Major Events? You Bet! - Reckons Dennys Campbell , Project Manager of the Pitlochry Area Initiative
The British Pipes Band Championship (BPBC) was recently held in Pitlochry, as extensively reported in the local press. Last month’s Comment front page lead mentioned an on-site survey conducted at the event which produced some encouraging and interesting results,
The data from the survey was used by Tourism and Leisure Solutions to prepare an Economic Impact Assessment report for Perth and Kinross Council, which had provided some of the funds to finance the event.
This confirmed that Highland Perthshire benefited to the tune of just under £1/2 million as a direct result of having hosted this prestigious event. There can be no doubt that the investment of funds, and the huge commitment from the Pitlochry Major Events Committee, have given a very significant financial boost to the local economy.
Although the visitors to the area spent £1/2 million over one weekend there are, however, further benefits that will be realised over an extended period of time. |
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Research Data
The BPBC was attended by 8,881 people who paid the entrance fee, and a further estimated 1,500 who joined the event later – some estimates suggest that as many as fifteen thousand people were in Pitlochry on the day. A total of 228 individuals participated in the survey, the analysis of which produced the following results.
* Over two and a half thousand people were visiting Highland Perthshire for the first time, the majority of them indicated that their expectations had been exceeded and their visit had been memorable.
* Six thousand visitors had travelled from locations more than two hours drive time from Pitlochry, fourteen per cent from the UK outwith Scotland and a further eleven per cent from overseas. A remarkable number of people - over four thousand - had planned to stay overnight within one hour’s travel time from Pitlochry. Just under one thousand visitors remained in the area for the whole weekend or longer.
* More than seventy five per cent of all visitors were attending specifically for the Pipe Band Championships – many of whom suggested that Pitlochry should become a permanent site for the event. When asked to comment on the management of the event, more than ninety per cent responded with ratings of excellent or very good – a tribute to the dedication of the organising committee.
Highland Perthshire is ideally located for major events; it is readily accessible from all regions with a wide range of good quality accommodation and a vast selection of activities and attractions. The successful hosting of events such as the BPBC (c £480,000) and Enchanted Forest 2005 (c £312,000) not only generate significant income for the local community, they create the opportunity to showcase Highland Perthshire to the thousands of visitors who attend them.
The local businesses that benefited most from the BPBC during the weekend were accommodation providers, restaurants, fast food outlets, licensed premises and selected retailers (gifts etc.).
Outstanding Questions
However:
* How many of the two and a half thousand first time visitors to the area will return?
* Did we all do enough to make their visit memorable?
* Did we all take advantage of the opportunities that were available?
From the information we have gathered, both during and after the event, we realise that there is so much more we could do to engage local businesses in major events being hosted in the area.
There is, however, one particular area of concern associated with hosting well-organised major events – they do need “organising” and the burden of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the few dedicated individuals involved.
“Do we need major events”? – there are half a million good reasons why we need them – but we also need new, enthusiastic and committed people to invest their time and effort to ensure that we build on our growing reputation for hosting events.
If you have benefited from a major event being hosted in your community, maybe you should consider getting involved – “he who pays the piper, calls the tune”.
Dennys Campbell is Project Manager of the Pitlochry Area Initiative and can be contacted at Pitlochry Festival Theatre PH16 5DR
01796 484600 dennys.campbell@pitlochry.org.uk
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