A familiar face is back at the helm of the Uptown Live event in New Westminster.
The Uptown Business Association has hired Douglas Smith, the former executive director of the Hyack Festival Association, to organize this year’s Uptown Live. Hyack organized the 2012 and 2013 events in partnership with the business association, but the Uptown Business Association has taken over this year’s event.
The Record recently contacted Bart Slotman, a director with the business association, to confirm reports that Smith had been hired to oversee this year’s event.
“At the time, my answer was no,” he said in a March 29 email to The Record. “At that time, we were in the middle of a procurement process for the event manager for Uptown Live, based on the event plan prepared last October.”
Smith’s company responded to the Uptown Business Association’s request for proposals.
“The UBA board reviewed the submissions last Monday, and we found he had the best proposal for the event,” Slotman wrote. “As such, we have now hired Douglas (through his company) to run the event in 2014, and he will get started on securing sponsors, stages, talent and the like.”
Launched in 2012, Uptown Live is a street festival that follows the Hyack International Parade. It features live bands, entertainment, food trucks and more.
The business group opted to organize this year’s event on its own because of the internal conflicts within the Hyack Festival Association.
In February, the City of New Westminster provided the Uptown Business Association with grant of $28,500 cash and $20,000 of in-kind services for this year’s Uptown Live event on Saturday, May 24.
For expediency, Slotman said the request for proposals was sent to event managers of similar events in Metro Vancouver.
“Several responses were received,” he said. “For confidentiality, I can’t elaborate from which companies.”
In addition to the city’s grant, Royal City Centre and Westminster Centre are the event’s principal sponsors and have confirmed a total of $20,000 in funds toward Uptown Live.
