The business of BLINK: How the arts put Cincinnati on the map, impact local economy
CINCINNATI — Jamie Hensley already works a lot of hours as a server downtown. When she heard BLINK was happening again, she told her boss to ensure she was on the schedule.
"I already work a bunch, but I picked up more because I wanted to be here for it," she said. "It's what we live for, the busy stuff."
Hensley works at Hawkers Alley, a grill and drink restaurant on Court Street right across from the Toy Heritage Mural. ("It's the best one," Hensley said.)
"Being here and having all these people come to our beautiful city and enjoy things like this, and they can tell me stories about where they're from or where they're traveling to. It's been really awesome," she said.
In essence, the experience the restaurant is having is one of the underlying purposes of BLINK: building the economy and having tourists consider visiting and living in Cincinnati.
ArtsWave senior director of marketing and communications Ryan Strand said the arts play a central role in that mission for the city.
"One of the main things that we believe the arts do is put Cincinnati on the map, and you can see it all over the place," Strand said. "We're a mid-sized city that has big-time arts, and that is huge for getting people to move here."
In 2022, the festival had a $249 million total economic output; creating $6.8 million in income, sales and hotel tax revenue for states and local jurisdictions. That is according to a 2024 analysis by the Center for Research and Data within the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber.
At a press conference on Tuesday, city manager Sheryl Long highlighted the arts' ability to grow the city's economy: " I truly believe that Blink is an unmatched event that shows not only our region, but the rest of our country, that Cincinnati is open for business."
The chamber projects more than 2 million people will attend this year's light and art festival. For many, it may be the first time they have set foot in the region.
"More and more people on a national level are here and visiting," said Deana Taylor Brewer with VisitCincy, adding that the organization is working to share the story of Cincinnati to a national audience.
An underrated aspect of the Queen City, Taylor Brewer said, is its walkability compared to peer cities in the Midwest. That advantage not only enables festivals like BLINK but is desirable for conferences and other events.
"We want people to come back. We want people to tell their family members to come back," said Brewer.
