Is the events industry a creative industry?

This paper outlines a project that is being conducted by the University of Westminster and Bournemouth University on behalf of the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) to measure the amount of creative intensity involved in events management work, with a view to lobbying government via DCMS to provide representation for the events industry on the Creative Industries Council (CIC), a national advisory body for policy-making on the creative industries. BVEP sees the event sector as a stand-alone industry in its own right and has already lobbied DCMS with the objectives of having the events industry recognised as a stand-alone sector – not part of the tourism sector – and an industry that is creative (OECD, 2014, Richards, 2011). The first objective has now been achieved through the appointment of an Events Industry Council to offer advice on event-related policy. However, this does not go far enough in terms of dovetailing the event’s sectors aims and complementarities with other creative sectors. Therefore the BVEP are still pursuing recognition as a creative industry: on advice from DCMS, the events sector must now research its ‘creative intensity’ and the purpose of this research project is to take that objective forward. Through CIC representation the creative sectors, such as film and TV, music, advertising and marketing, museums, arts and crafts have direct influence on policy-making at the DCMS, UKTI, Visit Britain and Visit England and at the Prime Minister’s Office (DCMS, 2015). Each sector is considered as creative according to the ‘creative intensity’ of the job roles within those sectors: currently, the events industry is not considered as a creative sector, largely because its ‘creative intensity’ has not yet been measured. The research team will adopt the model established by Freeman (2008) and used by the DCMS to measure the UK creative industries in order to review samples of recognised occupation codes (SOCs) within businesses indicated by their industrial codes (SICs). The DCMS looks for sectors to have a 20% or above creative intensity to be considered as a creative industry (Knight, 2014). The research team consider that exploring the creative intensity within event management education is a necessary and related task, as a signifier of the developing professional skills-base on which future events management practitioners will draw. Therefore, as AEME enters its second decade it is fitting to reflect on the development of events management education and to consider the role of creativity within UK degree programmes as the subject and profession continues to mature. As Bladen and Kennell (2014) highlight the prominence of business school perspectives within early educational offers may have privileged analytical approaches over the more lateral thinking required in creative practice and it is timely to review whether this remains the case. This year’s forum at Falmouth University provides a sympathetic setting in which to consider the re-framing of events management as a creative endeavour and to explore the risks and rewards that a shift towards status as a creative industry may bring for educators and practitioners alike

The untold story, the creativity of events

Whether academically or professionally, events are emerging as a distinct area of study, research and practice. Like anything that grows, it is difficult for events not to be the result of its roots. The courses that have been developed have their roots in, for example, leisure, tourism, hospitality and performing arts. Some sit in Management Schools and Faculties and others in stage and theatres or stand alone departments. The academic base is just as broad and has chartered a similar course to tourism where there has been a positive tension between management and critical theories. One area that has had limited attention is the nature of creativity in events and this article will take an applied focus to this interest. The pos itioning of the events industry is something that is important for its identity but more importantly, it will shape event education, research and professional practice in the future. Events have been identified as experiences (Getz 2005; Berridge 2007) and studied as such (Jackson 2006, 2015). However there has been little research undertaken about the creative nature of this experience, especially in how they are created. Models of the Creative Sectors depict a relatively blank circle that is titled 'Experiences' (NESTA 2006; British Council 2010). Events could be positioned within the creative industries because of this. This article is formed of different stories that illustrate the nature of creativity in the production of outdoor event experiences. These stories are narrated to add insight into the elements that are important for creativity, that of fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, risk-taking, complexity, curiosity and imagination (Guilford 1956, 1965, 1988; Sternberg 2012). This research is also novel in that it focuses more on the process (Stuhlfaut and Windels 2012; Tsoukas 2005) and environment of creativity (Amabile 2006) in the production of an event experience and less on the personal characteristics required for creativity or on the effectiveness of the creative experience itself. It aims to aid our understanding of creativity not just in outdoor events but in the creative industries as a whole (de Propis 2013; Freeman 2008

Colocalization of neurons in optical coherence microscopy and Nissl-stained histology in Brodmann’s area 32 and area 21

Published in final edited form as: Brain Struct Funct. 2019 January ; 224(1): 351–362. doi:10.1007/s00429-018-1777-z.Optical coherence tomography is an optical technique that uses backscattered light to highlight intrinsic structure, and when applied to brain tissue, it can resolve cortical layers and fiber bundles. Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) is higher resolution (i.e., 1.25 µm) and is capable of detecting neurons. In a previous report, we compared the correspondence of OCM acquired imaging of neurons with traditional Nissl stained histology in entorhinal cortex layer II. In the current method-oriented study, we aimed to determine the colocalization success rate between OCM and Nissl in other brain cortical areas with different laminar arrangements and cell packing density. We focused on two additional cortical areas: medial prefrontal, pre-genual Brodmann area (BA) 32 and lateral temporal BA 21. We present the data as colocalization matrices and as quantitative percentages. The overall average colocalization in OCM compared to Nissl was 67% for BA 32 (47% for Nissl colocalization) and 60% for BA 21 (52% for Nissl colocalization), but with a large variability across cases and layers. One source of variability and confounds could be ascribed to an obscuring effect from large and dense intracortical fiber bundles. Other technical challenges, including obstacles inherent to human brain tissue, are discussed. Despite limitations, OCM is a promising semi-high throughput tool for demonstrating detail at the neuronal level, and, with further development, has distinct potential for the automatic acquisition of large databases as are required for the human brain.Accepted manuscrip

The gestalt of event creativity

Purpose This paper identifies the gestalt characteristics of creativity within outdoor events. It focuses on the creation and production of events and not on the event itself or the way that it is experienced. It is therefore interested in the processes and attributes of working in outdoor events, within various roles and responsibilities. The concept of gestalt helps to identify the defining features of a phenomenon that unfolds over a period of time. Design/methodology/approach The Creativity in Events research project included a mixed-methods approach that identified the nature and understanding of outdoor events through interviewing 10 providers of different types of outdoor events. These were identified as cultural festivals, music festivals, outdoor sporting events, outdoor trade shows and outdoor corporate events. From these the salient characteristics of creativity were identified and transformed into a survey of people undertaking different job roles from Director to volunteer across the sector. Overall 233 useable questionnaires provided the data that was analysed to identify whether the outdoor event sector was creative and in what ways, across the different roles. Findings This paper is an overall summary of the main characteristics identified through both the qualitative and quantitative stages of the research project. It approaches the results of these from an overarching meta-analysis based on gestalt principles. Six facets of event creativity were identified. These were: fluency, originality, imagination, elaboration, environment and complexity. The characteristics of divergent and convergent practices, alongside cognitive and affective features offered a complex but gestalt understanding of creativity in outdoor events. These featured collaboration across the creative event process; the creative familiarity offered by the necessity of compliance, and the necessity to be both pragmatic and creative. Research limitations/implications The gestalt concept itself recognizes that not all characteristics of a phenomenon, such as creativity, are constant and that there are highs and lows and potentially conflicting attributes. In attempting to identify and research the creativity of events results in a reduction and shaping of something quite messy and complex. Only in this way though can certain characteristics be recognised and further explored. Otherwise we just leave events as something that is only learnt through practice and experience. Practical implications A better understanding of creativity in events is important for improving practice, education and research. The processes and practices developed and taught need to recognise both the divergent and convergent approaches. The work environment and collaborations are necessary to support the success of outdoor events. Originality/value Whilst the importance of creativity in the production of events has been recognized, there has been little research undertaken as to its characteristics. Creativity itself has predominantly been researched within the individual, with some emphasis on the organisation but very little on a whole sector

Fine-mapping identifies multiple prostate cancer risk loci at 5p15, one of which associates with TERT expression

Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 5p15 and multiple cancer types have been reported. We have previously shown evidence for a strong association between prostate cancer (PrCa) risk and rs2242652 at 5p15, intronic in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene that encodes TERT. To comprehensively evaluate the association between genetic variation across this region and PrCa, we performed a fine-mapping analysis by genotyping 134 SNPs using a custom Illumina iSelect array or Sequenom MassArray iPlex, followed by imputation of 1094 SNPs in 22 301 PrCa cases and 22 320 controls in The PRACTICAL consortium. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis identified four signals in the promoter or intronic regions of TERT that independently associated with PrCa risk. Gene expression analysis of normal prostate tissue showed evidence that SNPs within one of these regions also associated with TERT expression, providing a potential mechanism for predisposition to disease

Rucaparib maintenance treatment for recurrent ovarian carcinoma after response to platinum therapy (ARIEL3): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Background: Rucaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, has anticancer activity in recurrent ovarian carcinoma harbouring a BRCA mutation or high percentage of genome-wide loss of heterozygosity. In this trial we assessed rucaparib versus placebo after response to second-line or later platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with high-grade, recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian carcinoma. Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients from 87 hospitals and cancer centres across 11 countries. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had a platinum-sensitive, high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinoma, had received at least two previous platinum-based chemotherapy regimens, had achieved complete or partial response to their last platinum-based regimen, had a cancer antigen 125 concentration of less than the upper limit of normal, had a performance status of 0–1, and had adequate organ function. Patients were ineligible if they had symptomatic or untreated central nervous system metastases, had received anticancer therapy 14 days or fewer before starting the study, or had received previous treatment with a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor. We randomly allocated patients 2:1 to receive oral rucaparib 600 mg twice daily or placebo in 28 day cycles using a computer-generated sequence (block size of six, stratified by homologous recombination repair gene mutation status, progression-free interval after the penultimate platinum-based regimen, and best response to the most recent platinum-based regimen). Patients, investigators, site staff, assessors, and the funder were masked to assignments. The primary outcome was investigator-assessed progression-free survival evaluated with use of an ordered step-down procedure for three nested cohorts: patients with BRCA mutations (carcinoma associated with deleterious germline or somatic BRCA mutations), patients with homologous recombination deficiencies (BRCA mutant or BRCA wild-type and high loss of heterozygosity), and the intention-to-treat population, assessed at screening and every 12 weeks thereafter. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01968213; enrolment is complete. Findings: Between April 7, 2014, and July 19, 2016, we randomly allocated 564 patients: 375 (66%) to rucaparib and 189 (34%) to placebo. Median progression-free survival in patients with a BRCA-mutant carcinoma was 16·6 months (95% CI 13·4–22·9; 130 [35%] patients) in the rucaparib group versus 5·4 months (3·4–6·7; 66 [35%] patients) in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·23 [95% CI 0·16–0·34]; p<0·0001). In patients with a homologous recombination deficient carcinoma (236 [63%] vs 118 [62%]), it was 13·6 months (10·9–16·2) versus 5·4 months (5·1–5·6; 0·32 [0·24–0·42]; p<0·0001). In the intention-to-treat population, it was 10·8 months (8·3–11·4) versus 5·4 months (5·3–5·5; 0·36 [0·30–0·45]; p<0·0001). Treatment-emergent adverse events of grade 3 or higher in the safety population (372 [99%] patients in the rucaparib group vs 189 [100%] in the placebo group) were reported in 209 (56%) patients in the rucaparib group versus 28 (15%) in the placebo group, the most common of which were anaemia or decreased haemoglobin concentration (70 [19%] vs one [1%]) and increased alanine or aspartate aminotransferase concentration (39 [10%] vs none). Interpretation: Across all primary analysis groups, rucaparib significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer who had achieved a response to platinum-based chemotherapy. ARIEL3 provides further evidence that use of a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor in the maintenance treatment setting versus placebo could be considered a new standard of care for women with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer following a complete or partial response to second-line or later platinum-based chemotherapy. Funding: Clovis Oncology

Genetic Determinants of Circulating Sphingolipid Concentrations in European Populations

Sphingolipids have essential roles as structural components of cell membranes and in cell signalling, and disruption of their metabolism causes several diseases, with diverse neurological, psychiatric, and metabolic consequences. Increasingly, variants within a few of the genes that encode enzymes involved in sphingolipid metabolism are being associated with complex disease phenotypes. Direct experimental evidence supports a role of specific sphingolipid species in several common complex chronic disease processes including atherosclerotic plaque formation, myocardial infarction (MI), cardiomyopathy, pancreatic beta-cell failure, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, sphingolipids represent novel and important intermediate phenotypes for genetic analysis, yet little is known about the major genetic variants that influence their circulating levels in the general population. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) between 318,237 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and levels of circulating sphingomyelin (SM), dihydrosphingomyelin (Dih-SM), ceramide (Cer), and glucosylceramide (GluCer) single lipid species (33 traits); and 43 matched metabolite ratios measured in 4,400 subjects from five diverse European populations. Associated variants (32) in five genomic regions were identified with genome-wide significant corrected p-values ranging down to 9.08 x 10(-66). The strongest associations were observed in or near 7 genes functionally involved in ceramide biosynthesis and trafficking: SPTLC3, LASS4, SGPP1, ATP10D, and FADS1-3. Variants in 3 loci (ATP10D, FADS3, and SPTLC3) associate with MI in a series of three German MI studies. An additional 70 variants across 23 candidate genes involved in sphingolipid-metabolizing pathways also demonstrate association (p = 10(-4) or less). Circulating concentrations of several key components in sphingolipid metabolism are thus under strong genetic control, and variants in these loci can be tested for a role in the development of common cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and psychiatric diseases