Summary Events Management
Chapter 1. An overview of the events field
Events perform a powerful role in society. They have existed throughout human history in all times
and all cultures. British cultures have a rich tradition of rituals and ceremonies. The events tradition
in modern Britain began to take off towards the end of the nineteenth century, with industrialisation
reducing spontaneous celebration and increasing professionally organised events. The ruling elite
often decided the form and content of public celebrations, but an alternative tradition of popular
celebrations arose from the interests and pursuits of ordinary people. Many nineteenth century
leisure pursuits such as race meetings have survived to the present day. Through the twentieth
century, changes in society were mirrored by changes in the style of public events. A tradition of city
and town festivals evolved in the post- Second World War years and was rejuvenated by the social
movements and cultural changes of the 1970s. Notions of high culture were challenged by a more
pluralistic and democratic popular culture, which reinvigorated festivals and community events. With
the coming of the 1980s, governments and the corporate sector began to recognise the economic
and promotional value of events.
The 1990s saw the events industry emerge; various sectors, particularly those focused on
business-related events, pushed forward the claim of the industry to be recognised, supported by
dialogue with government and backed by an increase in training and support for the industry related
NVQs. The period since then has seen the growth in events-related education in colleges and
universities, with dedicated courses and modules being developed to support the emerging industry.
Events vary in their size and impact, with terms such as special events, mega-events, hallmark events
and major events used to describe and categorise them. Events are also categorised according to
their type and sector, such as public, cultural, festival, sporting, tourism, and corporate events. The
business events sectors are one of the fastest growing areas of events. With increasing expansion
and corporate involvement, events have emerged as a new growth industry capable of generating
economic and job creation benefits.
The emerging events industry with it needs, challenges and opportunities will be examined in
the following chapters.
Chapter 2. Perspectives on events
This chapter examined several important perspectives that have implications for event managers in
the planning and delivery of events. From the government perspective, several disparate roles and
functions in events are often integrated through the use of event strategies, as illustrated by the
Northeast England Festival and Events Strategy (One NorthEast, 2007). Governments may also create
dedicated celebration spaces and use events as tools for urban renewal. Event managers need to be
aware of government regulations and requirements and to see governments as key stakeholders and
potential partners in events. The corporate sector uses events to achieve both internal and external
goals and objectives and sponsors public events to obtain commercial benefits. Event managers need
to be aware of corporate objectives and the increasing need of companies to identify the return on
investment (ROI) of events. From the community perspective, community members are often
focused on the direct, personal impact and the benefits of events for the individual personally and
for the community in general. Managers of public events need to carefully choose and implement
appropriate mechanisms for communication and engagement with the community.
, Chapter 3. Events impact and legacies
All events produce impacts, both positive and negative, which it is the task of the event manager to
assess and balance. Social and cultural impact may involve a shared experience, and may give rise to
local pride, validation and/or the widening of cultural horizons. However, social problems arising
from events may result in social dislocation if not properly managed. Events are an excellent
opportunity to showcase the physical characteristics of a destination, but event environments may
be very delicate, and care should be taken to safeguard and protect them. Tourism and economic
impacts include the expenditure made by visitors to an event, the promotion of business
opportunities, the creation of commercial activity and the generation of employment. Events may
involve longer-term issues affecting the built environment and the legacy of improved facilities.
Increasingly, environmental considerations are paramount, as shown by the environmental
guidelines that have been developed by UK Sport to be considered when bidding for and staging
events, to manage their environmental impact and their inclusion in the eventIMPACT Toolkit.
Governments have long recognised the political impacts that often include an increased
profile and benefits to the host community. However, the emotive power of events can also be
subject to manipulation and abuse. Political impacts have long been recognised by governments and
often include increased profile and benefits to the host community. However, it is important that
events fulfil the wider community agenda. Governments are attracted to events because of the
economic benefits, job creation and tourism that they can provide. Events act as catalysts for
attracting tourists and extending their length of stay. They also enhance the profile of a destination
and can be designed to attract visitors out of season when tourism facilities are underutilised. In
considering appropriate levels of funding for events, governments and organisations use economic
impact studies to predict the likely impacts of events and then determine the wider outcomes.
Methodologies are also available to identify community perceptions of event impacts, so that
strategies can developed to incorporate community participation and feedback in the planning of
events. Large events also serve as catalysts for urban renewal and for the creation of new tourism
infrastructure. Events bring economic benefits to their communities but governments need to weigh
these benefits against costs when deciding how to allocate resources.
Chapter 4. Event tourism planning
For destinations ranging in size from small towns to countries, event tourism is increasingly becoming
a key aspect of their overall tourism development efforts. In this chapter, a basic event tourism
strategic planning model has been proposed, that seeks to bring a measure of structure and
discipline to this process. This model is based on an understanding of both perspectives – that of
event tourism stakeholders and that of a destination’s overall tourism goals and strategy. The first
step in the model is a detailed situational analysis, which leads to the establishment of event tourism
goals. These goals are then progressed through an organisational structure created for this purpose.
Ideally, such a structure would involve the establishment of a single organisation with responsibility
for the area or the allocation of such responsibility to an existing body. In the absence of such a body,
other options – such as regular meetings between key organisations in the area – can be used with
similar intent. Once a structure is in place, strategic options need to be considered. Such options
centre on using existing events, bidding and/or the creation of new events.
In pursuit of the selected strategy, a destination may engage in a range of actions including
the provision of financial support, promotional assistance and general efforts directed at sector
development. How successful these practises are in progressing a destination’s event tourism
strategy and its associated goals needs to be assessed at both the destination level and the level of
those organisations with a major input into the event tourism development process. Information
gained from this process can then be used to refine future event tourism development efforts.
Chapter 1. An overview of the events field
Events perform a powerful role in society. They have existed throughout human history in all times
and all cultures. British cultures have a rich tradition of rituals and ceremonies. The events tradition
in modern Britain began to take off towards the end of the nineteenth century, with industrialisation
reducing spontaneous celebration and increasing professionally organised events. The ruling elite
often decided the form and content of public celebrations, but an alternative tradition of popular
celebrations arose from the interests and pursuits of ordinary people. Many nineteenth century
leisure pursuits such as race meetings have survived to the present day. Through the twentieth
century, changes in society were mirrored by changes in the style of public events. A tradition of city
and town festivals evolved in the post- Second World War years and was rejuvenated by the social
movements and cultural changes of the 1970s. Notions of high culture were challenged by a more
pluralistic and democratic popular culture, which reinvigorated festivals and community events. With
the coming of the 1980s, governments and the corporate sector began to recognise the economic
and promotional value of events.
The 1990s saw the events industry emerge; various sectors, particularly those focused on
business-related events, pushed forward the claim of the industry to be recognised, supported by
dialogue with government and backed by an increase in training and support for the industry related
NVQs. The period since then has seen the growth in events-related education in colleges and
universities, with dedicated courses and modules being developed to support the emerging industry.
Events vary in their size and impact, with terms such as special events, mega-events, hallmark events
and major events used to describe and categorise them. Events are also categorised according to
their type and sector, such as public, cultural, festival, sporting, tourism, and corporate events. The
business events sectors are one of the fastest growing areas of events. With increasing expansion
and corporate involvement, events have emerged as a new growth industry capable of generating
economic and job creation benefits.
The emerging events industry with it needs, challenges and opportunities will be examined in
the following chapters.
Chapter 2. Perspectives on events
This chapter examined several important perspectives that have implications for event managers in
the planning and delivery of events. From the government perspective, several disparate roles and
functions in events are often integrated through the use of event strategies, as illustrated by the
Northeast England Festival and Events Strategy (One NorthEast, 2007). Governments may also create
dedicated celebration spaces and use events as tools for urban renewal. Event managers need to be
aware of government regulations and requirements and to see governments as key stakeholders and
potential partners in events. The corporate sector uses events to achieve both internal and external
goals and objectives and sponsors public events to obtain commercial benefits. Event managers need
to be aware of corporate objectives and the increasing need of companies to identify the return on
investment (ROI) of events. From the community perspective, community members are often
focused on the direct, personal impact and the benefits of events for the individual personally and
for the community in general. Managers of public events need to carefully choose and implement
appropriate mechanisms for communication and engagement with the community.
, Chapter 3. Events impact and legacies
All events produce impacts, both positive and negative, which it is the task of the event manager to
assess and balance. Social and cultural impact may involve a shared experience, and may give rise to
local pride, validation and/or the widening of cultural horizons. However, social problems arising
from events may result in social dislocation if not properly managed. Events are an excellent
opportunity to showcase the physical characteristics of a destination, but event environments may
be very delicate, and care should be taken to safeguard and protect them. Tourism and economic
impacts include the expenditure made by visitors to an event, the promotion of business
opportunities, the creation of commercial activity and the generation of employment. Events may
involve longer-term issues affecting the built environment and the legacy of improved facilities.
Increasingly, environmental considerations are paramount, as shown by the environmental
guidelines that have been developed by UK Sport to be considered when bidding for and staging
events, to manage their environmental impact and their inclusion in the eventIMPACT Toolkit.
Governments have long recognised the political impacts that often include an increased
profile and benefits to the host community. However, the emotive power of events can also be
subject to manipulation and abuse. Political impacts have long been recognised by governments and
often include increased profile and benefits to the host community. However, it is important that
events fulfil the wider community agenda. Governments are attracted to events because of the
economic benefits, job creation and tourism that they can provide. Events act as catalysts for
attracting tourists and extending their length of stay. They also enhance the profile of a destination
and can be designed to attract visitors out of season when tourism facilities are underutilised. In
considering appropriate levels of funding for events, governments and organisations use economic
impact studies to predict the likely impacts of events and then determine the wider outcomes.
Methodologies are also available to identify community perceptions of event impacts, so that
strategies can developed to incorporate community participation and feedback in the planning of
events. Large events also serve as catalysts for urban renewal and for the creation of new tourism
infrastructure. Events bring economic benefits to their communities but governments need to weigh
these benefits against costs when deciding how to allocate resources.
Chapter 4. Event tourism planning
For destinations ranging in size from small towns to countries, event tourism is increasingly becoming
a key aspect of their overall tourism development efforts. In this chapter, a basic event tourism
strategic planning model has been proposed, that seeks to bring a measure of structure and
discipline to this process. This model is based on an understanding of both perspectives – that of
event tourism stakeholders and that of a destination’s overall tourism goals and strategy. The first
step in the model is a detailed situational analysis, which leads to the establishment of event tourism
goals. These goals are then progressed through an organisational structure created for this purpose.
Ideally, such a structure would involve the establishment of a single organisation with responsibility
for the area or the allocation of such responsibility to an existing body. In the absence of such a body,
other options – such as regular meetings between key organisations in the area – can be used with
similar intent. Once a structure is in place, strategic options need to be considered. Such options
centre on using existing events, bidding and/or the creation of new events.
In pursuit of the selected strategy, a destination may engage in a range of actions including
the provision of financial support, promotional assistance and general efforts directed at sector
development. How successful these practises are in progressing a destination’s event tourism
strategy and its associated goals needs to be assessed at both the destination level and the level of
those organisations with a major input into the event tourism development process. Information
gained from this process can then be used to refine future event tourism development efforts.
