The document discusses the Festival of Light event held at Mount Stewart. It began as a Halloween event five years ago and expanded in 2013 to include light and sound over multiple nights. Inspired by the success of a similar event in Scotland, the goals are to increase visitor numbers, spending, and make the area a destination for this time of year. The 2013 festival exceeded attendance and revenue targets and received very positive feedback. The vision is to continue growing the annual event and partner with sponsors to make it a world-class attraction.

1. Festival of Light
Mount Stewart
Presented by Susan Roberts
Visitor Services Manager

2. • http://vimeo.com/82295077
• Short video to be shown

3. Concept for Festival of Light
• Hallowe’en Enchanted Garden has been hosted
at Mount Stewart during the past five years as
a one-off evening event
• Festival of Light was first hosted in 2013 (an
event with both light and sound and a much
longer duration)
• Inspiration and commitment for the event
encouraged by success of Pitlochry Enchanted
Forest – 12th year and over 30,000 visitors on
consecutive night for three weeks
• Opportunity to encourage external funding
• Enhance the visitor experience
• Increase visitor numbers and spend
• Integral part of our annual events programme

4. Challenges
• Securing funding
• Ticketing
• Visitor Experience and
expectations
• Resources (9 nights)
• Operating a high
volume outdoor event
in the dark - new levels
of risk assessment

5. Successes
• 2013 we exceeded our expectations on
ticket sales (Target 8K actual 12K)
• Excellent visitor experience feedback
• Limited marketing and PR budget (£12K)
actual coverage in excess of (£45K)
• New audiences – first time for people
to visit Mount Stewart
• Additional revenue streams
(shop/restaurant)
• Social media as a marketing tool was
extremely successful

7. Vision
• Annual event during November
• Creation of a visitor offer to
encourage an increase to visitor
numbers and visitor enjoyment
• Ambition to build on this event
year on year with a view of
making the Ards Peninsula the
destination for this time of year
• Opportunities for long term
sponsorship and partnerships
• In future years’ we hope this will
be a world class event on local
and international calendars

8. Reviews
• “Magical, mystical and quite Magnificent - Festival of Light”
• Attended the Festival of Light and found the whole experience quite magical. To
see the wonderful grounds lit up with such atmospheric lighting effects together
with the accompanying musical arrangements was simply quite magnificent. Even
my 12 year old grandson said it was Really Awesome (high praise indeed). As you
can progress through the walk at your own pace, it was easy to stop and just
absorb the whole atmosphere, at one point at the top of the lake I stayed for
nearly 15 mins listening to the music which reminded me of monks chanting and
watching the changing colours and shapes of the trees. It was quite emotional and
very moving. I can also recommend the Mulled cider on sale, delicious. Hope this
is put on every year, will definitely be going again.
• Belfast Telegraph “It was one of the most memorable events of the year, if not the
decade so far…what a brilliant way to highlight both the beauty of the extensive
nature trail and the formal splendour of the estate. It really was a great
achievement, brilliantly executed and such a unique experience too.”

9. Summary
• Our target for visitor numbers was 8K (Actual 12K)
(5% of whom attended the event more than once)
• Media exposure was achieved to the equivalent of £45k (from 12K budget)
• Anticipated return on funding investment was 6:1 (this was more than
doubled with a return of 14.1
This figure is calculated through the Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s national Economic calculator and is
based on revenue to the local economy achieved through visitor spend, bed nights, input to the local
economy through employment, plant equipment and staffing expenditure, and visitor numbers achieved
from both the local borough, the wider Northern Ireland audience, and international visitors.
• We achieved huge support in the local community and from local
businesses, many of whom supported the Festival with link-up offers.
Local hotels offered Festival of Light weekend packages, local restaurants offered Festival of Light menus and local self
catering cottages offered all inclusive packages.

10. Future
• 2014 unfortunately no
funding sources
• Due to the success of
2013 and the vision for
an annual event we are
hosting the event again
• We intend to build the
event year on year