Oktoberfest

[Spokes]

Oktoberfest in need of a ‘reset’ going forward

The 50th anniversary of Oktoberfest helped reverse the recent trend of declining revenues in 2018, but the festival continued to lose money last year.

During the annual general meeting Tuesday night at the Schwaben Club in Kitchener, treasurer Tony Papa said the organization saw total revenue increase by about $820,000 in 2018 to $2.7 million, but they still ended up with an overall deficit of about $150,000.

That's an increase over the 2017 deficit of about $112,000. Between 2012 and 2017, festival revenue dropped from $2.8 million to $1.9 million.
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Incoming president Tim Beckett said the festival is "in need of a reset to ensure the festival remains a community highlight for the next 50 years."

That includes engaging with municipal governments in the region to ensure Bavarian culture is embraced during the festival, working with local fest hall partners and service organizations to provide the best experience possible, and continuing to provide compelling volunteer opportunities.
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Oktoberfest introduced several new initiatives in 2018 to attract new festivalgoers, including new radio frequency identification wristbands at the festival's newest and largest venue, Oktoberfesthaus at Lot 42 in Kitchener.

The festival generates an estimated $21.8 million worth of economic benefit to the community, and attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees each year. The 2019 Oktoberfest will run from Oct. 11 to 19. For more information, visit www.oktoberfest.ca.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/920...g-forward/