Agenda item

Report of the Director of Policy and Governance (enclosed).

The Performance Panel received a report from the Director of Policy and Governance which provided information on the events being delivered by the Council’s Communications and Events Team. 

The Council’s events programme aims to –

·         Bring people together

·         Increase the borough’s profile locally and nationally

·         Encourage people to live and work in the borough

·         Provide engaging activities for residents improve and /promote health and wellbeing (Chorley Grand Prix)

·         support local businesses

It was reported that Chorley Council had gained an excellent reputation for organising and delivering events.  Since 2009, the Council’s events delivery had significantly increased from two annual events (Picnic in the Park and the Christmas lights switch on), to a yearlong programme of activities designed for people of all ages.

As part of their work, the Communications and Events Team was also responsible for internal and external communications including press enquires, social media, branding and website development.

Events delivered in 2016/17

Members of the Performance Panel were presented with the following table which outlined information on events delivered over 2016 and 2017.  It also provided attendance figures for each event, the amount of income generated were applicable, and the net cost.

*2017 figures yet to be confirmed

**Not reflective of total cost of 2017/18 events

It was reported that the Chorley Flower Show was the highest costing event held across the year, with the 2016 show costing in the region of £67,000 (net).  Chorley Live was delivered at no net cost to the Council in 2017 due to the income generated from this event covering the outgoing cost of organising the event.

With regards to value for money or cost per attendance –

·         Chorley Live shows the best value for money in terms of attendances at nil cost per visitor;

·         Chorley Grand Prix was the highest cost event per attendee.  However, it was difficult to quantify attendances for this event due to its nature, and the layout of the course.  It was therefore considered that the actual attendance at the event held in 2017 was much higher than 2,000 people recorded in the table;

·         Chorley Flower Show generated the highest income in 2016, of around £62,000.

Evaluation

Following the delivery of events, customers are asked to complete a satisfaction survey.

The purpose of the evaluation is to gather information on the economic and social impact the event had on the borough as well as improving the event for the following year. 

An example of this was provided in respect of the Chorley Flower Show 2017.  A total of 283 people completed the feedback questionnaire following the Chorley Flower Show in 2017.  It was reported that the majority of respondents spent between £11-£40 pounds whilst at the event, and £0-£10 outside the show.  84% of respondents indicated that they would attend the event the following year.  Respondents were also asked to indicate their favourite part of the show.

Performance against the indicator ‘number of event attendees’ would be reported at quarter four 2017/18; however the performance so far had been positive with 40,500 events attendances against an annual target of 65,000.

Marketing

It was reported that events are promoted and marketed by various means including the Council’s website, Check out Chorley website, social media (Facebook and twitter) and the Council’s What’s Happening magazine published three times per year.

In addition to general advertising, targeted advertising also take place (eg Chorley Flower Show is advertised in horticultural magazines).

The most popular way in which people heard about the Council’s events was via Facebook and attendance at previous events.  Facebook was recognised as a key tool to enable two-way communication between the Council and residents.  Feedback received from visitors demonstrated Facebook’s effectiveness.

Questions from the Performance Panel

In response to questions raised by members, the Performance Panel were informed -

·         The final cost for Chorley Flower Show 2017 would be known within the next two weeks.

·         The costs detailed within the report did not include the staffing costs for Communications and Events Team, which would vary depending on which officers were delivering the event.

·         It was expected that the revenue raised for the Christmas events for 2017 would not match those of the previous year.  This was due to the events being scaled back as a result of the work taking place on the Market Walk extension.

·         Feedback received from residents indicated that they considered the events good value, and provided a positive impression of Chorley.

·         Although there was extensive advertising for the Council’s events (60% of which is focused within the borough); it was recognised that some residents, particularly those living in the outlying rural areas, may not be aware of the Council’s events.  To address this matter, members of the Performance Panel suggested an alternative approach could include delivering leaflets to community hubs and via Parish Council newsletters

·         Chorley Grand Prix had proved to be the highest cost per attendee.  This was affected by a number of factors, including the weather. In 2017 the Council had appointed a company who specialised in gathering sponsorship.  However, this had not proved successful, and the Council was being debriefed on their findings.  One significant cost related to the Council’s legal responsibilities in regards to road closures.  The number of hours by Council officers attributed to this event was low in comparison to other events, as British Cycling organised a significant amount of the event.

·         Chorley Live had been a huge success at nil cost to the Council.  However it had attracted some criticism in that a number of the venues were considered too small to accommodate the number of attendees.  It was recognised that this could discourage attendance in the future.  To prevent this, the number of venues taking part in the event would need to increase.  Due to the success of Chorley Live, with some businesses claiming that weekend as the most profitable throughout the whole year, it was considered that a similar event could be held at a different time of the year.  However, the Council would not have the resources to organise more than one event per year, and businesses were being encouraged to work together to deliver a similar event. 

·         The panel discussed a number of options which could be considered to increase the revenue stream on Council run events.  These include –

-        Extending Chorley Flower Show by a day, increasing the event to three days.

-        Increasing ticket prices and introducing a nominal entrance charge for those events which are currently free such as Astley Park Bonfire and fireworks. At present a donation can be made by attendees for this event, which are donated to the Mayor’s charity.  It was felt that a nominal admittance charge to cover the cost of the event would not be unreasonable.

-        Charging a fee for those businesses who were profiting from within the events boundaries (eg food stalls).

AGREED –

·         That the report be noted;

·         That a costing exercise was carried out to establish the cost of officer time spent on each event.