It ain't easy being WOW

I suppose to the average concert-goer, WOW looks pretty easy. There's a band, there's a sound guy, there's an audience. Simple. To any of the previous 15 coordinators, this statement is ridiculous. From February onward each year, the Arts Council starts seeking sponsorship, placing ads, applying for grants, booking the sound technician, promoting band participation, booking the gazebo, creating a new poster, establishing a marketing plan, and pulling together a committee of people to select the line-up. This year, things were more crazy with the knowledge that Gaming funds were not forthcoming, and the work to partner with the Downtown Association to make this concert series even possible. And then the concerts start! When the coordinator is up on stage at the half-time break, they are juggling 25 announcements, thank you's and scheduling notes in their head. It's tough, but the main message is that it takes a whole community of individuals, businesses, dollars and volunteers to make this event happen. Let's not let it slip away.