Case Study Title: Special Event Alliance
Description: Festivals, street fairs and special events galvanize the spirit and commitment of a community. They are a vehicle for drawing people from other neighborhoods and outside the city and state. The San Diego Office of Special Events permitted nearly 1500 events in 2000. Hundreds more take place at hotels and other private event sites. Tens of thousands of attendees are in the hands of a small number of event planners, promoters and vendors. How do these San Diego organizations and agencies communicate with the varies agencies involved with these events in a cohesive collaborative manner to ensure that the events run in the most responsible and functional manner possible?
Problem Statement: As San Diego attracts more national high profile special events: Super Bowls, National Republican Convention etc. it is imperative that there is a central point of communication created that links agencies that permit events, services or enforcement providers, BIDs, event associaitons and event educators to identify the trends and issues in San Diego events and collaborate to provide resources and solutions that address the identified and issues and trends around hosting a large special event.
Stakeholders: Event organizers, hotels, BIDs, enforcement providers, event associations
Process: Identify and convene stakeholders. Identify planning task force to help coordinate and impelment programs. Use initial meeting to identify issues, collaborate and discuss. Develop strategy for orienting event managers to resources from event associations and regulating agencies. Coordinate presentations, especially by regulatory agencies, to schools that provide event management training.
Outcome: Held a Compliance Roundtable, a bi-annual event that brings event planners face to face with compliance officers to ensure collaboration and full understanding of event procedures, possible issues and trends. Held Education Roundtables on conceptual and organizational topics. Created a nuisance vendor program to deal with issues related to vendor relations. Developed an Orientation for new event planners.
Challenges and Lessons Learned: Because event planners are very busy people it is difficult to get consensus on meeting dates. Port property and city spaces have conflicting allowances and requirements. It is difficult to reach and include novice planners who generally need the most help. Many events rely on volunteers who are not directly involved in the event planning until the final stages.
Jurisdiction: Business, district, city, county
Funding:
Spin-off Projects:
Primary Contact: Allison Harnden
Primary Contact Email: alliosn@rhiweb.org
Website:: http://www.rhiweb.org
Focus: Hospitality
Issue: Events
Date Submitted: 7/7/2005
Submitted by: Laura Sullivan
Contact eMail: laura@rhiweb.org
|