THE STRATEGIC USE OF EVENTS WITHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT: A STUDY OF LONDON BOROUGH COUNCILS.

The public sector has long been the provider of special events with the requirements for public assembly, and, in more recent years, community events such as those related to the Millennium and the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations have increased local government involvement. Events have become an integral part of the collective communities' psyche in terms of celebration of culture and as a demonstration of civic pride providing social as well as economic benefits. Previous research has shown that it is possible for public sector marketing strategies to utilize events strategically to bring long-term economic and social benefits to the location and its community. This article builds on the work undertaken by Bennett and Koudelova into the image creation of downtown areas in London and New York, which recommended that a more "strategic" marketing orientation within the Councils was preferable to an "operational" marketing orientation, which was found to be restrictive and negative. This research attempted to ascertain whether or not events are being used strategically or operationally within the marketing plans of London Borough Councils. In-depth interviews with four borough councils were used to gather first-hand data supplemented by the analysis of relevant documentation. The findings indicate that the place marketing functions of these Councils can be carded out in a more effective way through the use of events that are integrated into a strategic plan. Although the boroughs investigated are moving towards a more strategic use of events, the focus is still operational and ad hoc, resulting in missed opportunities. The benefits of a wider long-term use of events within place marketing strategies are clear; however, the funding and organizational structure of local authorities can create barriers to achieving this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]