The Downtown Development Authority recently reached out to local businesses to assess the impact of the Humor & Harmony event on our community. The insights gathered from this survey will be useful in developing new strategies to better support downtown businesses and improve future initiatives. Here are some key highlights from the feedback:
Impact on Businesses:
The majority of businesses reported that Humor and Harmony was a resounding success and a positive experience for downtown Shreveport. There was a notable increase in visitors, particularly during the late night and early morning hours. While we are still compiling data, early estimates suggest that the predicted attendance of 30,000 is on track.
Digital Engagement and Insights:
The digital side of the event also provided some valuable insights:
- The Downtown Development Authority saw a 103% increase in website visitors this month, with majority viewing information on Humor and Harmony, parking, and other downtown activities.
- Google searches for “downtown Shreveport,” “50 Cent in Shreveport,” and “hotels in Shreveport” saw a significant spike leading up to Humor and Harmony week, with some keywords experiencing more than a 300% increase from the previous month.
- There was a particularly high interest in the G-Dome, which emerged as a crowd favorite attraction.
- During August, interest in Shreveport wasn’t just regional; people from across the country, including states as far away as New York, California, and Iowa, were searching for information on Downtown Shreveport and Humor and Harmony.
- Our “Find It Downtown” QR code was scanned over 1,400 times.
- Digital and social media ads targeting visitors in the area generated over 210,000 impressions.
These results show that there was significant attention on Shreveport, especially the downtown area, during the event. The success of Humor and Harmony demonstrates the power of community events in driving engagement and interest in our local businesses. As we continue to analyze the data, we look forward to using these insights to create more initiatives for our downtown community.
