The Town of Purcellville, Virginia, recently won the Virginia Recreation and Park Society’s (VRPS) Best New Special Event Award for population under 25,000 for its first-ever wine festival. How did this small town host an award-winning event on its very first attempt? We asked Melanie Scoggins, former NRPA staff person and now events specialist with the Town of Purcellville, to share how to bottle such success.

“The event was the first of its kind in western Loudoun County where the niche is agri-tourism,” Scoggins says. “Purcellville draws visitors from all over the Washington, D.C., metro area because of the many wineries and farms offering unique food and drink experiences that are locally produced.”  

The 2012 Purcellville Food and Wine Festival included approximately 10 wineries, six eateries and musical entertainment from 4–9 p.m. in mid-July. The event took place in the Historic Old Town shopping area, with the goal of bringing people from outside of Purcellville to the town to shop, dine and explore. It was a superbly successful event, with more than 5,000 in attendance.  

 “We’re excited; it showcases the best of Loudoun wine and food, and showcases our community,” Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro says. Noting Purcellville has always been the business hub of western Loudoun, he adds, “Now it’s the center of the wine country.”

The former town parks and recreation administrator, Paul McCray, created partnerships with many local businesses and volunteers, and Scoggins notes that he was detail-oriented and diligent with communication. It was imperative that he build successful relationships with businesses and volunteers because the town employs only two part-time staff in the Parks and Recreation Division, so volunteer help was needed on event day. The town was able to offset the cost of the event through sponsorship from local businesses. 

“Besides offering something new and unique, I think the advertising and communications plan played a major part in the success of the event,” Scoggins says. “The event was posted on as many free web outlets as possible (including our state tourism website), and we purchased print advertising in industry-specific magazines and local and regional newspapers. Additionally, we purchased advertising on Facebook; hit the pavement with posters, fliers and an insert in the town water bill; and participated in a sponsorship with the Dulles Greenway that allowed us to hang a banner on the toll road median for 14 days prior to the event.”

Scoggins has several tips for other small towns planning special events:

• Organization and details are key factors in success. Create a detailed plan and timeline for each element from marketing to logistics. Make sure that each task is assigned to someone and has a deadline.
• Build strong mutually beneficial relationships with local businesses.
• Pick a theme that highlights a niche in your community.
• If you don’t have the luxury of a large staff, create a dependable and large volunteer base.
• Select a time of year that you are not competing with other similar events that are close by.

Event Management School for Parks and Recreation Professionals

In partnership with the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA), NRPA offers Event Management School each January to provide park and recreation professionals with industry-specific training for organizing effective, well-attended events. This two-year program offers practical education for both novice and experienced event planners with hands-on, real-world applications. Year One students will learn how to define their event, work through the business details, build planning and staffing teams, gather sponsorships, market their event and evaluate its success upon its completion. Year Two students take an in-depth look at event design, financial management, brand building, contingency planning, accessibility, sustainable planning and more. The next two sessions will be held from January 19-24, 2014, and January 18-23, 2015, at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. 

Elizabeth Beard is the Managing Editor of Parks & Recreation.