Crystal Classic finishes strong after rainstorm

Despite a sluggish opening day due to rain, organizers of the Siesta Key Crystal Classic called this year’s edition of the annual sand-sculpting competition
a success.

“Overall, operationally it went fantastic, with the exception of the weather sort of hindering us at the beginning,” said Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kevin Cooper, who oversaw this year’s Crystal Classic Steering Committee.

The Crystal Classic, which first took place in 2010, has drawn about 30,000 to 50,000 visitors to Siesta Key each year, with more than half traveling from outside Sarasota County. Siesta business leaders tout the event, which ran from Nov. 15 through Nov. 18 this year, as a valuable opportunity to promote Siesta Key as a tourist destination.

“Continuing to introduce people to the island is vital to us,” Siesta Key Village Association President Cheryl Gaddie said at a recent SKVA meeting while discussing the Crystal Classic. “We want people to know about Siesta Key.”

As of Wednesday, official attendance data have yet to be compiled, but Cooper said the 2013 numbers would be “markedly lower” than previous years due to rain in the opening hours, which initially kept the crowds smaller than anticipated.

By Sunday and Monday, however, the event had “regained its momentum,” Cooper added.

“The event is only open for 32 hours, and we lost four hours on Saturday morning,” Cooper said. “So you’re talking about 15% of your revenue stream that is cut off.”

The decrease in attendance not only affected ticket revenue, but also had a ripple effect on other revenue-generating components of the event, such as food concessions and souvenir sales.

Despite the slow start, this year’s decision to provide parking and free transportation to the event at Riverview High School was a “big success,” event organizers said.

“The parking at Riverview went really well,” Cooper said. “Folks found that much easier to navigate.”

In the run-up to the Crystal Classic, county officials and Siesta Key leaders expressed concerns about how the ongoing Beach Road Drainage Improvements project could potentially impact event logistics, and if an active construction site so close to the beach would leave tourists with a negative impression of the area’s top tourism draw.

“The event is a big event, and there’s no doubt it will be impacted by the construction,” Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Manager George Tatge said in October.

Despite those misgivings, Cooper said the drainage project had no effect on the Crystal Classic.

Contact Nolan Peterson a [email protected]