The strategic management of events for the public benefit

1. The strategic management of events for the public benefit Anton Shone Visiting Lecturer Swiss Hotel Management school, Leysin

2. The management of events for the public benefit Today’s plenary will consider: • Setting objectives and strategies for accruing benefits • Planned and unplanned benefits • Case study

3. Categories of events Leisure Personal Special Events Cultural Organizational

4. Objectives first • Events vary: • Who is in charge, have they set clear objectives? • Have these objectives resulted in a feasible strategy ? Strategy provides direction and a sense of purpose

5. Strategy – What strategy? • Is the strategy for the event suitable? • Does it stand up to the commonly applied tests: Is it specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely? • Are public benefits an outcome of the objectives and the strategy? Public benefits do not have to be an outcome

6. Extracting benefits • Consider how the event will achieve its given objectives: i.e. how the objectives can be broken down into understandable and manageable strategies. • Identify the individual activities which will contribute to the strategy: how they will be done; what they will provide; who will be responsible and in what way would they be funded. • Identify how public (or other benefits) might be accrued from the activities or as a direct outcome of a particular strategy

7. Benefits – what benefits? Expected or planned Social Economic Political Developmental Unexpected or unplanned Cultural Integrational Personal Economic

8. Examples of “benefit” strategies for events Transfer of demand in a timescale: Extension of the tourist season Concentration of demand in a location: Containment of tourists at honeypots Development or redevelopment: Planning gains or stimulus to repair or renewal or improvement Entertainment and the attraction of tourists or other target groups Education or enlightenment of the public or other target groups, the raising of awareness The raising of money for charitable or philanthropic causes or projects Competitive endeavour: to encourage and spread good practice or ethos: Sporting competitions, flower shows) Spreading happiness and great heartedness Political outcomes – fame or influencing of voters or the public, political kudos The maintenance of traditions, culture or the keeping of old skills, strengthening communities Commercial outcomes and the development of trade The provision of a specific legacy: leakage and side effects

9. Case Study Events in Deventer, Netherlands Reference website: www.vvvdeventer.nl Deventer, Netherlands

10. Objectives for Deventer Events • To stimulate cultural tourism • To generate added value for tourists • To encourage return visits • To improve the image of the city • To make the city livelier • To encourage residents to become involved in art and culture

11. Deventer’s Annual Events • Dickens Festival • Comedy Festival • Op Den Berge • Deventer on Stilts • Christmas Markets • Deventer Bookmarket

12. The Bookmarket “The Bookmarket brings an additional 100,000 people to the city each year The Bookmarket has an average of 850 stalls and ‘fringe’ activities include music, street theatre and poetry The average spend is 25 Euros” BACKGROUND READING: Shone A and Parry B, 2004, Successful Event Management, 2nd Edn, London, Thomson, pp 208 - 210

13. Benefits to Deventer 1. Planned Attracts large numbers of visitors on a regular basis Has improved the economic condition of the city Has improved Deventer’s image 2.Unplanned Is considered to have attracted new residents and raised house values Has resulted in the repair and re-use of some historic buildings for cultural use that might otherwise have been lost Is felt to have contributed to better integration of the city’s ethnic population Is felt to have resulted in the increase in cultural, artistic and design based small businesses and employment in the city

14. Conclusions • Key issues Outcomes are not always what you expect Longer term gains need better management The understanding of some benefits is weak and hard to quantify • Questions