Major events programming in a city: Comparing three approaches to portfolio design.

Event portfolio design is increasingly important from both academic and industry perspectives. The purpose of this article is to discuss and conceptualize the strategic process of event portfolio planning and development in different urban contexts in New Zealand. A qualitative multiple case study was conducted in three cities: Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin. Primary data were collected by interviewing city event planners from city councils and relevant council controlled organizations. Secondary data were obtained by the analysis of the relevant documents, including city event policies and strategies, annual reports, statements, and activity plans. Thematic analysis revealed the existence of distinctive portfolio approaches in the studied cases, which can be compared and differentiated by applying the following parameters: Formality, Intentionality, Directionality, and Rhythmicity. Together, these parameters represent a "built-in equalizer" that can be used to balance the opposing values of diverse approaches and adjust them within current city objectives. The article provides a rich and broad context, which enables an understanding of the strategic nature of event portfolios and their implementation within a wider city development agenda.N/

City rhythms and events.

N/

The value of events in times of uncertainty: Insights from balcony performances in Italy during the COVID-19 lockdown

The paper explores the role and value of the so-called ‘balcony performances’ – community special events, organized during the first national lockdown in Italy in March-May 2020. Following the constructionist research paradigm, in-depth interviews were collected and analysed to understand how through engaging with special events, residents found ways to deal with uncertainty and distress during the time of lockdown. Balcony events allowed participants to connect with others at a distance, express and share their feelings and emotions and, eventually, transform fear and worry into hope and positivity. The paper reiterates the vital ritualistic role of events in community life and introduces a conceptual framework of the transformative power of events. The framework explains how during times of uncertainty, improvisational creativity within neighbourhoods, expressed in special events, can provide a platform for resilience building and community cohesion. The paper also puts forward a new perspective on residential balconies as event venues

Understanding the core elements of event portfolio strategy: lessons from Auckland and Dunedin

An event portfolio is a vital part of economic and socio-cultural processes designed around the use of public events in cities and destinations around the world. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a new research framework for comparative studies of diverse event portfolio strategies. The discussion in this paper is based on a review of the literature and content analysis of event strategies from two New Zealand cities: Auckland and Dunedin. The paper suggests an empirically tested framework for exploring event portfolios. It entails such dimensions as the event portfolio strategy, event portfolio focus, portfolio objectives and evaluation tools and event portfolio configuration. This exploratory research provides a comparative analysis of diverse portfolio contexts and offers insights on developing sustainable event strategies while considering diverse local contexts. Core conditions and processes shaping event portfolio design and management are evaluated and strategic factors articulated.n/

Portfolio of major events in Auckland: characteristics, perspectives and issues

Although event portfolios have become an integrated part of destination development, a lack of empirical research into the nature of portfolio design exists. A case study was conducted in Auckland, New Zealand, to explore the nature of the applied portfolio strategy in the city. The findings indicate that Auckland employs an outcomes-driven approach which is characterised by the orientation on economic outcomes, an ‘agnostic’ attitude to the compositional structure of the portfolio, an intensive bidding campaign and leveraging strategies. The current city’s reputation awards, successful event bids and positive economic indicators justify this approach. The identified issues, including a supply-led nature of the event portfolio and its predominantly quantitative measures of success, call for a revalidation of the approach. The results of the study contribute to the ongoing discourse about the value of event portfolios and their sustainable design in different urban destinations.N/

Small cities with big dreams: creative placemaking and branding strategies

N/

Event Portfolio Design: Exploring Strategic Approaches to Major Events in New Zealand

One of the strategies which is increasingly applied by cities across the world in an ever-lasting desire to promote and capitalise on their competitive identity, is the hosting of large-scale events of different genres. In an attempt to become an attractive event place, many cities have progressed from a random and eclectic choice of events toward the development of portfolios of events.Despite the increasing popularity of an event portfolio strategy in the literature and among city event planners, there is a lack of developed theoretical concepts and empirical evidence in this area. To address this gap, a qualitative multiple case study research was conducted in three cities in New Zealand, namely Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. The thesis explores critical aspects of the portfolio programming. It analyses the rationale behind utilising major events, strategic portfolio approaches, compositional structures of the portfolios in the cities, roles that events can play within a portfolio, design factors that influence events programming, and the development of an overall portfolio synergy. The research is grounded in critical realist ontology and pragmatist epistemology. Critical realism helps to uncover a reality of processes that determine portfolio design. A portfolio of events exists in a real context. It is shaped by real processes of planning and decision-making. Pragmatist epistemology directs this research in two ways. Firstly, pragmatism calls for the application of an action-oriented approach. The research becomes a resource for informing human practices and suggesting possibilities for solving problems in the field of planned events. Secondly, pragmatism admits context-dependence of knowledge. Thus, the research serves as an important source of valuable insights, rather than a cradle of a universal truth. The research methods included semi-structured interviews with event planners from the city councils? departments and relevant council controlled organisations responsible for major events programming. Related public documents were also analysed to complement the emerged insights from the interviews. Thematic analysis of the collected data was carried out to identify and analyse key research themes. The thesis revealed an interplay of four processes in portfolio design that determine its nature, rationale, compositional variety and synergetic values. These are Imagineering, Approaching, Composing and Synergising. Imagineering directs the creation of a general vision on major events and their role in the construction of a desirable place identity. Approaching guides the elaboration of a strategic framework to utilise major events in accordance with the stated objectives and expected outcomes. Composing focuses on the compositional structure of event portfolios. Synergising is responsible for the maintenance of an overall balance in a portfolio. The findings of the research make an important contribution to event studies and event portfolio theory. The thesis advances an understanding of the strategic role portfolios of major events play in city development. The research offers new perspectives on portfolio design problematics and uncovers critical aspects of the design ?technology?. Practical implications of the research relate to public event strategy and policy development, portfolio approaching forms and strategic event management within urban contexts

Marginalisation and events

N/

Events and place experience: Improvisation with city rhythms and psychogeography.

Events have been increasingly used in place-making, where a lived space of a city is linked to a conceived and imaginative space through new meanings, symbols, identity, narrative and storytelling. Place-making requires the development and delivery of a unique and authentic experience. A place experience reflects people’s interaction with the physical, virtual and social environment of cities. Place experiencing stimulates imagery processing, 38 gives meaning and generates emotions. A symbiosis of events, cityscapes, images, and attached meanings generates an attractive aura of eventfulness which transforms city daily rhythms. Although different aspects of place experience through events have been discussed in the literature, the research on the multifaceted dimensions of such experience remains limited. The proposed research project aims at filling this gap by exploring the nature of lived experiences of an event place. Specifically, the study will investigate how a host city is being experienced during the course of city-scale events by different target groups, including local residents, event attendees and city visitors. A mixed method phenomenological approach is chosen as an appropriate research design. The research will combine phenomenology with quantitative surveys to cross-validate findings. The preliminary quantitative findings will review effects of events on a lived place experience and will be used to inform the phenomenological part where the nature of place experience will be explored in depth. Buxton, a spa town in Derbyshire, UK, is chosen as a location for data collection. The town is famous for its historic architecture, beautiful countryside and several large-scale cultural and music festivals. A mixed method phenomenological perspective of this research can provide richer insights into the nature of one’s own experience of a host city, as well as synthesise personal experiences with collective meanings about the place. The results of the research will have several contributions. Theoretically, the research will contribute to the place-making theory in tourism and events by providing a deeper understanding of place and event experience dimensions. Methodologically, the research will demonstrate the potential and appropriateness of phenomenology in event studies. Practically, the results of the research may be useful in planning of city event and tourism projects in order to design and deliver unique and authentic place experiences and synergise multiple meanings co-created by different actors.n/

The fundamentals of event design

The Fundamentals of Event Design aims to rethink current approaches to event design and production. The textbook explores the relationship between event design and multiple visitor experiences, as well as interactivity, motivation, sensory stimuli, and co-creative participation. structured around the key phases of event design, the book covers all the critical dimensions of event concepting, atmospherics, the application of interactive technologies, project management, team leadership, creative marketing and sustainable production. The concepts of authenticity, creativity, co-creation, Imagineering and storytelling are discussed throughout, and practical step-by-step guidance is provided on how to create and deliver unique and memorable events. The chapters include industry voices offering real life insight from leading international event practitioners and individual and/or team assignments to stimulate learners’ creativity, visualisation and problem solving.N/