RECN 344: Event Management

1. RECN 344: Event Management Week 8 Lecture 3 Socio-cultural impacts of events I: Events, community and social capital

2. Week 8 Lecture 3: Overview • Events and community impacts • Events and community’s sense of place • Using festivals to build community capacity • What is social capital? • Social capital and community festivals

3. Week 8 Lecture 3: Readings • R14: Derrett, R. (2003). Making sense of how festivals demonstrate a community’s sense of place. Event Management, 8, 59-58. • R15: Moscardo, G. (2008). Analyzing the role of festivals and events in regional development. Event Management, 11(1/2), 23-32. • Learn: Arcodia, C. & Whitford, M. (2006). Festival attendance and the development of social capital. Journal of Convention and Event Tourism, 8(2), 1-18.

4. Events and community impacts • Events and event tourism can transform communities, either positively or negatively • “While there are clearly significant economic benefits to communities that host them, festivals are primarily social phenomena with the potential to provide a variety of predominantly social benefits” (Arcodia & Whitford, 2006, p.15) • A range of inter-related concepts, but many related to the development of social capital and sense of place

5. Events and community’s sense of place Effective festivals reveal a community’s sense of place: Distinctiveness, stories, histories, values etc Through festivals these meanings are shared with visitors and residents: Confirm meanings/values with existing residents Share meanings/values with new residents, new generations

6. Events and community’s sense of place Problems occur when: Communities are heterogeneous & values not shared Focus of festival is tourism, rather than locals  See Week 3 Lecture 3 Community meanings

7. Social capital • Social capital involves “features of social organisation, such as networks, norms, and trust that facilitate co-ordination and co-operation for mutual benefit” (Putnam, 1993, cited in Arcodia & Whitford, 2006, p. 4). • Social capital is the ‘glue’ that holds communities together, through: • Strong networks, relationships that facilitate mutual or cooperative behaviour • Shared norms and values • High levels of trust and reciprocity • Sense of goodwill and co-operation

8. Social capital • At core of social capital are social relationships built from positive interactions • When social capital is well used it increases… when not used it is depleted • Social capital is self-reinforcing • Social capital is not owned by anyone – it is a ‘public good’ and exists at a community, rather than individual level

9. Social capital • Community festivals can facilitate the development of social capital by: • Having fun, socialising, celebrating shared life of community (communitas) • Increasing liveability quotient – positivity through break from daily grind • Sharing sense of place/ pride in place – sharing values • Developing community resources

10. Social capital (Arcodia & Whitford, 2006, p. 7).Festivals result in:- Celebration- Social cohesiveness- Community resourcesWhich builds elements of social capital…

11. Using festivals to build community resources • Increased skill development through learning opportunities • Both encourages, and is reliant on, social capital • Raises awareness, through interactions, of existing resources, expertise

12. Using festivals to build social cohesiveness • Organising events creates sense of common purpose and builds community capacity • Festivals are often recurring social occasions where community members can share and reinforce worldviews, values(see Derrett, 2003) • May represent only dominant culture and group and may alienate other community members • Social networks developed can be maintained beyond the festival

13. Developing social capital through celebration • A festival is an opportunity for public celebration • May facilitate communitas • Feeling a sense of togetherness can facilitate trust central to social capital • Increasing liveability can increase pride and connection to a community •  leveraging events

14. RECN 344: Event Management Week 9.3: Leveraging social benefits from events

15. Lecture 9.3: Overview • Key concepts in social impacts: liminality and communitas • Leveraging liminality • Increasing the likelihood of success

16. L9.3: Readings • Chalip, L. (2006). Towards social leverage of sport events. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 11(2), 109-127.

17. Key concepts: liminality & communitas • Chalip (2006) : • “[E]vents offer more than mere economic value. Indeed, the energy, excitement and communitas associated with eventliminality are among those things that make it attractive to host (and to attend) events. More often than not, the economic rationales for hosting are mere legitimising rhetoric … the liminoid nature of many events, particularly mega sport events, make them fun. That is a key reason they are popular” (p. 112).

18. Key concepts: liminality & communitas • Chalip (2006) argues that the celebratory nature of events engenders a liminoidspace that can foster social value, particularly through a sense of communitas • Liminality: • Communitas:

19. Key concepts: liminality & communitas • Chalip (2006) argues that the celebratory nature of events engenders a liminoidspace that can foster social value, particularly through a sense of communitas • Liminality: • Situation where social rules & social distinctions seem less relevant or are suspended • ‘time out of time’ – ‘special place’ • Time to challenge meanings • Liminal – sacred space; liminoid – secular space

20. Key concepts: liminality & communitas • Communitas: • Latin for ‘people helping people’ or coming together for the good of the community, ‘good will’ • ‘Sense of community’, ‘community spirit’ • Emerges in liminal/liminoid spaces

21. Leveraging liminality • Chalip argues that events should work to create and leverage liminality and communitas for long term social benefits • Two key elements for the creation of liminality at events • A sense of social camaraderie/social interaction • A sense of celebration • Identifies five strategies to foster celebration and camaraderie

22. Leveraging liminality

23. Leveraging liminality • Enabling sociability – places for people to be social • At the venue • provide food and drink, tables, facilitating music • Design space to encourage mingling • Beyond the venue • Create gathering points • e.g. the cloud, fan zones • Enables more people to participate

24. Leveraging liminality • Enabling sociability – places for people to be social • Social ‘mixer’ events • Fieldtrips, games • Informal social opportunities/ancilliary events • E.g. sports event with an Arts-related festival • REAL NZ festival • Linked themes: Nelson First XV wine competition, Outwits “Complete history of World Rugby”

25. Leveraging liminality vs commercialism • Theming: telling stories, use media • e.g. Tongan and Samoan supporters • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKCwpLCkrFg • The same techniques for fostering celebration and socialising very similar to those for increasing spending: • E.g. events, spaces for socialising

26. Leveraging liminality vs commercialism • Communities can be cynical about attempts by commercial interests to control celebration • Won’t support events if seem too commercial • E.g. Olympic torch relay, IRB’s rules about naming, issues with sponsors etc.

27. Legacies from liminality? • Chalip (2006): liminoid spaces and communitas can be starting point for renegotiation and debate of values and relationships • Sydney Olympics (Cathy Freeman) • RWC 2005 South Africa (Nelson Mandela)

28. Increasing the likelihood of success in creating social capital and communitas • What factors do you think may increasing the chance of success in creating social capital and communitas through a festival?

29. Increasing the likelihood of success in creating social capital and communitas • Event and tourism development is more likely to have positive outcomes for regional communities if: • The initial impetus for development comes from the community • more likely to reflect local values • The community understands the processes and holds realistic vision of impacts from the outset • There are local ‘champions’

30. Increasing the likelihood of success • Event and tourism development is more likely to have positive outcomes for regional communities if: • There are opportunities for community involvement and ownership • Networks and coordination strong • Reflective of social capital, but also builds social capital • There are formal plans and strategies in place for development

31. Conceptual model for regional tourism development From Moscardo, (2008, p. 25)