Plannning for Resort Regeneration: The role of the Olympic 2012 bid for Weymouth and Portland, Dorset

Events have become increasingly popular as tourist attractions, contributing to the opportunity for resort regeneration (Law, 1993). The ability to increase civic pride, community spirit and collective self-image through the hosting of events and the associated urban regeneration has only recently begun to be considered within the UK. This paper will analyse the potential participation of the various stakeholders in planning for resort regeneration. There needs to be three levels for successful tourism planning; national, regional strategic and local with all three levels being integrated to produce an adoptable strategic vision (Gunn, 1994). Feasibility studies should take a holistic approach, looking beyond the economic impacts and gather information regarding communities and special interest groups and if used effectively will develop good community relations, thereby overcoming objections (Getz, 1997). Furthermore, events should play a role in the destination tourism plan and that sound planning should accompany the pursuit of events rather than the irrationality often seen. The significance of events to schemes of urban regeneration has been recognised by the UK Government as seen in the £55m given to Manchester in 1994 to support its unsuccessful Olympic Bid but utilised for the hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2002. This paper is based upon an MSc dissertation completed in 2004 for a Tourism and Planning Management Degree. The research was carried out in Weymouth and Portland, Dorset with the assistance of the Local Council, Chamber of Commerce, Sailing Authorities, Citizen’s Panel and individual citizens via questionnaires and interviews. The local council have drawn up comprehensive plans to ensure the potential hosting of the sailing element of the 2012 bid will have positive long-term legacies for the area. It is acknowledged that the area is in need of regeneration and a poll of residents had a 42% response rate. The local council recognise the significance of hosting festivals and events not only as generators of income but also as civic celebrations

The potpourri of the popular music festival experience?

This paper will be based upon the findings of an in-depth study of the lived experience of popular music festival-goers in the UK. The research was grounded in the philosophical roots of both experience and descriptive phenomenology. Phenomenological research is about “going back to people’s specific experiences and letting the concepts come from there” (Todres and Holloway 2010, p183). The research used Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method (2009). Giorgi’s method is based on the early twentieth century philosopher Husserl’s scientific approach to developing phenomenology. Giorgi (2009) offers a robust process for analysing situated experiences that gives a clear insight into a phenomenon. The constituents discovered that form the structure of the phenomenon of the popular music festival experience can be drawn as polar opposites. However the nature of the experience is more about the mixed valence of emotions rather than the bipolar explanation of concepts such as reversal theory. This resonates with the critical theories of leisure, especially that of freedom and constraint and the need to accept negative as well as positive emotions in a holistic view of the experience. Stebbins (2006) may have referred to leisure studies as the 'happy science', but this study not only identified the highs experienced by the participants but also their depths of despair

A 'ticket to ride' or 'a hard days night'? The importance of music tourism to Liverpool

This paper is written to facilitate discussion about the importance, if any, of Liverpool’s musical heritage to our enjoyment of the city during our visit to the conference. The consumption of both music and tourism are a ‘given’ in contemporary Western societies. However, the blend of music and tourism has been insufficiently researched. Gibson and Connell (notably: 2004, 2005, 2007) have dominated the literature on music tourism and its significance in the UK has only been touched upon. The context for this paper is research undertaken for UK Music on the economic impact of UK Music Tourism. The rationale for the overall research was that it was thought that the importance of music to UK tourism was not being recognised and therefore leveraged as effectively as it could. Feargal Sharkey (2010), Chief Executive of UK Music said: ‘Music is one of the UK’s crown jewels. It is a significant and powerful magnet for both overseas and UK tourists - whether they’re attending one of our many music festivals, visiting our music heritage sites or simply drawn by our reputation as the world’s pre-eminent music-producing nation.’ Understanding how important music is to tourism is more than economic. The aim of this paper is therefore to further develop our understanding of the consumption of music tourism by: 1. identifying live music and tourism consumption; 2. conceptualising how we can better understand the relationships between music, tourists and place in forming brand identity; 3. discussing this through the case study of Liverpool’s music tourism and the issues that this raises for tourism promotion. The method used here is based on a review of the data and literature on music, tourism and music tourism. A case study approach is taken to assist in conceptualising how best we could understand the different factors that make up the music tourism experience

A Bourdieusian Critique of Event Professionalisation

Purpose Traditional models of becoming an events professional have dominated the academic literature on the process of professionalisation. This paper uses Bourdieu’s concepts to critique my understanding of the demand for and current position of the event professional. It particularly utilises Bourdieu’s conceptualisation of ‘field’ to understand the agents and issues involved in this complex phenomenon. The focus is on the challenges of supporting a professionalisation agenda. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based upon a theoretical discussion around the findings of an interpretive phenomenological study of 24 interviews undertaken across leaders from event companies, associations and education providers in the UK. The author is positioned across all three of these areas and uses Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital and field to explore the relationships and issues of adopting a traditional approach to professionalisation. The methodological approach is an important part of the discussion on the way that professionalisation is viewed and researched. The positivist approach preferred in practice is questioned but also utilized by Bourdieu to bridge the object-subject divide. Findings The Professionalisation in Events research identified 4Ps – Policy, People and Professional Practice and that these blended together the 2Es – Experience and Education. The findings in this paper however are more discursive than definitive. The aim is to question but also to inform decisions on policy, practice and research that go beyond traditional and utilitarian approaches. For the first time it puts events and those involved in events into a socially constructed paradigm that explores the individual and organisational concerns of legitimacy, validity, recognition and reward. Research limitations/implications This study is part of an action research project that involves the researcher playing an active part in the review of policy and practice of event professionalisation within the event sector in the UK. Given the situated context of events in the UK the findings of this paper may not be directly applicable to other event fields. However, the approach may afford others a different lens through which to explore this and other event-related topics. Practical implications The use of Bourdieu’s work to critique the findings, to date, of the Professionalisation in Events research project offers a different perspective and alternative issues to discuss with practitioners and academics. It goes beyond the human capital arguments of individual recognition and reward to the organisational and socially constructed questions of a unified profession with clear structures, benchmarks and identity. Originality/value Using Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, capital and field offer a means of challenging and exploring the notion of professionalisation in the event sector. It also offers a different approach to researching event phenomena

Event sponsorship by alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks businesses in India

Purpose – This paper aims to examine event sponsorship decision making by the Indian drinks industry, comparing the non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks sectors. Design/methodology/approach – Data regarding event sponsorship activity, perceptions of event sponsorship, motives to sponsor, form of investment and structure of sponsorship was obtained from a sample of 61 drinks producers in India through a questionnaire. Mann-Whitney and logistic regression were employed to compare the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic sectors. Findings – The results suggest that the alcohol and non-alcohol drinks sectors sponsored a similar level of events, but in investment volume terms, sponsorship from the non-alcoholic sector is far greater than that of the alcoholic sector. While the two sectors are similar in many ways, the emphasis placed on certain motives for sponsoring events was different, with alcoholic drinks businesses placing greater importance on reaching niche audiences and increasing media coverage than non-alcoholic ones. Research limitations/implications – A limited number of areas of the sponsorship decision-making were covered, yet the study provides insights into the decision making of one of the key sponsoring industries: the drinks industry. Practical implications – Securing sponsorship is becoming more difficult and complex. By understanding how sponsors make decisions, including potential variations between companies within an industry, event organisers will be in a better position to tailor sponsorship proposals, enhancing the likelihood of obtaining the desired sponsorship contracts. Originality/value – Most sponsor decision-making research focuses on how sponsorship decisions can be improved so that they work better for the sponsor. This paper, in contrast, emphasises that by understanding how clients make decisions (i.e. sponsors), sellers (i.e. the sponsored) will be in a better position to win over competition and secure the desired sponsorship deals

Praxis of Lust: Alternative Sexual Culture in Personal Narratives of Queer Disabled Sex

This thesis focuses on emotions to analyze personal narratives of queer disabled sex to understand how queer disabled people talk about sex with the goal of identifying their constructions of their sexualities and sexual practices. By analyzing how the role of discourses on disability affect how these narrators and their partners feel about disabled sex, this thesis explores how sex can be used to combat negative emotions fueled by dominant ableist discourses that cause shame and self-disgust. This thesis explores how some of these narrators employ what I call a cross-crip praxis of lust, where they describe experiencing a radical liberation from shame about their disabled bodies and increased sexual pleasure as they create alternative sexual cultures. These narrators offer insights into how the possibilities for sex and pleasure can be expanded for us all through their stories of a DIY sexuality, where creativity and agency constitute fulfilling sexual experiences