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