Should cities adopt Event Tourism and Place Marketing techniques at any cost?

Danielle Lawes

Position Paper Two

For The Economies of Cities and Regions

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What is Place Marketing?

• Place as a product

• Strategic approach

• Competition for:

– Tourists

– Investors

– Residents

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Why Place Marketing?

• Globalisation

• Economic Growth

• City or Region’s Standing

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Why Event Tourism?

• Economic Activity

• City Status

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The economic benefits alone....

“Greatly oversold” (Dwyer et al, 2003)

Authorities lose (Mules, Faulkner, 1996)

At the expense of other cities (Dwyer et al, 2003)

Bidding up the price (Gratton et al, 2006)

Political propaganda (Chalip, Layns, 2002)

Subsidised by proponents (Kasimati, 2003)

Image benefits accrue elsewhere (Jennings, 1996)

...do not justify holding an event

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Event Successes

• Enhance brand (Jago et al, 2003)

• Other roles (Getz, 2007)

• Broader Strategies

• Not just Profit & Loss

• Direct & Indirect (Dwyer, Forsyth, 2010)

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What does success depend upon?

• “Damned if you do and damned if you don’t” (Halcomb, 2001)

• Compatibility

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Should not be ‘at any cost’

• Both positive and negative impacts

• NOT “a meaningless race in which winners and losers remain static over time” (Greene et al, 2007)

• Harness the benefits

• Complement the place’s brand

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