This document discusses how events can make places more eventful and successful. It defines different types of events that can take place, such as fairs, festivals, parades, and more. Successful events attract higher footfall, longer visits, and positive reputations for communities. When choosing events, considerations include existing activities, strategic goals, resources, and underutilized local attributes. Both businesses and communities benefit from events through increased awareness, engagement, memories, and economic activity. Proper planning, partnerships, marketing, safety, and evaluation are keys to creating great events and eventful places.

1. Eventful Places
Jean Ball, November 2015

2. Events – what are they?
What difference do events make?
Choosing the right events for your place.
What do businesses want from events?
What do communities want from events?
A great event needs a great plan.
A few practicalities.
Measuring Success
Eventful Places.

3. Event
Something that takes place,
especially something
important.
A planned & organised
occasion.
Eventful
Full of exciting or important
activities.
Festival
An organised series of
events and performances.
A day or period set aside
for celebration.

4. Fairs
Festivals
Parades
Sport & Games
Music
Literature
Comedy
Visual Arts
Light Nights
Traditional
Digital
Markets
Heritage
Fashion
Seasonal
Business
Niche
Clubs & Societies
All kinds of events

5. Eventful Places have:
Higher footfall
Vitality
Longer dwell time
More frequent return visits
Higher bed occupancy
Higher average spend
Positive reputations
Community engagement
Great memories
Pride
Gay Pride Event, Bristol

6. Choosing the right events for your place
• Existing context – what’s already
happening
• Strategic priorities – what do
you want to achieve
• Resources & Partnerships -
venues, spaces, champions,
funders
• Undersold USPs – celebrate
authentic local quirks
Buxton Wells Dressing

7. ‘Lets go there, there’s always something on’
• Build a calendar of
events
• Pillars of success
• Gap analysis
• Varied menu
• Fan the embers
• Collective marketing
Buxton Festival
• Economic impact over
£2M, equivalent of over
100 jobs.
• Over 40,000 tickets sold
in 2015
• Over 250 artists,
musicians and speakers
in town.
• 50% of visitors stay
overnight – an average
of 2 nights.

8. What do businesses
want from events?
• To extend their reach,
increase customer
awareness – brand exposure
• To reach out to the local
community
• To be seen to be responsible
citizens
• New customers – gather
data
• Staff engagement
• Positive stories
• More money through the till

9. What do communities
want from events?
• Fun
• New experiences
• The Wow factor
• To be a part of
something
• Social interaction
• Great memories
• Free?

10. A Great Event Needs A Great Plan
• What do you want to achieve –
agree & set clear aims &
objectives and how they will be
measured.
• When – realistic time line
• Who will you work with – clear
roles & responsibilities
• Budget including ‘in-kind’ &
contingency, constantly monitor
• How will you do it – the
operational plan
• Tell the world – the marketing
plan
• Deliver a great event
• Measure & Evaluate
• Celebrate Success
• Start planning the next one

11. Make sure your event:
Is Legal
Is Safe
Deliverable in the time frame
Has local buy in
Is properly evaluated
Known about before and
after
St Johns Paramedic Crew, London 2012

12. Measuring Success
• Media coverage incl Social Media
• Numbers attending
• Demographics
• Funder Criteria
• Stakeholder Feedback Surveys
• Public
• Businesses
• Participants
• Volunteers
• Incidents

13. Eventful Places are:
Great places to visit
Good places to do business
Attractive places to study
Connected
Resilient
Satisfying places to live
Bournemouth Waterfront

14. Jean Ball MIPM
Eventful Places
Email: jean@tbld.co.uk Twitter: @JeanBall1
Phone: 07770 416649