In a surprise announcement on the eve of an incredible announcement of my own the Capital Hoedown Country Music festival website and Facebook page reappeared with promises of a new line-up and venue to be announced in February.
On the Facebook page appeared a photo of Denis Benoit along with the following message:
Apology from Denis Benoit – President & CEO of Capital Hoedown
Dear Country Music Fans,
Words cannot express how truly sorry I am for the frustration and inconvenience that the cancellation of Capital Hoedown 2012 caused. This is especially saddening because Capital Hoedown 2012 would have been the most memorable edition of the festival to date. Capital Hoedown was founded on the promise of presenting the Ottawa community with a world-class outdoor Country Music Festival each and every year since its inception in 2010. This year, I failed to deliver on that promise.
Having endured several unforeseen operating obstacles, several media reports containing untrue, defamatory and injurious statements towards the festival and the City’s denial for a new event permit; it created a confidence issue among our ticket buyers and supporters and I was left with no choice but to cancel the festival.
Although the actual facts and specific reasons of the cancellation may never be disclosed, I urge our customers to think back to the two previous editions of Capital Hoedown that took place in 2010 and 2011 and relive how wonderful the experience was. Nonetheless, as the President & CEO of the festival it was my responsibility to ensure a smooth and successful execution of the event and I’m very sorry to have let everyone down.
As a company we – and I – are committed to you, our valued customers, and have taken corrective steps to regain your confidence in us. We have put a comprehensive plan in place to provide better and timelier information to you, more efficient customer service and improved procedures for handling operational difficulties in the future.
You deserved better – a lot better – from us this year. Nothing is more important than regaining your trust and we sincerely hope you will give us the opportunity to welcome you once again to “Ottawa’s Biggest Summer Party”, Capital Hoedown 2013, and provide you with what will be a truly incredible live music experience.
The complete artist lineup, new venue and ticket information will be announced in February of 2013. I am very excited about the upcoming edition of the festival and have some exciting things planned.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments about the 2012 or upcoming 2013 edition of the festival, please reach out to me personally at info@capitalhoedown.net and I will happily get back to you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Denis Benoit
President & CEO
Capital Hoedown
