Event governance: the rhetoric and reality of the World Rally Championship, Northern Rivers, NSW

Abstract

Processes of globalisation and the concomitant need to establish a presence in a globally competitive marketplace are frequently cited as factors underpinning national government involvement in the support of events. State government, and to a lesser extent, local government involvement in events is often justified by an event’s ability to facilitate, among other things, regional development, destination branding and city imaging. Yet despite increasing involvement of such governments in activities aimed at attracting events, little attention has been paid to the way in which the different levels of government collaborate, and the quality of governance arrangements in place before, during and after the event. This paper addresses this gap in research by examining the governance arrangements that characterised the World Rally Championship event held in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales in September 2009. The Rally was a controversial event from which lessons can be drawn that contribute to, and enhance understandings of, good event governance. In addressing this broad aim, the objectives of this qualitative study are, firstly, to identify the governance issues associated with the planning and management of the World Rally Championship event in the Northern Rivers Region, New South Wales in 2009; and secondly, to identify lessons for event planning and management practice that would enhance good event governance. The results of the study suggested that more effective event governance in relation to the planning and management of the rally could be achieved by addressing the numerous issues that were identified in this analysis