A recent survey report by the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College on behalf of the Disabled Persons Action Organization (DPAO) concludes that the DPAO Summer Concert Series was responsible for a positive financial impact of over $10 Million Dollars in the region over the past five years!

The report specifically identified the following impacts the Concert Series had had on the greater Watertown region.

• Over the past 5 years (2012-2016) an annual average of 9722 people attended a DPAO concert
• The estimated economic impact for this five year period is $10,204,311
• 16.2 jobs as an average are created annually by the DPAO Summer Concert Series-for every 1000 attendees 2.52 jobs are created in the community

In addition the report in part considers the results of customer intercept studies taken through-out the 2016 DPAO concert series.

• Over 11% of the attendees traveled from outside the area and stayed overnight in the region
• 95 % of those concert attendee’s surveyed viewed the DPAO Summer Concert Series as a valuable addition to the quality of life in the community
• Data from the past five years indicates each attendee had a direct and indirect economic impact to the community of $212.76 per concert event

Another interesting fact is that almost 84% of concert attendee’s plan on going to future DPAO Concerts and will also recommend them to others.

This study is the most detailed statistical look at data at this particular group of people in our community and it offers value to other businesses besides DPAO as well as public officials and regional economic developers. The success of the Summer Concert Series over the past 40 years can be attributed to our concert goers and loyal sponsors.

The proceeds from the DPAO Summer Concert Series are used to fund the programs and services provided to over five hundred families that DPAO serves in multiple counties. It is very gratifying to know that these shows have had such a positive economic impact on our community and that the concert attendees realize these events enhance the quality of life in our area.

Since 1974, DPAO’s mission has been to provide quality and effective individualized services to developmentally disabled children and adults in Jefferson and Lewis Counties. The services are primarily geared to helping families cope with the stress of caring for their disabled loved ones.

For more information on DPAO’s programs and services please call (315) 782-3577.