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Recognizing and Honoring the Office of Special Events on the occasion of the City of Philadelphia being recognized as the 2017 IFEA World Festival & Event City Award Recipient.
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WHEREAS, The International Festivals & Event Association’s (“IFEA”) World Festival & Event City Award is given annually to those cities who have worked diligently to maintain an environment conducive to successful festivals and events; and
WHEREAS, The IFEA World Festival & Event City Award provides a platform from which to recognize the valiant work of every facet of the Philadelphia Community in bringing about the successful execution of extraordinary events; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia has been honored as the 2017 Recipient of the IFEA World Festival & Event City Award; and
WHEREAS, This is the fourth consecutive year the City of Philadelphia has received this award. Only Sydney, Australia can be said to have matched this accomplishment; and
WHEREAS, The consistent excellence in the field of events is due in large part to the tireless efforts of the Office of Special Events under the stewardship of The Honorable Jazelle M. Jones; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Jazelle M. Jones has served as the Deputy Managing Director and Director of Operations for the City of Philadelphia since 2005. In October 2017, Ms. Jones was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf as Judge for the Court of Judicial Discipline in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as a member of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council and a member of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. Ms. Jones was originally appointed by Mayor John Street as the Director of Planning for the Mayor’s Office of Community Services, the City’s Anti-Poverty Agency, in 2001. Prior to joining City government, Ms. Jones held numerous managerial positions in the private sector. She is the recipient of the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence, the American Red Cross Humanitarian Award, the Mayor’s MVP Award, and the NAACP National Voter Fund Award; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Jones in that capacity, has proven herself responsible for the overwhelmingly successful coordination and execution of hundreds of parades, festivals, concerts, and other City events; and
WHEREAS, In recent years, the City of Philadelphia has been the platform for veritable explosions in the magnitude and ambition of staged events, including two National Security Special Events (NSSE); including the 2015 World Meeting of Families Congress & Papal Visit and the 2016 Democratic National Convention; and
WHEREAS, The World Meeting of Families took place over six days in September of 2015 and was highlighted by the visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia. Preparation and planning for this event was a monumental task, but the Office of Special Events worked with other City and outside agencies to ensure it went off without a hitch. The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (“PHLCVB”) placed the direct economic impact of the World Meeting of Families Congress at more than $29 million, and this figure does not even account for the Papal Mass on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which drew an estimated one million people to the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, The Democratic National Convention brought tens of thousands of delegates and visitors to Philadelphia in July of 2016. The Office of Special Events served on the front-lines of the City’s efforts in conceptualizing and carrying out this event, the total regional economic impact of which The U.S. Travel Association estimates at $180 million; and
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia hosted the 2017 NFL Draft Experience from April 27th to April 29th, the largest outdoor festival footprint ever created by the NFL. Widely lauded as a great success, the event was attended by more than 250,000 people and had a total economic impact of $94.9 million according to a study by the PHLCVB; and
WHEREAS, The Office of Special Events managed a number of operations for the 2017 Philly Free Streets event, a “people-powered initiative of the City of Philadelphia, temporarily closing streets to cars, inviting people to walk, bike, and play.” Taking place over a 3.6-mile route from 3rd and Chestnut Streets to 5th and Indiana Avenue. Philly Free Streets saw a participation of around 40,000 people, a 25% increase from 2016; and
WHEREAS, The Office of Special Events was responsible for the comprehensive operations plan for the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl Championship Parade. An event of this scale usually requires six months of planning; under the leadership of the Office of Special Events, the City finalized plans in a matter of weeks. Total attendance is estimated at more than one million people; and
WHEREAS, The Office of Special Events further executed a wide variety of other projects in the 2017 calendar year, including: 2017 Philadelphia Soul Championship Rally; Various Major Motion Pictures and Film Projects (GPFA); City-Wide Social Media Task Force (Mayor’s Office); Monument Lab Activations & Events; Octavius Catto Statue Unveiling Ceremony; Wawa Welcome America Festival; Philadelphia Veterans Day Parade; Made in America Festival; Philadelphia Marathon Weekend; 2018 Villanova University Championship Parade; and 2026 FIFA World Cup Bid; and
WHEREAS, Under the capable leadership of The Honorable Jazelle Jones, Mechelle Sabb, Ilia Ghee, Robert T. Allen, Olivia Gillison, Natalie Faragalli, Zina Van Sciver, and with special thanks to photographer William Foster, the Council sees no reason not to expect that the City of Philadelphia will once more be honored with the IFEA World Festival & Event City Award in 2018; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize and honor the Office of Special Events on the occasion of the City of Philadelphia being recognized as the 2017 IFEA World Festival & Event City Award Recipient.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to The Honorable Jazelle Jones, Deputy Managing Director and Director of Operations of the Office of Special Events, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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