Chapter 1Events in Our

Changing WorldNicole Ferdinand &

Stephen J. Shaw

Learning ObjectivesAt the end of this session you should be able to:• Reflect on the meaning of events for individuals in

different societies• Identify the practices of business, communities and

countries which have been influenced by the popularity of events

• List and evaluate the positive and negative impacts that events have on communities and the urban environment

• Critically discuss the potential of events to achieve long-term, sustainable economic development

• Opportunities to appreciate critical milestones:

For example, weddings, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and cultural and religious observances

Sites where individuals can come together to connect

with other to achieve a sense of enhanced identity and to find

meaning

What do Events Mean to Us?

What do Events Mean to Us?• Modern day events represent the

evolution of societies, communities and individuals

• The original significance and perception of some events have shifted:Gay Pride parades’ sexual politics have given

way to family fun and festivitiesThe symbolism behind Trinidad and Tobago

Carnival has shifted from rebellion to a message of freedom and self-expression

Events in Organizations

• Create linkages• Disseminate

information• Provide motivation and

opportunities for celebration

• Brings people together from different countries

Events in Organizations• Event Marketing – the process planned by an

organization, of integrating a variety of communication elements behind an event theme, most often through the sponsorship of another organization's event (Tuckwell, 1991)

• Experiential Marketing – seeks to create an on-going, emotional attachment between a brand and its customers by bringing it to life in the form of an event, experience or interaction (McCole, 2004)

Religious and cultural festivals sometimes known as ethnic festivals, can play an important role in uniting communities comprising of ethnic and cultural minorities

These events can:• Reinforce shared identities• Evolve new meaning,

through the integration of cultural influences

• Help to achieve a 'cosmopolitan' character that can be promoted as a positive feature to external audiences

Events in Communities

Events and CitiesFestivals and other events – together with impressive

urban landscapes on which they can be staged and promoted – have become 'a means of improving the image of cities, adding life to city streets and giving

citizens renewed pride in their city' (Richards and Palmer, 2010: 27-31).

The Olympic Tower, Montreal – Built for the 1976 Olympic Games

‘Eventful cities’ also undertake the creation of fixed cultural capital, such as: iconic buildings, sports stadia,

museums, art galleries and concert halls, upgrading of public spaces, etc.

Events as Place Marketing for Cities • 'Festivalization' – the temporary

transformation of a place into symbolic space in which the public domain is claimed for particular forms of consumption

• Media-oriented festivalization – helps to cultivate an image of the city as a backdrop for events that can attract global financial interests

Events as Place Marketing Debate

The 'ultra-modern' aesthetic of these global spectacles or developed

fixed cultural capital (shopping malls, theme

parks, airports, etc.), lends itself well to the

diminishing of the sense of spatial and cultural

identity, inevitably intended for mass

replication (Relph,1976)

Events as Place Marketing Debate

Kotler et al. (1993) noted a shift in the principles and practices of

Place Marketing, from replication to reclaiming and nurturing the

originating cultural identity

ı “...astute place marketers adopted more sophisticated 'product development and competitive niche thinking...seeking to define themselves as distinctive places with competitive advantages for target industries.” (Kotler et al., 1993: 78)

Place Marketing Challenges

• Striking an acceptable balance – events should enthuse all sections of the resident population as well as appeal to external audiences

• Making the right presentation – events must present the city/locality itself in ways that attract the attention of footloose globe-trotters whose engagement with the place may be temporary and somewhat superficial

• Avoiding and/or minimizing public dissatisfaction

Events and Countries

Events have been important engines of economic recovery and growth for countries

Events:• Reduce high unemployment

rates• Revitalize neglected inner city

streetscapes and infrastructure• Regenerate industries• Create wealth for the locality

through increased expenditure on local goods and services

Events and Countries

Events also have a host of negative consequences for citiesEvents:

• Generate losses• Create long-term debt• Are sources of political criticism

and dissent• Can initiate regime change

Summary• Events are a chance to celebrate milestones, gather

with others to gain a sense of identity and can be used to evaluate changes that have occurred in cultures and societies

• Businesses use events to disseminate information to its internal stakeholders as well as to engage external stakeholders with the use of Event Marketing and Experiential Marketing

• Events can have both positive and negative impacts on communities as they hold the potential to unite communities as well as create or maintain divisions

• Events hold significant positive potential revitalizing urban environments