Q. This is the 20th anniversary of First Night Hartford. How big has its budget grown in that time?
A. According to the board members who have been with the event longer than I have, the budget has remained fairly unchanged for the most part. A strong sense of cost-containment has helped us maintain a very lean spending plan from year to year.
What’s the breakdown of support for First Night for public vs. private financing?
In most years, there was very limited public funding for First Night Hartford and relied on private donations from corporations and local businesses. For the past few years, the City of Hartford has been a large supporter, providing up to 40 percent of our revenue in the past two years (they’ll probably be about 25 percent this year). The Greater Hartford Arts Council has also been a significant contributor to the event.
OK, maybe this is a silly question, but why is something that doesn’t take place on the first night of the year called First Night? Is it because “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” was taken by Dick Clark?
The board president, Marilyn Rossetti, tells me that she has friends who have suggested that we call the event “Last Night.” Plus, Dick Clark would probably arrange to have the ball at Times Square dropped on my kneecaps if the name was even remotely close to his event. However, the First Night International website offers a more thoughtful response: “New Year’s Eve is a time for renewal and new beginnings. It is an opportunity for the community to look ahead collectively with hope and optimism and appreciate their common bonds. The name “First Night” symbolizes this look forward rather than the technically correct words, “Last Night.”
Do you need to be insured against weather?
First Night Hartford has never been insured in case of weather issues, even considering the timeframe in which the event occurs. The board has investigated this over the years and the price always was deemed too high and the coverage too limited to be worthwhile.
How many people are required to run First Night, both paid and volunteer?
This is a two-part answer. From the planning side, there are the planning coordinators; this year it is The Research Department, Inc. which works closely with the First Night Hartford Board of Directors to arrange the event soup-to-nuts. We, in turn, work with a local production company called Fly By Night Entertainment to handle the strict production elements (i.e. sound, lighting, staging, etc). There is also a fundraising coordinator and two volunteer coordinators and someone to handle public relations. Then of course, there are all the performers who helped make First Night Hartford the diverse and entertaining experience that it is. This year, we have over 45 different artists scheduled to appear from 2 p.m. to midnight.
For the day of the event, we hire site managers who are in charge of making sure everything is in order at given locations. Everyone else who works with us does so on a volunteer basis.
Not counting the performers, we’re probably in the ballpark of about 200 people involved in making First Night Hartford happen.
Would First Night be possible without volunteers?
It would be impossible to put on this event without the efforts of the volunteers. These are people who love the idea of First Night Hartford and willingly give their time to make it a success. There are people who have volunteers since the first year. In exchange for complimentary First Night tickets, we are able to provide people to help manage the venues, provide directions, sell admission tickets and, hopefully, create an enjoyable atmosphere.
Any idea what the economic value to Hartford is from First Night Hartford?
It’s hard to quantify the economic value to the city, but we certainly believe that First Night Hartford has a short- and long-term impact. On New Year’s Eve, thousands of people come to downtown Hartford to attend the event. Hopefully, they’ve parked and found a place to eat. Ideally, if they haven’t been downtown in a while, they see all the great restaurants, learn what’s going on at The Bushnell, Theaterworks or The Hartford Stage and make a note to come back again. This year, for the first time, everyone who buys a First Night Hartford ticket is also entitled to a short-term “Let’s Go Arts” card from the Greater Hartford Arts Council. For the first two months of the year, they can get discounts on museums, restaurants and shopping, providing a great incentive for them to return to Hartford. Framing the city in the best possible light is one way in which we think First Night Hartford can bring continued economic value to the city.
Who has been First Night’s biggest supporter over the past two decades?
It has been a varied list over the course of the lifetime. This year, our largest supporters are The City of Hartford, The Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Northland Investment Corporation. In the past, ADVO, Eagle Bank, Webster Bank, and Anthem Blue Cross have been large contributors. In the early years, Aetna, The Hartford, UTC, and Travelers were major contributors.
