Re-inventing a small townRe-inventing a small town
Developmental Implications of Developmental Implications of EventsEvents
Anton ShoneAnton ShoneVisiting LecturerVisiting Lecturer
Swiss Hotel Management School, LeysinSwiss Hotel Management School, Leysin
OverviewOverview
No small problem: 30 years in a small No small problem: 30 years in a small towntown
The long haul to recoveryThe long haul to recovery Tourist assetsTourist assets Making the assets workMaking the assets work Why is public relations an issue?Why is public relations an issue? Organising a new imageOrganising a new image Convincing people to visitConvincing people to visit Conclusions Conclusions
No small problemNo small problem
No small problemNo small problem
This ancient townThis ancient town Quarrying: 1850 to Quarrying: 1850 to
19701970 A quarry covered A quarry covered
wastelandwasteland– The old town crierThe old town crier– Rivers of dustRivers of dust
Desperate times: 1970 Desperate times: 1970 to 1980to 1980– The decline of quarriesThe decline of quarries– unemploymentunemployment
The long road to recoveryThe long road to recovery
The Historic Building Survey 1977The Historic Building Survey 1977 The Wirksworth ProjectThe Wirksworth Project The employment problemThe employment problem Cheap houses and artistsCheap houses and artists The Heritage Centre 1987The Heritage Centre 1987 The last quarry 1989The last quarry 1989 The National Stone Centre 1990The National Stone Centre 1990
Tourist AssetsTourist Assets
Clean at lastClean at last Ancient ChurchAncient Church Historic BuildingsHistoric Buildings Heritage CentreHeritage Centre National Stone National Stone
CentreCentre Lots of artistsLots of artists
Making the assets workMaking the assets work
Terrible image problem: 1980 to Terrible image problem: 1980 to 20002000
Isolated in the middleIsolated in the middle How to change the imageHow to change the image How to get visitors to the townHow to get visitors to the town The Wirksworth FestivalThe Wirksworth Festival
Why is Public Relations an Why is Public Relations an issue?issue?
The image problemThe image problem The isolation problemThe isolation problem The infrastructure problemThe infrastructure problem The money problemThe money problem Wirksworth’s own resourcesWirksworth’s own resources One last resource – the railwayOne last resource – the railway
The tourist railwayThe tourist railway
A ten year project A ten year project by volunteersby volunteers
To help regenerate To help regenerate the townthe town
To deal with the To deal with the isolation problemisolation problem
To tie together the To tie together the existing assetsexisting assets
Organising a new imageOrganising a new image
The new imageThe new image
The trouble with having no The trouble with having no infrastructureinfrastructure
Who does what Who does what Who pays for whatWho pays for what Greens and blues: the new leafletGreens and blues: the new leaflet A surprise discovery: the logoA surprise discovery: the logo Co-ordinating: “The big three”Co-ordinating: “The big three”
Organising a new imageOrganising a new image
National Stone Centre
Other OrganisationsAnd Events
Heritage Centre
Festival
Railway
Tourism Cluster
Convincing people to visitConvincing people to visit
Establish the assetsEstablish the assets– Buildings, attractions, transportBuildings, attractions, transport
Sort out the infrastructure and issuesSort out the infrastructure and issues– Tourism Cluster and LiaisonTourism Cluster and Liaison– The stakeholdersThe stakeholders– The target marketsThe target markets– Events as key to attracting people at Events as key to attracting people at
this stagethis stage
The events year 2006The events year 2006
April: April: Walking FestivalWalking FestivalMay: May: Carnival Weekend, Well DressingsCarnival Weekend, Well DressingsJune:June: Teddy Bears DaysTeddy Bears DaysJuly:July: 700700thth Anniversary of the Market Anniversary of the MarketAugust:August: Railway GalaRailway GalaSept:Sept: Wirksworth FestivalWirksworth FestivalOctober:October: Toy Train and Model ExhibitionToy Train and Model ExhibitionDecember: “The Christmas problem”December: “The Christmas problem”
Successes and failuresSuccesses and failures
Christmas Weekend 2005Christmas Weekend 2005– The failure The failure – The competitionThe competition– Lack of resourcesLack of resources
The Toy Train Exhibition 2005The Toy Train Exhibition 2005– The successThe success– The integration of railway and townThe integration of railway and town– Emergent challengesEmergent challenges
ConclusionsConclusions
The continuing effortThe continuing effort Any questionsAny questions