Spoolmak]

Thats really sad, given the money the city makes during the nights of events

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by Spoolmak

Thats really sad, given the money the city makes during the nights of events

Actually very few businesses do well during those nights.

Myself I'm Glad to see the back of them and hope they stay buried.

[Yume-sama]

^^

How can anyone hate fireworks ?

[raggedy13]

Being a resident of the West End, I really hope things work out this year. Last year was great.

[Waders]

Oh well. This is good news for this year. But I suspect the same thing will happen again next year.

Money found for 20th annual Celebration of Light
By: ctvbc.ca

Date: Thursday Jun. 3, 2010 3:00 PM PT

Vancouver's annual Celebration of Light has avoided cancellation once again, and is now confirmed for four nights in July.

In April, a former organizer of the fireworks competition said the event was $350,000 short on the funding needed to transport the pyrotechnics in from abroad. The festival had faced a similar problem in 2009.

But on Thursday, organizers announced that sponsors had pulled through for the popular extravaganza, securing dates for its 20th year.

This year's Celebration of Light is scheduled for July 21, 24, 28 and 31 in English Bay

Source: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/l...shColumbiaHome

[mr.x]

Less than two months to go....I don't think a "revival" announcement has ever happened this late. I sure hope it doesn't affect the quality of the shows.

[Yume-sama]

Sigh. Guess there was no damn wolf this year, either, huh?!

[Waders]

Not sure whether the news was not announced earlier or what. It doesn't look to be a good omen for next year's funding. Let's hope the economy would improve further so more companies are willing to sponsor the event.

[Waders]

According to the Province, it looks like the Parks Board is getting involved?

The parks board is holding “preliminary discussions” with the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society and potential sponsors to cover the estimated $4-million cost of the show, Jasper said.

Source: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Cele...#ixzz0prXuIebY

[Waders]

Interesting. The Province also becomes a sponsor. I remembered the government said a few months ago that they have no money for this.

Confirmed sponsors for the 2010 event include: The City of Vancouver, The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, Shore 104.3 FM, Concord Pacific Developments Inc., London Drugs, HSBC Bank Canada, The Province of British Columbia, BC Hydro, Tourism Vancouver and Vancouver Airport Authority and the support of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.

"We're excited to support one of Vancouver's signature events," said Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Kevin Krueger. "The Celebration of Light is an attraction for residents and tourists alike, and helps build on Vancouver's world-class reputation from the 2010 Olympic and Paralymic Winter Games."

Source: http://www.marketwire.com/press-rele...10-1271067.htm

[SpongeG]

if cigarette companies can't sponsor events anymore - what do they do with the extra profits? just make themselves richer? isn't that sort of dumb? can't they just sponsor events again

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

if cigarette companies can't sponsor events anymore - what do they do with the extra profits? just make themselves richer? isn't that sort of dumb? can't they just sponsor events again

Extra profits get sent to the shareholders as larger dividends.

[Waders]

Too bad, no Canada team this year.
But if you enter BC Hydro's Team Power Smart contest. You may be able to win a spot at the special beach-front "Power Smart Zone" created for family fireworks viewing.

Vancouver fireworks line-up announced
By JES ABEITA, Vancouver Sun July 6, 2010

It's on! The 2010 Celebration of Light will celebrate its 20th anniversary this summer, with teams from the United States, Spain, Mexico, and China poised to pit their pyrotechnic talents against one another.

On the evenings of July 21st, 24th, 28th and 31st, fireworks will light up Vancouver's skyline, choreographed to music from the Big Band era, this year's theme.

SHOREfest, the concert series that runs in tandem with the Celebration, has lined up acoustic acts including Dan Mangan, Jets Overhead and Spirit of the West to serenade crowds at two stages: English Bay's Bathhouse Roof and a second stage at Sunset Beach.

The series, sponsored by radio station The Shore 104.3fm, is in its second year. Complete information on performers, venues and times is available at the Celebration of Light website, www.celebration-of-light.com and The Shore's website, www.shore104.com.

The Celebration of Light, originally known as the Symphony of Fire, has been plagued by money troubles since original sponsor Benson and Hedges pulled its sponsorship in 2001.

This year, the money picture is "looking good," said Randy Clegg, marketing director for brand.LIVE, the company producing the event. "All the sponsors from last year are back, plus some new ones."

Major sponsors include The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, London Drug, HSBC, The Vancouver Sun and BC Hydro.

BC Hydro is creating a special beach-front "Power Smart Zone" for family fireworks viewing. The area will seat 250 people each night of the Celebration.

Access to the zone will be awarded to winners of the monthly Team Power Smart contest. Information on how to join and enter to win a spot in the Power Smart Zone can be found at the BC Hydro website, www.bchydro.com/powersmart.

In addition, the City of Vancouver will help out by policing the event and YVR has committed to helping get the competitors to Vancouver.

The fireworks competition is judged on how well the display matches the music, the originality and quality of the display, the colours used and the overall concept of the piece.

Kelly Guille, owner of and lead designer for Archangel Fireworks Inc., said that planning a winning display also involves "a lot of thought, and a lot of grabbing your hair really tightly and hoping you don't go insane." Archangel won the competition representing Canada in 2007 and 2008.

jabeita@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/V...145/story.html

[Waders]

For those of you who like the firework but hate the crowd, you can now watch the Celebration of Light live with CTV Online from their camera atop the Shangri-La Hotel.
Source: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/l...shColumbiaHome

[SpongeG]

Vancouver fireworks organizers want to add pay-only seating

Fireworks fans would be able to reserve a prime beachfront spot

BY KELLY SINOSKI, VANCOUVER SUN OCTOBER 28, 2010 1:04 PM

VANCOUVER -- Fireworks fans may be able to reserve a prime beachfront spot at Vancouver's Celebration of Lights next summer — but it'll cost them.

The cash-strapped organizers of the popular fireworks event want to add temporary pay-only bleacher seating for 1,000 people in the area just south of the English Bay Bathhouse building in an attempt to boost revenue and control seating on the waterfront. Access would be controlled by a single point of entry with admission by pre-purchased ticket only.

It's not known at this point how much the reserved seating would cost.

More than a million visitors are estimated to attend the free annual Celebration of Lights, which has been held in English Bay for 20 years. But over the years, organizers have decried the increasing operating costs of the event and are trying to find others ways to get sponsorship and increase revenues.

...

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Van...741/story.html

[Metro-One]

Thats a good idea if you ask me!

I honestly wish we could still allow cigarette and alcohol companies sponsor such events here. Vancouver's anti-smoking stance lately seems a little fascists (and I don't even smoke).

[vanlaw]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Thats a good idea if you ask me!

I honestly wish we could still allow cigarette and alcohol companies sponsor such events here. Vancouver's anti-smoking stance lately seems a little fascists (and I don't even smoke).

In all reality, Vancouver isn’t really that much different than most other cities now. Most big cities in North America and Europe have banned smoking in restaurants, including places where smoking is almost religion - i.e. Paris, parts of Ireland etc.

I think, but I may be wrong, that the 6 meters from building entrance is a provincial thing, not a city thing. The parks and beach issue is probably a little bit more extreme than other cities, but I wouldn’t doubt it if others followed. And to get back to the original issue, tobacco advertising/sponsorship is a federal issue.

[mr.x]

Oh man, those comments in that Sun article....do people even realize that the festival is desperate for money? It's still a free show people, it's not like they're suggesting to cordon off the entire beach in Downtown and Vanier Park and make the entire immediate vicinity public viewing areas admission only.

I don't understand the whole corporate/business boogeyman going on here.


This is a great idea!

[SpongeG]

back when benson and hedges sponsored it they had a gold zone for benson and hedges - i forget what it took to get in there but i think you could buy tickets or win them

[Waders]

I think it is a good idea.
As I mentioned in post#12 of this thread,

the 4 day event has an estimated annual attendance of 1.4 million people.
So if the organizer starts to charge each attendee $1 to watch the show, they would have more than 1 million dollar funding that can be used.