City of Kingston Report to Council Report Number Lanie Hurdle, Commissioner, Community Services Jaclyn Grimmon, Manager, Recreation Programs

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1 To: From: Resource Staff: City of Kingston Report to Council Report Number Mayor and Members of Council Date of Meeting: Subject: Executive Summary: Lanie Hurdle, Commissioner, Community Services Jaclyn Grimmon, Manager, Recreation Programs Innovate Kingston The Breakout Event Innovate Kingston (IK) is a non-profit collective of entrepreneurs and community members who are growing Kingston by developing companies from the ground up. In 2016, the City established a partnership with IK to provide free space at the former Portsmouth Town Hall that enabled small start-up tech companies to grow. This incubator space now has three (3) start-up companies. It is anticipated that there will be an additional three (3) start-up companies by the end of the year. IK has been working on creative ways to engage more members of the public as well as showcase the innovative talent that Kingston has to offer. IK has recently worked on developing The Breakout event which is an interactive event that is open to all members of the public and is expected to bring together thousands of participants including entrepreneurs, youth, makers, communicators and artists to apply their skills and passions to work in teams and pioneer projects that will make the world a better place. It is anticipated that thousands of attendees and millions more online will be given an interactive social media platform to not just watch these teams but to contribute with their skills, money and connections. The Breakout will be powered by an innovative online platform where the activities of each team will be broadcast live using a reality TV format. World-renowned speakers, experts and investors will interview teams and help showcase their efforts to an audience of eager supporters. At the end of the 48 hour event, the winning team will have raised the most human and financial capital to propel their project from concept to reality over the following year. To staff s knowledge, this will be a world-first event and if successful, it will be repeated annually with growing impact. The Breakout is intended to raise the profile of Kingston and to attract Council Meeting 01 90

2 Page 2 of 7 talent, new start-ups and divisions of larger companies to the region both immediately and over time. Through an in-kind partnership with St. Lawrence Parks Commission, IK will be holding this event at Fort Henry from May 11 to May 13. IK has also also secured other partnerships with Tourism Kingston and Kingston Accommodation Partners. Innovate Kingston, with support from City staff, submitted a proposal through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport to request funding from the Ontario150 program to support the Breakout as part of sesquicentennial celebrations. The event supports a number of the objectives of the Ontario150 program, including showcasing creativity, innovation and diversity, engaging youth and creating economic, social and cultural legacies. The Ministry has committed to partner with the City and Innovate Kingston with a significant contribution towards the successful development and delivery of the Breakout. As part of The Breakout event and in order to engage as much of the community as possible, a celebration is proposed at Springer Market Square at the closing of the event which will showcase artists and at which time the winner of the event will be announced. It is proposed that a free concert and celebration open to the community at large be offered on Friday, May 13, The event is proposed to be financed mainly through event passes, sponsorships and partnerships. City staff have been working with IK to identify the best way to support this unique event with the potential of reaching out to local, provincial, national and even international participants. Staff have identified that the City could support the event by providing some event management support as well as a financial contribution that can be allocated to the hosting of a community celebration in Springer Market Square. Staff are recommending that the City contributes up to $100,000 in the form of both services and funds to support the community celebration in Springer Market Square. Staff will also try to incorporate and promote this celebration within the context of the local Sesquicentennial events. It is also recognized that this major and unique event will help support the efforts of the Destination Marketing Strategy, led by Tourism Kingston and the Kingston Accommodation Partners. The Breakout event supports the City s strategic priority to create a smart economy by showcasing the entrepreneurship talent in Kingston in creative ways. Recommendation: That Council support funding from the Ontario150 program for sesquicentennial celebrations in Kingston be directed to Innovate Kingston for the Breakout event; and That Council endorse a contribution which includes promotional and financial support up to $100,000, to be funded from the Working Fund Reserve, for the Community Celebration held during The Breakout Event from May 11 to May 13, 2017; and Council Meeting 01 91

3 Page 3 of 7 That Council authorize the Mayor and Clerk to execute all documents and agreements related to the contribution outlined in Report Number as approved by the Commissioner of Community Services or her delegate, in a form satisfactory to the Director of Legal Services. Council Meeting 01 92

4 Page 4 of 7 Authorizing Signatures: Lanie Hurdle, Commissioner, Community Services Gerard Hunt, Chief Administrative Officer Consultation with the following Members of the Corporate Management Team: Denis Leger, Corporate & Emergency Services Not required Jim Keech, President and CEO, Utilities Kingston Not required Desiree Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer & City Treasurer Council Meeting 01 93

5 Options/Discussion: Page 5 of 7 Innovate Kingston Innovate Kingston (IK) is a volunteer-based not-for-profit that acts as an incubator for its own start-ups but also partners and collaborates with the latest tech-based companies in the Kingston area. With the active support of entrepreneurs and the Kingston community, IK s vision is to help develop an ecosystem that will result in a $100 Million technology-related business in Kingston. IK helps form many companies, drives job creation and continues to enhance Kingston as a go-to location for entrepreneurs scaling world-class technology businesses. Innovate Kingston-supported businesses are not only paired with one mentor but a team of mentors who get actively involved in the business. Mentors help guide decisions, open networks and otherwise advocate within the Innovate Kingston community and the world at large. Innovate Kingston recently established a partnership with the City to access the former Portsmouth Town Hall as an incubator site for small start-up tech businesses. This property currently houses three (3) small and growing start-up businesses. It is anticipated that there will be an additional three (3) start-up businesses by the end of the year. One of those businesses was recently successful in obtaining major investments on the television show Dragons Den. As part of its efforts to build awareness of the innovative talent in Kingston and create more connections with various business and community sectors across the province, the country and the world, IK has develop an event called The Breakout which is proposed to take place in May Event Description & Partnership For 48 hours teams of entrepreneurs, makers, communicators and artists will apply their skills and passions to pioneer projects that will make the world a better place. Thousands of attendees and millions more online will be given an interactive social media platform to not just watch these teams but to contribute with their skills, money and connections. The Breakout will be powered by an innovative online platform where the activities of each team will be broadcast live using a reality TV format. World-renowned speakers, experts and investors will interview teams and help showcase their efforts to an audience of eager supporters. At the end of the 48 hours, a winning team will be announced. That winner will have raised the most human and financial capital to propel their project from concept to reality over the next year. It is proposed that the winning team will be announced during a community celebration which will be held on the Friday evening at Springer Market Square. This community celebration will include free musical performances by well-known artists. Event pass pricing will vary between $199 to $749 but IK will be reserving 500 event passes that will be donated to students and low income attendees. A portion of event pass sales will be donated to the projects that are being formed. These event prices do not apply to the community celebration that will be taking place in Springer Market Square. There will not be a cost to attend the community celebration. Council Meeting 01 94

6 Page 6 of 7 IK, with the support of City staff, has been successful in securing a significant partnership with the Ontario 150 Program at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. The Breakout event will support the objectives of the Ontario 150 Program by: Celebrating local, national entrepreneurship by creating solutions for others; Ensuring that large number of participants are involved either at the event or online to support their teams and to bring their projects to life; and Creating a venue that will enable the development of innovative projects to address problems facing the world. It is anticipated that projects will have various social focuses which may include food and water security, health and safety, migration and accessibility. IK has also secured in kind partnerships with the St. Lawrence Parks Commission for the use of the Fort Henry site to hold the event, as well as partnerships with both Tourism Kingston and Kingston Accommodation Partners. It has been estimated that this event will generate between $735,000 and $1,200,000 spending into the local economy based on the Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model. With this anticipated economic impact and the expected thousands of attendees, The Breakout event supports the ongoing efforts of the Destination Marketing Strategy. Existing Policy/By-Law: Not applicable Notice Provisions: Not applicable Accessibility Considerations: Innovate Kingston has confirmed that arrangements will be made to make the event accessible. Financial Considerations: It is proposed that a maximum of up to $100,000 to support the community celebration within The Breakout event be funded from the Working Fund Reserve. Contacts: Lanie Hurdle, Commissioner, Community Services extension 1231 Jaclyn Grimmon, Manager, Recreation Programs, Recreation & Leisure Services extension 1805 Other City of Kingston Staff Consulted: Colin Wiginton, Cultural Director Council Meeting 01 95

7 Page 7 of 7 Exhibits Attached: Not applicable Council Meeting 01 96