OkayNWA + Kikits

The Organization

OkayNWA is a dynamic community organization dedicated to fostering connection and engagement in Northwest Arkansas. Since its founding, OkayNWA has become a central hub for local events, cultural activities, and community gatherings that bring together residents of all backgrounds.

With a mission to make Northwest Arkansas an even better place to live through community-building events, OkayNWA manages a comprehensive event calendar that features everything from free community gatherings to premium ticketed experiences, serving thousands of local residents each year.

The Challenge

Before implementing Kikits, OkayNWA faced several operational challenges:

• Managing their community event calendar required multiple platforms, leading to fragmentation and inconsistencies
• Ticketing for premium events was handled through third-party services, resulting in high fees and limited branding control
• Tracking attendance across their diverse range of events was difficult and time-consuming
• Community engagement data was siloed, making it challenging to understand participation patterns and preferences

As their events grew in both frequency and scale, OkayNWA needed a unified solution that could manage both their free community calendar and premium ticketed events while providing valuable insights into community engagement.

The Solution

In 2022, OkayNWA partnered with Kikits to create an integrated solution for their event management needs:

The Kikits platform enabled OkayNWA to bring their entire event ecosystem under one roof, with the flexibility to manage both their free community calendar and seamlessly implement ticketing when needed for premium events.

The Results

Since implementing Kikits, OkayNWA has transformed their community event management:

• Streamlined operations by consolidating their event management into a single platform, reducing administrative hours by 15 hours per week
• Enhanced community engagement through improved event discovery and seamless Order/ticketing experiences
• Increased revenue from ticketed events by 38% through lower processing fees and higher conversion rates
• Gained valuable insights into community interests, allowing for more targeted event planning and partnerships

Community Impact

Beyond operational improvements, Kikits has helped OkayNWA achieve its broader mission of strengthening the Northwest Arkansas community:

• Increased participation in community events across diverse demographics and neighborhoods
• Created more accessible entry points for community engagement through improved event discovery
• Fostered stronger connections between local businesses, artists, and residents through targeted event partnerships
• Enhanced the cultural vitality of Northwest Arkansas by making events more visible and accessible

Looking Ahead

Building on their success with Kikits, OkayNWA has ambitious plans for the future:

• Expanding their event offerings to reach underserved communities throughout Northwest Arkansas
• Developing neighborhood-specific calendars to encourage hyper-local community building
• Creating a volunteer management module within their Kikits implementation
• Utilizing event data to secure additional grant funding and community partnerships