Ohio challenge attendees vs. last year
34 percent Butler County vs. 38 percent
19 percent Warren County vs. 16 percent
16 percent Montgomery County vs. 15 percent
7 percent Hamilton county vs. 6 percent
78 percent within one-hour drive vs. 75 percent last year
22 percent beyond one-hour drive vs. 25 percent last year
This year’s Ohio Challenge hot air balloon festival saw a 20 percent increase in attendance and a much higher percentage of people coming to the event from outside of Butler County, organizers said.
“Having more people visit from outside the immediate area is one of the goals of the event — to bring new people to Middletown,” said Sara Pruett, spokeswoman for the event.
Three years ago, the Ohio Challenge drew 58 percent of its audience from Butler County. That number has steadily dropped each year as more people are coming from Warren, Hamilton and Montgomery counties, according to the event’s annual wrap-up report.
This year the festival drew 34 percent from Butler, 19 percent from Warren, 16 percent from Montgomery and seven percent from Hamilton counties. And 22 percent of visitors drove more than an hour to attend the event, the report showed.
Attendance last year was dampened by persistent rain that prevented most balloons from taking off. This year’s weather saw more sun, and only some high winds on Saturday night, which scrubbed those flights. Last year’s attendance was about 37,500 people. A 20 percent increase would mean 45,000 attended this year’s festival.
Last year, the economic impact of the Ohio Challenge was estimated at $2 million, while the 2011 impact was estimated to be between $2 million and $3 million. The year of the greatest economic impact was 2007, when the event brought in $4.9 million.
This year’s economic impact has not been calculated yet; that report is due to the Middletown Convention and Visitors Bureau within 30 days from the end of the festival, Pruett said. The figure is calculated based on money spent by guests on-site and in local retail establishments, gas stations, hotels and restaurants.
Previously, Ohio Challenge organizers have calculated the impact based on $65 spent per person. Using that formula, this year’s impact would be about $2.9 million, on par with the 2011 festival.
This year’s event saw a change in the primary sponsor, from the MidUSA Credit Union to Selection.com, a Springdale-based background check service that sponsors the skydivers. Selection.com has agreed to be the primary sponsor for five years.
About the Author