Martin Robertson

Progressing socio‐cultural impact evaluation for festivals

The research project reported in this paper set out to advance the knowledge base of socio‐cultural festival evaluation and, through industry and academic liaison, produce a robust, comprehensive set of indicators. The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to offer a summary of the synthesis of literature relating to methodologies for evaluating the socio‐cultural effects of festivals; second, to identify the emerging themes resulting from the existing literature; and third, as part of an evaluation of stakeholder perception, to present a comparative rating of a UK‐wide cross‐section of festival leaders (n = 60) of core impacts and their significance. The methods adopted were based on a comprehensive review of secondary literature in relation to the evaluation of socio‐cultural impacts of festivals, followed by telephone interviews with a sample of UK festival directors. Keywords: festivals and events; socio‐cultural benefits and disbenefits; indicators; festival directors; aggregative synthesis Abstract El proyecto de investigación se propone avanzar en el conocimiento base de la evaluación socio‐cultural de un festival que, a través de la conexión entre el entorno académico y la industria, produzca un conjunto de indicadores robustos y exhaustivo. El objetivo de este trabajo como componente significativo del proyecto es triple: primero, ofrecer una síntesis de la literatura relacionada con las metodologías para evaluar los efectos socio‐culturales de los festivales; segundo, identificar los temas emergentes en la literatura existente; y tercero, como parte de la evaluación de la percepción de las partes interesadas, presentar una clasificación de una sección cruzada de los líderes en festivales en el Reino Unido (n = 60), de los principales impactos y su significación. Los métodos escogidos están basados en una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura secundaria sobre la evaluación de los impactos socio‐culturales de los festivales, junto con entrevistas telefónicas a una muestra de directores de festival en el Reino Unido. Keywords: festivales y eventos; beneficios y perjuicios socio‐;culturales; indicadores; directores de festival; sí;ntesis global Résumé Ce projet de recherche envisage d’approfondir la base de connaissances de l’évaluation socioculturelle des festivals et, par l’intermédiaire de liens avec des universités et des industries, de produire une série complète et solide d’indicateurs. L’objectif de cet papier, en tant qu’élément significatif du projet est triple: premièrement, proposer un résumé des synthèses de la bibliographie relative aux méthodologies de l’évaluation des effets socioculturels des festivals; deuxièmement, identifier les thèmes émergents résultant de la bibliographie existante; troisièmement, dans le cadre d’une évaluation de la perception des parties prenantes, de présenter une évaluation comparative des directeurs de festivals (n = 60), des impacts fondamentaux et de leur signification, à l’échelle de la Grande Bretagne. Les méthodes adoptées étaient fondées sur une revue complète de la bibliographie secondaire relative à l’évaluation des conséquences socioculturelles des festivals, suivie d’entretiens téléphoniques auprès d’un échantillon de directeurs de festivals britanniques.

Events and festivals: Current trends and issues

The aim of this special edition of Managing Leisure is to acknowledge the multi-factorial and dynamic nature of events and festivals as research areas. The articles captured in this special edition give some indication of this, located as they are in very different performance contexts and each offering analysis and interpretation of different trends and issues within these.

Festivals, cooperative stakeholders and the role of the media: a case analysis of newspaper media

Abstract Image, brand narrative and stakeholder collaboration each represent pivotal paradigms in the analysis, evaluation and formation of good management practice for festivals. The role of the media as significant intermediary offers a core measurement instrument linking these paradigms. This exploratory work applies a two‐stage empirical study to investigate and posit a methodological procedure for this instrument. A principal component analysis of data relating to the scales of significance given by festival visitors and festival directors, respectively, to the socio‐cultural effects of festivals indicates that both the local media and national media are strong elements in the emerging factors. A further media framing methodology is provided to assess variations in the role of newspapers (a medium identified as particularly significant in the decision making process of festival goers) in converging agendas which may influence and vary the public perception of the socio‐cultural influences of festivals. The authors conclude that these agendas are affiliated and can be measured with reference to the factors that emerged in the principal component analysis.

The dynamics of successful events – the experts' perspective

Interviews with key leaders formed the basis of this exploratory research to elicit and identify the key factors that festival leaders perceive as the characteristics of creative and innovative festivals. The sample study was of composed of three key festival experts. This included two directors from two large festivals occurring at different times of the year in Edinburgh. Both directors have a well established leadership history in their respective festival. In addition one additional interviewee had responsibility for the strategic development of art events and festivals at a national level (2006). Repertory Grids were employed to identify key constructs that festival leaders hold of the arena in which they work. Six key areas emerge from the constructs identified. These are leadership, focus, relationship with the community, decision making, funding, and history of the festival. Leadership had the highest rating and the sub categories identified within this were independence, freedom and culture. Focus of the event and relationship with the community were, respectively, the next most highly rated constructs.

Signals and Signposts of the future: Literary Festival Consumption in 2050

Abstract This conceptual paper uses a scenario planning process to facilitate possible futures for literary festivals, a form of festival tourism that has grown rapidly in the developed and developing countries of the world in the early decades of the 21st Century and which continues to grow towards 2050. The paper addresses this in the context of two significant cities, Shanghai—a megacity in China, and Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, Australia. The paper offers two scenarios for literary festivals, one drawn from science fiction and the other from a process of prognosis. The aim of this work is to contribute to research in festival tourism studies by exploring the signposts and signals that may confer the future role, form and function of literature and the format and activity of literary festivals and literary festival tourism in a changing world. Utilizing signals and signposts, the work contributes to the body of work which seeks strategic responses to rapid change, rapid urbanization and possible zones of uncertainty that may await literary festivals and associated tourism and community activity in the future.

Eliciting the dynamics of leading a sustainable event: key informant responses

Within the event management literature relating to network development and festival sustainability there is a paucity of research that analyzes the perception of festival sustainability by festival leaders. After an initial review of the context of sustainability, network theory, and an identification of the changing set of competencies for effective leadership, an exploratory and explanatory investigation is made to elicit and identify the critical factors that key informant festival leaders associate with sustainable festivals. The main purpose of this study is to attain a greater depth of understanding of festival leaders’ attitudes towards the dynamics of creating and directing sustainable festivals. Indepth interviews with five elite festival leaders helped to generate the elements of a repertory grid from which a “triading” method was used to elicit constructs. Of the constructs identified, the most significant relate to four areas: the event subject focus; the leadership; the funding; and the organizational culture. The research also revealed that festival leaders conceive sustainability not as an environmental concern, but as a matter of festival survival. Suggestions are then drawn as to the future role of the repertory grid method in identifying and managing stakeholder visions, and future lines of research investigation and application.

Is this for real? Authentic learning for the challenging events environment.

This article explores a set of emerging competencies that education providers will be increasingly compelled to consider and, more importantly, embed in their event management course offerings. The undergraduate event management program offered at Victoria University, Melbourne, provides a case study of the efforts of teaching staff to iteratively and reflectively integrate these emerging competencies into course curriculum, many of which will be required for graduates to successfully transition to work in their career sector of choice—the events industry. The competencies of sustainable development, creativity and innovation, and networking are all seen as vital to graduate outcomes and employability. The fundamental responses to this process are discussed and lead to a distillation of the implications for teaching practice associated with embedding emerging competencies in event management education.

Event studies: finding fool's gold at the rainbow's end?

Purpose – The aim of this opinion piece is to seek to cast a critical eye over the event studies field to chart its progress as an emerging area of study, relative to its close relations tourism, hospitality and leisure. Design/methodology/approach – Viewpoint approach. Findings – The paper highlights various challenges that event educators and researchers face in advancing event studies to discipline status. Originality/value – It is timely that, as the quantum of event research and the number of event management education programmes surge, those involved in the field engage in greater critical introspection. This opinion piece attempts to provide such a reflective insight, which has been largely absent from the event studies literature to date.

The Motives of Ambassadors in Bidding for International Association Meetings and Events

As destinations contest the rights to host international association-based meetings and events, competitive points of difference in the bidding process can mean the success or loss of a bid. One of these points of difference has been the growth of ambassador programs worldwide. These programs consist of influential, high-profile individuals, representing their particular industry body or association. Ambassadors work together with destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and meetings/ conference professionals in putting forward bids to their association for future events. To understand the motivations of ambassadors in bidding for international meetings and events, an exploratory study employing an online survey was conducted with ambassadors from three programs, one based in Australia, one based in Southeast Asia, and one in the Middle East. The results provide a demographic profile of ambassadors and highlight their motives for actively bidding for international meetings and events. The study adds to knowledge on a topic for which limited research has been undertaken—that of the bidding process for business events—and expands understanding of how ambassador programs, together with DMOs, can contribute to a professional bidding process for globally roaming international association meetings and events.

An Exploration of Tourists' Perceptions of a Rural Mountain Bike Event

The natural attributes of rural locations are well suited to sport event tourism and can play a significant role in strategic tourism development in new markets. The purpose of the study was to explore consumer perceptions of sport event tourism in rural locations, which is important for event managers and for those involved in rural tourism development. Data collected over two days at a mountain bike event in the rural highlands of Scotland explored the visitor awareness and perception of events in a rural location. Results indicates that attendee background does influence the perception of the impact a sport event has on a rural location. Subscribe to JASM