County council is supporting a “bold move” to Amplify Norfolk and kick-start local tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Councilors on Dec. 13 appointed Coun. Alan Duthie to serve on the Operation Microphone committee. The committee includes a group of entertainment experts planning to hold two large scale live music events in Norfolk County in 2023.
The events have been branded Amplify Norfolk and are the first steps towards making the county a destination for live music and entertainment.
“We’re super excited about this and it’s not just Norfolk County staff who are excited, it’s all members of the committee,” Jordan Gawley said at last week’s council-in-committee meeting. “The members of the committee all have experience in the music industry and we’re all very passionate about this.
“We’ve got a great team and we’re really looking forward to this.”
Gawley is the owner of Black Creek Music, a DJ-event company, that is housed in the former Capitol Theater building, now Capitol 33, in Delhi. He’s a member of the committee and was at the Dec. 13 meeting to provide an update on Operation Microphone.
Dallas Waldie, the project lead for Amplify Norfolk, also spoke at Tuesday’s meeting. He said the plan is to make Norfolk a destination for live music starting with two large events in 2023.
Amplify Norfolk will begin with community week, which will run from June 3 to 10 culminating in a two-day large scale event held by the Norfolk County Agricultural Society on June 9 and 10.
Norfolk County had a community day in 2021 and there was a lot of participation. But because it was only one day, many people found it hard to get around the county to experience everything, Waldie said.
Plans call for the Waterford Old Town Hall to be the lead on a major fall event.
Waldie said the committee thought it best to pool resources to put on two large scale events rather than have several small events distributed throughout the county.
“I remember when this first came to us and I’ve never been to a live music show, never been to a theater or art gallery, it’s not my area of expertise,” Coun. Chris Van Paassen said following the presentations. “But I supported it because it was presented by staff to council as a bold move to kick everything back into gear post-COVID.
“It’s one bold move to bring Norfolk County back on the map to the rest of North America.”
Operation Microphone began as an economic development initiative in 2021 to help support local tourism which, like many other sectors, was hurt by public health restrictions imposed during the pandemic. The idea was to build partnerships with those involved in arts and entertainment with local tourism operators and local non-profit organizations to hold major events in Norfolk.
County officials hope the events will encourage tourists to stay in Norfolk overnight and enjoy some of the tourism opportunities available in the county.
The initiative is based, in part, on the success of the two-day Gentlemen of the Road event in 2013 that brought more than 25,000 visitors to the county and generated an estimated $10 million in economic activity. The 2013 event featured Mumford & Sons as the headliner.
Duthie was involved in the Gentlemen of the Road event. He has also worked with the Norfolk County Fair’s entertainment committee.
Norfolk has committed $125,000 annually toward the initiative over three years.
County staff anticipate spending only $85,000 of the money allotted for Operation Microphone in 2022. The money will be used to book venues and the remaining $40,000 will be added to the original $125,000 set aside for 2023 to support the project.
However, while council is prepared to help get Amplify Norfolk started over the next couple of years, plans call for the event to become self-sustaining in future years.
Staff have been directed to provide council with regular updates about Amplify Norfolk and Duthie will also keep council informed about the committee’s progress.
Meanwhile, Coun. Mike Columbus said Norfolk County is no stranger to live entertainment.
“If you pick up your phone and Google the Delhi Belgian Club and performers you will find more than 150 different entertainment groups appeared at the club in the 1960s and ’70s,” Columbus said. “At that time, they would attract between 500 and 1,000 visitors every weekend.”
The list of famous performers includes Bobby Curtola, Chubby Checker, Lighthouse and Paul Anka to name just a few.
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