Unique Annual Festival Creates $9M Direct Economic Impact for Chandler

Photos Captured by Peter Speyer | Speyer Photography

The 2022 Annual Chandler Ostrich Festival, a signature event hosted by the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, pumped $9 million into the local economy over the course of its two-weekend run last year. Newly implemented RFID technology allowed the Chandler Chamber for the first time to document the behavior and spending patterns of vendors and visitors in order to quantify the financial benefit to community.

Highlights of the Economic Impact Study show a total event attendance of 158,390 with nearly 75 percent of visitors coming from outside of Chandler, while 19 percent attended multiple times.  Notably, more than 8,000 visitors stayed overnight, spending $1.8 million commercially.

The longtime event has garnered attention across the nation and around the world as it honors Chandler’s Ostrich farming history with the gangly and awkward bird.  But the festival is more than just a fun and quirky attraction – it’s proven itself to mean big business for the city of Chandler.

“Attending the Ostrich Festival is a longstanding tradition for Chandler families, and we’re very proud of that,” said Terri Kimble, CEO/President, Chandler Chamber of Commerce. “As the City’s leading business organization, we’re even more proud of the fact that we are driving dollars to the local economy and offering so many opportunities for business success in the community.”

The research was conducted in house through Steve LeVine Entertainment (SLE) with oversight from external independent contractors in economic impact data collection and reporting.  Researchers took a highly conservative approach, using data from the ‘at least’ position.  Key elements of the Direct Economic Impact include dollars spent by the event organizer and visitors.  Visitors are divided into two groups; Attendees (talent, media, sponsors, staff, vendors, suppliers, and volunteers) and Spectators (total spectator admissions, repeat spectators, local residents, and casual visitors).