The 2022 iteration of the BLINK Lights & Arts Festival had $126 million in economic impact on the Greater Cincinnati region, according to a new report released by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.
Last year’s BLINK exceeded 2019’s economic impact of $86.7 million by over 45%, according to the report. The four-day event brought more than 2 million visitors from 29 states (the report did not break down the economic impact specific to Northern Kentucky).
“This report details the economic impact of BLINK, but it is important to note that the true beauty and impact of BLINK lies in the shared memories and experiences of those attendees,” said BLINK Executive Director Justin Brookhart.
The first BLINK festival took place in 2017, spanning only 20 city blocks. It featured over 60 animated light shows projected onto buildings, interactive art sculptures, murals and other light-based displays. The four-day event returned to the region last year for the first time since 2019, with over 100 installations scattered over 30 city blocks in Cincinnati and Covington.
BLINK 2022 generated $6.8 million in income, sales and hotel tax revenue for the communities that make up the Cincinnati region. This comes from a combination of county sales tax, state sales tax, local income tax, state income tax and hotel tax revenue.
1,687 jobs were supported by the event, with the workers, both directly and indirectly, earning workers $87.5 million in wages.
Cincinnati residents spent $2.3 million on hotels, $63.5 million on food and drinks, and $32.5 million on retail over the four days. In total, Cincinnati residents spent $98.4 million generating $196.6 million of direct and indirect economic impact.
In comparison, non-local visitors spent a little over $9 million on hotels, $8.9 million on food and drink, and $4.7 million on retail. Non-local visitors spent $22.7 million, generating $44.5 million of direct and indirect economic impact.
To host 2022 BLINK, the Cincinnati USA Chamber made approximately $6.35 million in operations expenditures for promotion, concession expenses, equipment rentals and entertainment.
“The Chamber once again worked in close partnership with the Haile Foundation, AGAR, and ArtWorks, and welcomed new partners Cincy Nice and ish to the team,” Brookhart said. “Together this dedicated group labored alongside hundreds of hard-working and talented artists, visionaries, musicians, technical experts, and volunteers to deliver something truly special.”