RECN 344 Event Management Week 3 Lecture 3

RECN 344: Event Management Week 3 Lecture 3: Community events and meanings

Week 3 Lecture 3: Overview Topic: Community events and contested meanings Focus: Commemorative events and meaning Case study 1: ANZAC Day and Gallipoli Case study 2: Roswell

Week 3 Lecture 3: Readings • • • R 4: Getz, D. (2012). Ch. 6: The event experience and meanings. In Event Studies: Theory, research and policy for planned events (pp. 189 -220), Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford, UK. R 5: Frost, W. , Wheeler, F. & Harvey, M. (2008). Commemorative events: Sacrifice, identity and dissonance. In J. Ali-Knight, M. Robertson, A. Fyall & A. Ladkin (Eds. ) International perspectives of festivals and events: Paradigms of analysis (pp. 161 - 171). 324 pages. Learn: Paradis, T. W. (2002). The political economy of theme development in small urban places: The case of Roswell, New Mexico. Tourism Geographies, 4(1), 22 -43. Learn: Brennan-Horley, C. , Connell, J. , & Gibson, C. (2007). The Parkes Elvis Revival Festival: Economic development and contested place identities in rural Australia. Geographical Research, 45(1), 71 -84. Learn: Fountain, J. & Mackay, M. (2017). Creating an eventful rural place: Akaroa’s French Festival", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 8 Iss: 1, pp. 84 – 98 DOI http: //dx. doi. org/10. 1108/IJEFM-06 -2016 -0043

Events and community impacts • Events and event tourism can transform communities, either positively or negatively • “While there are clearly significant economic benefits to communities that host them, festivals are primarily social phenomena with the potential to provide a variety of predominantly social benefits” (Arcodia & Whitford, 2006, p. 15)

Events and community’s sense of place • Effective festivals reveal a community’s sense of place: • Distinctiveness, stories, histories, values etc • Through festivals these meanings are shared with visitors and residents • Some event meanings are generally accepted, but others are contested – particularly when they are supposed to say something about ‘us’, as a people or place • Problems occur when: • Communities are heterogeneous & values not shared • Focus of festival is tourism, rather than locals

Communities and contested meanings • A community’s sense of place is a social construct • ‘Imagined communities’ – • a shared sense of nation-ness is created and maintained in part through representations of the character, culture and historical trajectory of a people • Some event meanings are generally accepted, but others are strongly contested • Not static: shaped by changing social, economic, demographic and political conditions

Politics of place • The choice of what to celebrate or commemorate is an inherently political process • Political: the way in which some people/groups have different access to power to define what is included in the promoted version of place identity • ‘Great diversity exists in the experiences & lifestyle of various groups of residents of a destination, including differences based on occupation, gender, ethnicity and length of residence (Fountain, 2002, p. 18) • ‘the touristic place images that come to promote a destination represent merely one version of place amongst a multitude of competing place identities’ (p. 32)

Anzac Day Celebrations: competing meanings • Frost et al. (2008) • Shift in meaning across time • Until 1950 s – popular, a time to pledge support to Britain • 1960 s-1970 s – seen as reactionary and irrelevant • 1990 s- renewed interest, by younger people • Death of last WWII veterans • • Reflections on recent wars, and sacrifices • Source of national identity & pride http: //www. stuff. co. nz /thepress/news/6691612 6/Booze-battles-for. RSA-veterans

Anzac Day : Gallipoli • Some may see commemorations as trivialising historical events or persons – lacking dignity. • Anzac Day dawn services – attendees at Gallipoli who were there for a ‘good time’ versus the ‘serious’ attendees • Drunk backpackers, rock concert atmosphere etc • http: //www. gallipoli 2015. govt. nz/at-gallipoli http: //www. stuff. co. nz/world/europe/101 90613/Alcohol-banned-at-Gallipoli

RE Qu: contested meanings in community events • Based on the article you chose, what different meanings does the event hold for groups of stakeholders in the community. Which groups or stakeholders in the community are associated with each meaning? • To what extent do you think these different meanings have the potential to cause conflict between these stakeholders?

Contested meanings of events Case Study: Roswell UFO Encounter Festival • Local agents crucial for developing tourism around this image since 1996 • Take advantage of a known connection • • http: //www. ufofestivalroswell. com/ Short video: http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=b_W 5 RWvi 6 s 8 long video: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=z 5 Svxng. W-p. U https: //www. facebook. com/Roswell. UFOFestival/photos_stream

Contested meanings of events Case Study: Roswell UFO Encounter Festival • Impact on sense of place: how town looks and functions • Range of local reactions:

Contested meanings of events Case Study: Roswell UFO Encounter Festival • Roswell has a ‘rich western heritage that goes back much further than 1947. . . Use the convention centre for a western expo, selling items with a western theme. Such a festival would provide another strong economic boost to the community and allow us to showcase a part of our culture that we can all believe in’ (cited Paradis, 2002, p. 37) “Such blatant disregard for all that is true and holy makes one shudder with revulsion” (Paradis, 2002, p. 36). “What do I believe? I believe in tourism” (Paradis, 2002, p. 38).

Conclusions