Sparks, once known as Rail City, wants to update its image. So it's hired consulting firm Destination Development to be its engine of change.
"Where are we going to go in the future? What is life in the 21st century all about? That's the big thing," says Sparks Councilman Ron Schmitt, chairman of Sparks' tourism and marketing committee.
The new brand is part of an initiative aimed at enhancing the community for residents while also increasing tourism, says Adam Mayberry, the city's public information officer.
The Destination Development team will return to Sparks next week to work with the community and facilitate a series of workshops meant to set a brand direction.
Funding for the $114,000 branding contract comes from the city's tourism and marketing budget, derived from hotel room taxes.
In future, the branding effort could be fueled by room tax generated by hotels and motels in Sparks. The City Council voted in August to ask the next session of the Nevada Legislature for permission to keep future room tax revenues in Sparks instead of sharing them with the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority.
Roger Brooks, principal at Seattle-based Destination Development, came to Sparks to go undercover as a tourist in June. He emerged with a list of 40 areas in which the city could improve its tourism stature, says Mayberry.
Criticisms ranged from a lack of signage to general appearance. But Brooks' initial reconnaissance also found strengths, such as the general ambiance of the family-friendly town.
"The city has long wanted a way to find its own identity," says Mayberry. "A million people turn out each year to attend special events in Sparks."
In past, says Schmitt, Sparks worked the tourism angle through special events such as the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off and Hot August Nights. Other ideas floated included family city and historical rail city.
"But that's not part of our 21st century and many people don't even remember those times," he adds.
A Sparks resident since 1991, Schmitt says, "People have a lot of misconceptions about Sparks. Such as that it's a classic bedroom community for those who couldn't afford to live in Reno."
But now, he says, Sparks boasts new high-end subdivisions like Wingfield Springs and Kiley Ranch, plus amenities such as Sparks Galleria, Legends and Sparks Marina Park.
Despite those changes, his concern is resistance that may arise from a group he calls "people who want to hang on to what we have today, who want things to stay the same."
Turnout at the workshops is expected to be heavy among stakeholders, says Mayberry, which include community development leaders, elected officials, independent merchants, restaurant owners and developers of retail and residential projects.
Ultimately, the research, input and feedback will be compiled into a strategic branding, development and marketing plan. The goal: a well-defined image for the city of Sparks that builds upon where the community is now and provides a concrete direction and action plan for the future.
Brooks will present the final plan in February.
