News. Rugby delivers big return for Scotland s economy SCOTLAND THE PERFECT STAGE AUTUMN 2009 ISSUE

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1 SCOTLAND THE PERFECT STAGE AUTUMN 2009 ISSUE News 21 Rugby delivers big return for Scotland s economy T HE THREE MAJOR rugby events held at Murrayfield stadium in May the Heineken Cup Final, the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival (pictured) and the Engage Super League Magic Weekend delivered 36 million to Scotland s economy. The atmosphere in the city was electric as thousands of fans and locals supported their teams. In addition to the economic impact, broadcast coverage of the events was shown around the world highlighting Edinburgh s exceptional credentials as a host for sporting events. Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, said: The economic impact generated by these three major rugby events is a phenomenal figure and the tangible benefits felt over the month of May by hoteliers, restaurants and businesses which rely upon the tourist trade were a reflection of this impressive figure. Speaking at the announcement earlier this month, Jim Mather MSP, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, said: Hosting major events such as the Heineken Cup plays a key part in boosting Scotland s tourism economy, particularly during this challenging economic climate. Many who attend a sporting occasion find themselves returning to enjoy other aspects of our country, particularly during this year of Homecoming. Scottish Rugby s Chief Executive Gordon McKie declared: Murrayfield Stadium is so much more than the spiritual home of the national team. It s a massive generator of significant revenue to Edinburgh and the surrounding communities. The events at the stadium in May provided a colourful climax to the rugby season. Bringing the three events to Scotland was the result of EventScotland working in partnership with Scottish Rugby, City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh Convention Bureau and VisitScotland. INSIDE SCOTLAND SECURES 2010 LASER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FOCUS ON ALCOHOL SPONSORSHIP SPOTLIGHT ON NATIONAL EVENTS PLUS FULL LISTING OF THIS AUTUMN S SUPPORTED EVENTS & FESTIVALS

2 02 03 Building on Scotland s world-class credentials PAUL BUSH OBE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, EVENTSCOTLAND THIS SUMMER HAS brought continued success for Scotland s events industry. In this issue of EventScotland News we review some of the great events that have marked the summer of Events like The Gathering and The Open, both centrepiece events for Homecoming Scotland, illustrate perfectly the country s ability to deliver world-class events that pull people from across the world to Scotland. The Homecoming Scotland programme has been delivered to an exceptionally high standard, with events reporting record ticket sales and in some instances sell-outs. And of course there are many highlights still to come with Highland Homecoming, The Rally of Scotland and the finale weekend celebrations featuring Homecoming Live! and a It is vital that each success provides a further step along the way to enhancing Scotland s reputation co-ordinated programme of St Andrew s Day celebrations. Looking beyond Homecoming, EventScotland and our partners delivered another coup for Scotland in securing the 2010 Laser World Championships for Largs. Securing the Lasers for Scotland is a great achievement and testament to the country s sailing credentials and facilities. Scotland attracts thousands of avid sailors from around the globe to its coasts each year and hosting two prestigious stages of the Laser Worlds will reinforce the message that it is a world class destination for the sport. Of course amid this ongoing success it is important to ensure that we do not become complacent. It is vital that each success provides a further step along the way to enhancing Scotland s reputation as the perfect stage for events. Securing the return of an Air New Zealand Golden Oldies event for 2011 shows how well Scotland is regarded, as the World Hockey Festival comes to Scotland so soon after Scotland s successful staging of the World Rugby Festival. The front page story of this edition of EventScotland News illustrates perfectly just what events deliver for Scotland. This success for rugby will continue as the Engage Super League Magic Weekend which delivered 11 million and the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s which generated 3 million both return to Murrayfield next year, and in the case of the 7s in 2011 as well. Securing events for Scotland for multiple years in this way is crucial in adding to the sustainability of the events industry, and staging events of this stature reinforces the country s major event credentials. Scotland has much to shout about and this was captured at a debate last month on ensuring the continued appeal of Edinburgh s festivals. A report from this debate is captured on page 8. The ideas and views arising from the debate are applicable across our industry as they are all about staying ahead of the competition. News Edinburgh To Host Golden Oldies World Hockey Festival 2011 EDINBURGH IS SET to host the Air New Zealand Golden Oldies World Hockey Festival 2011, an event which will see the city welcome hundreds of hockey enthusiasts and supporters from around the world to enjoy a week of Fun, Friendship and Fraternity in Scotland s capital. The announcement was made last month by 83 year old Hockey super veteran and president of Scotland s LX Hockey Team, George Black and 28 year old Scottish Olympic field hockey player, Graham Moodie (both pictured). The Golden Oldies World Hockey Festival has been secured for the city through a partnership of EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council and follows the success of last year s Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival. Speaking at the launch Graham Moodie, Olympic field hockey player said: Securing events like this one for the city of Edinburgh is hugely important in raising the profile of the sport as an inclusive and fun way to keep fit and enjoy the more sociable aspects of competitive sports. Keith Robinson, Air New Zealand Event Manager, said: We are thrilled to be returning to Edinburgh in 2011 with yet another Air New Zealand Golden Oldies Festival and have received a huge amount of support from our partners at EventScotland, City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Hockey. Scotland itself is an outstanding destination for our events and the country epitomises our ethos offering fun, friendship and fraternity as well as a real passion for sport. The Golden Oldies World Hockey Festival 2011 will take place in July CARNOUSTIE & ST ANDREWS CONFIRMED FOR 2011 & 2013 RICOH WOMEN S BRITISH OPEN CARNOUSTIE AND THE Old Course at St Andrews have been confirmed as the venues for the 2011 and 2013 Ricoh Women s British Open. The announcement was made as part of EventScotland s 10 year partnership with the Ladies Golf Union and IMG to support the Ricoh Women s British Open. The national events agency has committed to the championship being held in Scotland on at least five occasions between 2011 and Following the success of the 2007 Ricoh Women s British Open at St Andrews EventScotland identified the championship as an ideal platform to promote Scotland and its outstanding golf credentials around the world. The event delivered over 7.5 million to the Scottish economy in 2007 and received over 356 hours of global broadcast coverage to almost 400 million households. Review THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TURNBERRY JULY 123,000 golf fans from around the world celebrated the return of The Open to Ayrshire. As well as the on-course action, Homecoming Scotland was celebrated through a series of family activities including a putting competition which celebrities, including Sir Jackie Stewart (pictured), took part in. PIPING LIVE! GLASGOW 9 15 AUGUST August s Piping Live! was bigger and better featuring 500 musicians performing in 116 concerts. Organisers reported that ticket sales were up by 33 per cent. SCOTLAND SECURES 2010 LASER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SCOTLAND WILL WELCOME the prestigious Laser World Championships in The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has confirmed that Largs Sailing Club in Ayrshire, sportscotland s championship sailing venue and home of the Scottish Sailing Institute, will welcome two out of four sailing regattas comprising the Laser World Championships: the Laser Radial Women s World Championships from 7-14 July 2010 and the Laser Radial Men s and Youth Worlds from July Hosting the event will attract more than 500 sailors to Ayrshire from more than 30 countries, many with their sights set firmly on competing in the 2012 Olympic Games. The announcement was made by Skandia Team BELLADRUM TARTAN HEART FESTIVAL BEAULY, INVERNESS-SHIRE 7 8 AUGUST Belladrum delivered a box office best this summer, selling out for the first time in its six year history. The festival attracted 12,000 people. GREAT SCOTTISH SWIM STRATHCLYDE COUNTRY PARK 29 AUGUST More than 1000 people took part in the first Great Scottish Swim at Strathclyde Country Park. The open-air event had broad appeal, attracting world-class swimmers to charity fundraisers. BLAIR HORSE TRIALS BLAIR ATHOLL PERTHSHIRE AUGUST A record entry of nearly 1000 horses and riders competed at one of the most prestigious trials in UK eventing. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS GBR Laser Radial sailor Charlotte Dobson (pictured) in Glasgow earlier this summer. Dobson, from Helensburgh, was a Youth Worlds bronze medallist in the Laser Radial in 2004 and was also a strong contender for selection to the Laser Radial class at Beijing in She said: Having sailed and competed all over the world, I really appreciate just how sensational Scotland is as a destination for the sport. Not only is it a challenging environment, it is also rewarding in that it offers up spectacular scenery and warm hospitality. The Laser World Championships have been secured for Scotland through a partnership of UK Sport, EventScotland, North Ayrshire Council, the Scottish Sailing Institute and Scottish Enterprise. THE GATHERING HOLYROOD PARK, EDINBURGH JULY A unique weekend of celebration uniting over 47,000 Scots, those with Scottish ancestry and those with a love of Scotland at the Gathering, forming a centrepiece event for Homecoming. 63RD EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL EDINBURGH JUNE In its second year in June, the festival screened 111 new international films and saw a 3.5 per cent increase in box office ticket sales compared to last year. PAGE 02 EVENTSCOTLAND AUTUMN 2009 Links to all event websites can be found at EventScotland.org PAGE 03

3 04 INTERNATIONAL EVENTS PREVIEW 05 FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR BIGGEST EVER EDITION GLASGAY! 3 SEPTEMBER 8 NOVEMBER GLASGOW ABERDEEN READY FOR BIGGEST 2009 CURLING EVENT EUROPEAN CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 5 12 DECEMBER, ABERDEEN AWARDS COUNTDOWN BEGINS MOBO MUSIC AWARDS 30 SEPTEMBER, SECC, GLASGOW WITH ONLY A couple of weeks to go Glasgow is gearing up for the MOBOs. This is the first time that the prestigious event has been held outside London in its 13 year history and it will be staged at Glasgow s Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre on 30 September. This year, Tinchy Stryder, Dizzee Rascal, N-Dubz and Chipmunk are the most nominated at the awards, reflecting their domination of the UK s charts. EventScotland has invested 200,000 to secure the event for Scotland and is working in partnership with Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. GLASGOW READY FOR KNOCKOUT SNOOKER SNOOKER GRAND PRIX 3 11 OCTOBER, KELVIN HALL, GLASGOW THE GRAND PRIX is a World Snooker Tour ranking event, which over nine days will see some of the world s top players compete in this knockout style competition. The event returns to Glasgow with support from EventScotland and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. The national events agency is investing 20,000 in this year s event. GLASGAY! IS the only event of its kind in Scotland. The festival has grown from a small community celebration in 1993 to one of the largest LGBT arts festivals in Europe. The festival presents a programme of top acts and new artists from around the world with events spanning comedy, music, film, theatre, visual art, performance art, literature, club nights, education events and community arts projects. EventScotland is supporting this year s event with 25,000 and is working in partnership with Glasgow City Council, Culture & Sport Glasgow and the Scottish Arts Council. MOD CELEBRATES HOMECOMING THE ROYAL NATIONAL MOD 9 17 OCTOBER, OBAN THE ROYAL NATIONAL MOD is this year returning to Oban where it all began in The MOD is a competition-based festival that celebrates the Gaelic language and culture through music, dance, drama, arts and literature. Since it began it has grown to become the second biggest festival in Scotland. As well as the Gaels who attend regularly, the MOD also attracts visitors and competitors from throughout the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada and the USA. This is the 106th anniversary of the MOD and the fifteenth time it has been held in Oban. EventScotland is supporting this year s event with 30,000 and is working in partnership with Argyll & Bute Council, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Bord na Gaidhlig. WIND AND WAVES SET TO TEST THE BEST TIREE WAVE CLASSIC OCTOBER, TIREE RETURNING TO THE windiest part of Scotland, the Tiree Wave Classic is set to be bigger and better than ever before. The world s best windsurfers will compete against each other at the UK s premier windsurfing competition, the 2009 Tiree Wave Classic. The six-day event attracts dedicated worldwide TV coverage as competitors brave the full Atlantic furies of wind and waves off this Hebridean island. Tiree is the most westerly island of the Inner Hebrides and the event has helped boost tourism. The Isle enjoys a mild climate and claims the most sunshine hours in the British Isles, as well as the highest average wind speed. Exposed to powerful North Atlantic swell, extreme winds and breathtaking white sandy beaches, Tiree will offer the mobile event a vast range of conditions to determine a worthy winner. The Tiree Wave Classic was set up in 1986 and, due to its long-standing success, was upgraded to World Cup level in EventScotland is supporting this year s event with 30,000 and is working in partnership with Argyll & Bute Council and Highlands & Islands Enterprise. ULTIMATE RALLY STAGE SET FOR SCOTLAND RALLY OF SCOTLAND NOVEMBER, PERTH & KINROSS & STIRLING SCOTLAND IS COUNTING down the days until the start of the RACMSA Rally of Scotland, which will deliver three days of high-octane motorsport action. It will be the perfect mix of top-class rallying, and a showcase of some of the world s best drivers competing through some of the country s most stunning landscapes, historical locations and iconic motorsport stages. The rally will be the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), and the first time that Scotland in fact the UK has hosted a round of the prestigious competition. A signature event for Homecoming, the rally will be hosted by Perth and Stirling and supported by EventScotland. It is set to offer something for everyone, from hardcore rally fans to sport lovers who want their first taste of the fast-paced world of rallying. EventScotland has invested 200,000 to secure the event for Scotland and is working in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council and Stirling Council. INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CURLING returns to Scotland for the first time in over four years when Aberdeen hosts the 2009 European Championships. 52 teams from 30 European countries have confirmed for the event, making this the biggest international event of the year. The calibre of teams will be unmatched, with all of the qualified European nations sending their Olympic squads. This includes Scotland s teams of reigning world champion David Murdoch who will be defending his European crown and three-times junior world champion Eve Muirhead. This will be the last championships staged before the Vancouver Winter Olympics in February The Linx Ice Arena will host the A teams, with the B division at Curl Aberdeen. EventScotland has invested 75,000 in this event and is working in partnership with Aberdeen City Council and UK Sport. PAGE 04 EVENTSCOTLAND AUTUMN 2009 Links to all event websites can be found at EventScotland.org PAGE 05

4 06 07 EventScotland Investing in the festivals FESTIVALS EDINBURGH CREATED BY Edinburgh s 13 major festivals in December 2006, Festival s Edinburgh is spearheading the festivals strategic development. EventScotland contributed 30,000 for the ambitious national and international Edinburgh Festivals Marketing Strategy and Action Plan. This commitment was followed up this year with 50,000 towards implementing the first joint marketing drive. The total public sector funding package is 450,000. EventScotland will invest another 50,000 in 2010 and EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL EVENTSCOTLAND AGREED a three year deal with the festival in 2008, providing support to help establish the longest continually running film festival in world in its new June date. The funding package is worth 240,000 over the three years. This builds on support since 2005 which has helped to increase attendance by filmmaker guests and key industry figures as well as increased international marketing of the festival. EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL EVENTSCOTLAND JOINTLY funded a business plan in 2006 for the festival to help it develop its internal planning and strategic development. EDINBURGH S WINTER FESTIVALS EVENTSCOTLAND HAS been a consistent investor in the city s world renowned celebrations. Hogmanay 2008/2009 heralded in the year of Homecoming and received support for the mass rendition of Auld Lang Syne and its international broadcast, as well as funding for a new event The Dancin. Edinburgh s Festivals: Debating the future The first ever Edinburgh Festivals Open Breakfast Debate was held last month, providing an open forum to discuss how Edinburgh can enhance its reputation as the world's leading Festival City. ORGANISERS OF the event, the Festivals Forum - a high level commission set up to ensure Edinburgh's medium to long term position as top festival city - brought together festival directors, organisers, promoters, venue and accommodation providers, key public agencies, elected members, stakeholders and audiences to debate the issues and opportunities facing Edinburgh s festivals to identify joint strategies to address these now and into the future. The debate was chaired by John McCormick of the Festivals Forum and the panel included Councillor Steve Cardownie, Deputy Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council and Festivals and Events Champion, Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland, Norman Springford, CEO of Apex Hotels and Chair of the Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance, Kath Mainland, Chief Executive of the Fringe and Faith Liddell, Director of Festivals Edinburgh. The debate was billed as an opportunity for all interested parties to air their views on how the festivals can continue to play a world-beating role now and in the future. With the introductions out of the way, the panel was asked what thought had been given to connections between the festivals and the 2012 London Olympics and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in The response from the panel was that links had been made with these event organisers, but that whilst there were certainly opportunities around 2014, it would be harder to engage with Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland commented that the Olympics were likely to be London centric and that lateral thinking would be required to create realistic links between the festivals and the games. Offering a view from the audience William Burdett-Coutts of Assembly Theatre said that he was sceptical about marketing cultural events alongside sports events and that this had been Jonathan Mills, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival called for tourism agencies to work with a coherent strategy to ensure that that the benefits of the Olympics are cascaded to the rest of the UK tried in 1986 when the Commonwealth Games were staged in Edinburgh to little effect. Chris Richardson, former director of the Pleasance commented that 2012 was likely to draw the audience away as the Olympics would be the show that people wanted to watch. THE ISSUE of securing event suppliers for Edinburgh in 2012 was raised by Tomek Borkowy of Universal Arts, explaining that it may well be harder to secure the people need to help deliver events in that year. Speaking from experience of staging festivals in the midst of an Olympics, Jonathan Mills, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival commented that festival organisers shouldn t become fixated on them as they are one off events. He called for tourism agencies to work with a coherent strategy to ensure that the benefits of the Olympics are cascaded to the rest of the UK, but was pessimistic in his final analysis, claiming that it may already be too late. However, Faith Liddell described her aspiration to see Edinburgh, the leading cultural brand, sitting beside the Olympics. She added that this would be Paul Bush was clear that there was no room for complacency... the festivals are still the greatest show in the world, but that this would only continue if the organisers remain aware of the potential competitors and work to ensure the quality of the offering explored further during meetings with representatives of the London Organising Committee. The discussion moved on to the Thundering Hooves report, with the panel asked whether they thought that the threat from other festivals had been overblown in the findings. Faith Liddell pointed out that Festivals Edinburgh was created as a direct result of the recommendations in the report to ensure that the festivals take a strategic approach in their collective development and that this was key to ensuring continued success. PAUL BUSH was clear that there was no room for complacency, adding that the festivals are still the greatest show in the world, but that this would only continue if the organisers remain aware of the potential competitors, and work to ensure the quality of the offering. The issue of domestic media coverage of the festivals was discussed with Donalda MacKinnon, Head of Programme Services at the BBC defending the corporation s output on the festivals. She reiterated the need for the BBC to meet the needs of all licence fee payers. There was disagreement from the audience about why this resulted in such low levels of coverage given that large groups of licence fee payers would be interested in seeing more content from the festivals on television. The panel agreed that TV was vital in helping to secure new and future audiences with suggestions to improve the situation ranging from greater use of web-channels, like YouTube, to securing a channel on a satellite provider like Sky. PREPARING THE city ahead of the festivals was also discussed with city dressing identified as an area of weakness by some of the audience and the panel. Steve Cardownie explained that the city s budgets were under strain and that it would hard to see more money released for dressing. Although there was certainly a view from the audience that simple steps like dressing Waverley station would help to improve the quality of the welcome. The issue of funding for the festivals was present throughout the discussion. With the financial challenges faced by the city well documented, questions about future funding were very much to the fore. The question of the role of businesses in supporting the festivals was raised. Norman Springfield commented that the festivals were certainly everyone s business, but did not believe that a discretionary tax on business, as an alternative to the now abandoned idea of a bed tax, would be a move that would be embraced. However, he reiterated the need for the festivals and for the Festivals Forum to continue to engage with business as a key activity. At the conclusion of the debate there was a sense that useful contributions had been made and Susan Rice, Chair of the Festivals Forum wrapped the debate up by explaining that a report on the issues raised would be taken to the next full Festivals Forum meeting. HOMECOMING SCOTLAND 2009 EDINBURGH S FESTIVALS have embraced Scotland s year of celebration. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Science Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh Mela Festival and the city s Hogmanay organisers all ran Homecoming inspired programmes. EDINBURGH S FESTIVALS: A YEAR OF SUCCESS THE FESTIVALS bring thousands of visitors to Scotland's capital each year. Here we take a look at some of the top line success stories from The Edinburgh Festival Fringe broke its own box office records by selling more than 1.8 million tickets. Ticket sales for the Fringe were up by 21 per cent on last year and 9 per cent up on its previous best ever year, which was in The Book Festival saw a seven per cent increase in visitor numbers, with nearly 80 per cent of all sold an increase on previous years, particularly as more than 10,000 additional tickets were available this year. The Jazz Festival organisers confirmed that they were 28 per cent up on visitors numbers from last year. Edinburgh International Film Festival reported a three and a half per cent increase in box office sales compared to last year. PAGE 06 EVENTSCOTLAND AUTUMN 2009 Links to all event websites can be found at EventScotland.org PAGE 07

5 08 INTERNATIONAL EVENTS Alcohol sponsorship: Half empty or half full? 09 The issue of alcohol sponsorship of events and festivals continues to be a hot topic for discussion, underlined by the British Medical Association s recent call for a ban on alcohol advertising. The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) recently published research on the issue. Here Helen Day, Head of European Policy at ESA explains the trends. WITH THE DEBATE over the pros and cons of alcohol sponsorship rarely out of the industry and mainstream news, the ESA continues to take an active role in consulting with and representing the industry at local and European government level. It has recently reported the findings of its large-scale survey of rights holders to the EC, and the industry is now awaiting to hear in the autumn from the Director General for Health and Consumers, who has been taking evidence and consulting on all sides of the debate. The big question, of course, is whether the issues of alcohol sponsorship and binge drinking are inter-related, and whether the industry can survive calls for external regulation. Is it facing European-wide legislative control, as happened with tobacco marketing, or will responsible marketing, codes of practice and co-operation with local governments ensure its survival? Last year, the beer sector contributed some $565m to the total global sponsorship investment pot, ranking it the fourth highest sponsoring industry in terms of investment (source, TWSM). Indeed, the beer brand, Budweiser was ranked the 5th largest sponsor in sponsorship commitment, pouring a reported $131,250,000 investment into its sponsored activities. This positioned it above brands including BP, Emirates, Sony and O2. UNSURPRISINGLY, WITH sponsorship investments of these proportions, the alcohol industry has been keen to protect its position and investments. At a time when latest figures show increasing numbers of people classified as hazardous drinkers and the cost of alcohol related harm soaring, brands have taken significant voluntary steps to promote responsible drinking, and in some instances, to use their sponsorships as a vehicle for conveying messages of sensible drinking. For example, for any new football team sponsorship deals, alcohol branding on children s replica shirts is now not allowed by the drinks body, The Portman Group. Indeed, some brands were a step ahead of the timing of such prohibitions, with Carling, sponsor of both Celtic and Rangers offering children s replica shirts without branding before the restrictions were implemented. Alcohol brands have also been active in joining with the UK Government on social sponsorship campaigns. For example, the UK Dept of Transport s THINK! Campaign joined with Bacardi Martini, to support the brand s PR link, using Michael Schumacher as an ambassador, with a joint promotion of responsible drinking at Grand Prixs. SEMINAR ALERT: ALCOHOL & THE EVENTS INDUSTRY 3 NOVEMBER 2009, EDINBURGH restrictions on alcohol sponsorship, or more critically, a blanket ban would see many rights holders struggle to fill the void left by alcohol brands investments Elsewhere, Carlsberg was seen to use their UEFA football sponsorship to convey a responsible drinking message: Carlsberg supports fair play on and off the pitch. Please drink responsibly within stadia and on fan park cups. Tennents, the owners of the T in the Park music festival, give half of their signage free to the Drinkaware Trust, as part of their social responsibility programme. But will these voluntary steps be enough to stave off legislative intervention? The EC is looking very closely at the issue through its Alcohol and Health Forum, the objectives of which include the 1 Statistics on Alcohol, England, 2009, The Health and Social Care Information Centre creation of an action plan to protect children and young people, investigation into scientific evidence, and to consider self-regulation as a means to increase responsible commercial alcohol communication and sales. AS PART of ESA s commitment to the Forum, and in conjunction with Comperio Research, its widereaching survey of European rights-holders was conducted to gain insight into practice and attitudes towards alcohol sponsorship. ESA was keen to discover the extent to which rights holders hold concerns over alcohol sponsorship, together with the extent of any measures, voluntary or otherwise, in place to regulate such activity and protect these important revenue streams. The results clearly indicate that many rights holders have their own internal procedures to set the nature and extent of their partnerships with alcohol brands, and do not wish for additional legislative control. Many assess alcohol sponsorship on a case-by-case basis, with some banning it along the lines of unsuitability or the target age of their audience. The majority of respondents indicated that they would prefer to self-regulate their partnerships under guidelines by an industry body, such as the European Sponsorship Association, rather than an external body unrelated to the marketing sector or through legislation. Restrictions on alcohol sponsorship, or more critically, a blanket ban would see many rightsholders struggle to fill the void left by alcohol brands investments. Indeed, around half of the organisations surveyed, said they would be affected if legal restrictions were imposed upon alcohol sponsorships; significantly more for those with current alcohol sponsorship deals. As Jennifer Davies, Development Director of the Philharmonia Orchestra puts it: For UK arts organisations that are experiencing diminishing subsidy and a critical reliance on a limited pool of private donors, alcohol sponsorships can make the difference between a successful fund-raising campaign, or one that does not cover its costs. And private fund-raising is key to an arts organisations survival. The UK government has just asked the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) as part of its Code Review to take into account evidence in a recent report from Sheffield University on the Effects of Alcohol Pricing and Promotion. This ScHARR report included looking at the likely effect on introducing restrictions on advertising of alcohol and the effects on introducing health messages as part of promotions. So far, the CAP conclusion is that there is not persuasive evidence to support the proposal to further strengthen the alcohol advertising rules, but the need for more in-depth research to be carried out. SO, WHAT does the future hold for alcohol sponsorship? Can the drinks brands and the rightsholders who rely upon their support, steer a mutually responsible path to ensure its survival free of legislative control? Will the current approach of the EC, which is encouraging selfregulation to see if this helps address the problem, prevail, or will national governments decide to impose their own legislative restrictions? The industry, in particular the rights holders, as well as the sponsors themselves, need to be vigilant in ensuring that alcohol sponsorships are professionally managed. Not only must they guarantee that no promotions are made to under 18 year olds and that all advertising, giveaways, sales and hospitality are managed to the highest level of control, but they must also take positive steps to promote responsible drinking. Abiding by voluntary codes of practice and imposing their own self-regulations, and by managing events so that there are no alcohol-related incidents, is the best way that the industry can demonstrate their awareness of the issue and their responsibility towards it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Helen Day is Head of European Policy at the European Sponsorship Association, the voice of the sponsorship industry across Europe. As a membership association, it looks after the interests of its members who are drawn from all areas of the sponsorship industry. These include sponsors, consultants, rights holders, suppliers and professional advisors. EventScotland has organised a seminar exploring the issues around alcohol and the events industry. The topics to be discussed include alcohol sponsorship, managing the sale and consumption of alcohol at events and an update on recent changes to Scotland s licencing laws. If you are interested in attending please contact Leon Thompson, Corporate Affairs Manager at EventScotland. Leon.Thompson@EventScotland.org PAGE 08 EVENTSCOTLAND AUTUMN 2009 Links to all event websites can be found at EventScotland.org PAGE 09

6 10 NATIONAL EVENTS PROGRAMME Don t forget to send in your applications for National Events Programme funding. Round 13 closes on 2 October. Events taking place from 1 May 2010 are eligible to apply. Round 14 closes on 5 February 2010 and is open to events and festivals taking place from 1 September EventScotland.org for more details 11 National Events EventScotland s National Events Programme supports a wide range of festivals that take place across Scotland. The programme highlights the diversity and ingenuity of event organisers, and with EventScotland funding they are able to grow their audiences and expand the offering of the event. Here are two examples which demonstrate just how different supported events can be. Although, the organisers have one thing in common the passion to deliver a fantastic event. Round 12 preview THE SHINTY-HURLING INTERNATIONAL 19 SEPTEMBER MOSSFIELD PARK, OBAN Film festival demonstrates real pulling power PARK WORLD TOUR SPRINT ORIENTEERING SEPTEMBER 2010 PERTHSHIRE (SCONE PALACE AND PERTH) The Park World Tour was initiated by members of the International Orienteering Federation to develop participation in the sport. The weekend will consist of two races; a qualification race in the grounds of Scone Palace and then a final in the town centre, acting as a showcase for orienteering. The elite field featuring athletes from more than 15 countries will start first, with clubs, schools and youth groups getting the chance to run or walk the course afterwards. It has been 10 years since the last Park World Tour event came to Scotland and this event is part of the Perth 800 celebrations. A CADEMY AWARD-WINNER Tilda Swinton and film director Mark Cousins (both pictured) spent part of the summer hauling a mobile movie theatre across the Scottish Highlands. Swinton and fellow film fans transported the movie truck through towns and villages for a travelling film festival in August. Most of the time they drove, but volunteers also pulled the 37-tonne truck, the Screen Machine, for part of the journey on foot. Swinton said the foot slog a tribute to movies and the Scottish landscape was a mad idea that seemed appropriate. Pilgrimage: A Scottish Road Movie Film Festival was supported by EventScotland, with funding that paid for the hiring of the Screen Machine, helping to take the cinemas experience People want more difficult cinema than they're being given and the experience of cinema, not just the film to communities in the rural Highlands. The festival included international road movies, from Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels to Fridrik Thor Fridriksson's Cold Fever. War drama Culloden was shown in the village where the 1746 battle took place, and Akira Kurosawa's Japanese Macbeth adaptation Throne of Blood was screened in Cawdor, which has links to Shakespeare's play. The event followed a film festival Swinton helped organise last year in her hometown of Nairn which was also supported by EventScotland. The sixday journey, ended in Nairn where the films were screened again through the final weekend. The idea for a mobile film festival, came after Swinton and Cousins staged the Ballerina Ballroom film festival in an old bingo hall in Nairn last year. A major success, the Pilgrimage film festival was the follow-up. Most of the screenings were heavily over-subscribed. Many people living in remote areas were starved of good cinema, Swinton said, and were hungry for non-mainstream films. Satellite television and DVDs could not replace live cinema, she added. People want more difficult cinema than they're being given and the experience of cinema, not just the film. Linda Johnston, 45, from Dingwall in northern Scotland, was on the third day of a walking holiday with her two nephews and niece on the West Highland Way, which passes through Kinlochleven. She bought tickets for Sullivan's Travels. I just thought it was something unexpected, on our last night of the walk, to go to the pictures in Kinlochleven. Lena Karlsson, a film enthusiast who had flown over from Stockholm had heard about the Ballerina Ballroom festival in Nairn last year. It has been quite exciting. It is a holiday thing to do, and it really is great fun. Flower show is pick of the bunch L AST MONTH S AYR Flower Show looks set to break all attendance records. John Walker, Ayrshire Horticultural Society chairman, said: The 49th Ayr Flower Show was brilliant. We are still waiting for our visitor numbers to be verified but we would expect them to be up vastly from the 23,000 people who attended last year. The sunshine was only part of the reason for this as a lot of hard work went on behind the scenes to improve visitor numbers. We are grateful to EventScotland for their support and the extra media profile their involvement allowed us to generate to let even more people know we were here this weekend. They also enabled us to extend our breadth of entertainment and activities. Held at Rozelle Estate, Ayr, the festival is organised, run and delivered by a team of volunteers. In total 380 volunteers were involved in the event. The festival has a growing reputation with a trade judge commenting that the cut flowers and vegetable section was the best in Britain. The organisers are always looking to increase the offering of the festival. As well as it being a great family day out, this year s show featured a new Business Preview Evening, designed to give businesses an opportunity to think about opportunities which might exist to link their activities to the Flower Show. The preview also provided an opportunity for businesses to network with each other and staff from the Council s Enterprise Service, Business Club Scotland and Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry. South Ayrshire Council Provost Winnie Sloan said: Ayr Flower Show is a premier event, not just in the horticultural calendar, but also as a nationally recognised tourism event and its significance as a business opportunity cannot be underestimated. Next year, will be the show s 50th anniversary, and the organisers are already planning it. The theme will be golden and it will be a golden opportunity for the whole community to come together again. Ayr Flower Show is very special to the town of Ayr and South Ayrshire as a whole, said John Walker. EventScotland s support for the show helped to widen its appeal to non-specialist gardening visitors. The Shinty-Hurling International has developed over the last 20 years and the annual contest between the two sports continues to be eagerly awaited not only by the players and coaching staff involved but also by the many thousands of supporters of both sports. Composite rules are used to make the competition fair to both sports. Shinty and Hurling are two of the fastest and most physically demanding sports in the world. The international is a thrilling experience for both players and spectators. HIGHLAND HOMECOMING OCTOBER HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS This October a fantastic programme of cultural events will be on offer in the Highlands as part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations. Events include arts, music, theatre, spectacular projections, archaeology and informal talks and seminars. All events have a Homecoming theme, and there will be special exhibitions telling the stories of the people who emigrated from the highlands over the centuries. LIGHTNIGHT PERTH NOVEMBER, 2010 PERTH Perth 800 is a year long celebration in 2010 which marks the 800th anniversary of the granting of the Royal Burgh Charter to Perth by King William the Lion in Lightnight Perth is a free cultural festival which forms a major part of the celebrations. Using Perth as a venue, Perthshire Past, Present and Future will be portrayed through a light trail from Kirk to Castle. The skies will be illuminated, and there will also be dance, music, art installations, exhibitions, storytelling, dramatised walks, talks and dance-a-thons on offer. Links to all event websites can be found on EventScotland.orgoo PAGE 10 EVENTSCOTLAND AUTUMN 2009 EventScotland.org PAGE 11

7 12 OTHER NEWS & EVENTS PREVIEW Time to celebrate event industry success This autumn Scotland will celebrate the very best of its event industry through two prestigious awards. The VisitScotland Scottish Thistle Awards and the Sunday Mail and sportscotland Sports Awards 2009 both have best event categories supported by EventScotland and both offer the opportunity to reflect on some of the events that help make Scotland the perfect stage. SCOTTISH THISTLE AWARDS THE SUNDAY MAIL SPORTS AWARDS 2009 THE VISITSCOTLAND SCOTTISH Thistle Awards celebrate innovation and business excellence in Scottish Tourism. The objectives for the Scottish Thistle Awards are to reward excellence in Scotland's tourism industry, promote quality service and products and to encourage professionalism, innovation and creative thinking within the industry. EventScotland sponsors the Events & Festivals category, and the finalists are: Events & Festivals (International) Air New Zealand Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival, Edinburgh Royal London Watches Grand Prix, Glasgow Senior Open Championship, Troon Events & Festivals (Regional) Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Beauly Kirkintilloch Canal Festival StAnza: Scotland's International Poetry Festival, St Andrews Staged annually at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, this prestigious ceremony brings together organisations from across the tourism industry in Scotland. The award ceremony takes place on Friday 23 October. For more information please visit ScottishThistleAwards.co.uk THE SUNDAY MAIL Sports Awards celebrate outstanding achievements across the sporting spectrum in Again this year EventScotland is sponsoring the Best Sporting Event Category. As a category sponsor EventScotland is helping to promote some of the many great events that are staged in this country. From The Open Championship at Turnberry to the Mountain Bike World Cup at Fort William, from the Heineken Cup Final at Murrayfield, to Shinty s Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final in Oban, there are so many reasons to celebrate sporting events in Scotland. To nominate a sporting event go to SundayMailSportsAwards.co.uk before 16 October. HUMANITARIAN AWARD RETURNS FOR 2010 EVENTSCOTLAND IS ONCE AGAIN supporting The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award. The award recognises individuals and groups for their tireless efforts to improve and enrich the lives of others. Previous nominees include UNICEF ambassador Ewan McGregor and Bollywood actress and political activist Shabana Azmi. Scottish novelist Andrew O Hagan joined the judging panel of the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award in He said: The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award is an incredible honour and one which recognises those who ask for no recognition but deserve it in abundance is Scotland s year of Homecoming and a celebration of the birth of Robert Burns and so this year s award was especially poignant. I am confident that the calibre of nominations for 2010 will be just as impressive as in previous years and we look forward to recognising their efforts. This year the award was won by Guy Willoughby, founder and CEO of HALO Trust, based in Dumfries, which specialises in the removal of harmful and unexploded debris of war. The winner receives 1759 guineas, a sum which signifies the year of the Bard's birth and the coinage then in circulation, as well as a specially commissioned hand-made award. This year s shortlist will be announced in November. RobertBurnsAward.com INTERNATIONAL EVENTS FOR THE DIARY Glasgay! 2009 MOBO Awards Snooker Grand Prix The Royal National MOD Tiree Wave Classic Rally of Scotland European Curling Championships 3 Sept 8 Nov 30 Sept 3-11 Oct 9 17 Oct Oct Nov 5 12 Dec SPEA FIM Trial World Championship 25 27June 2010 Laser Radial Women s World Championships 7 14 July 2010 Laser Radial Men s & Youth World Campionships July 2010 World Duathlon Championships 3 5 Sept 2010 Archery World Cup Final Sept 2010 Further events will be confirmed shortly so please keep checking EventScotland.org Seeking EventScotland support for your event? Visit our website for more information and our event funding guidelines. If your event meets the criteria identified, please direct your enquiry to the relevant EventScotland Managers; International Events Programme: Stuart Turner National Events Programme: Karen Weir or Jennifer Downs All media enquiries should be directed to Sharon McKinley, Media Manager KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST EVENT NEWS Subscribe to the EventScotland RSS news feed and keep up with the latest events news. Simply log on to EventScotland.org, click on the orange RSS icon and follow the on-screen instructions. Printed on recycled paper EVENTSCOTLAND NEWS ISSUE 21 AUTUMN 2009 EventScotland 5th Floor, Ocean Point One 94 Ocean Drive Edinburgh EH6 6JH information@eventscotland.org or Tel: +44 (0) EventScotland 2009 design Hillside Agency hillsideagency.com published by EventScotland Photography: Scottish Viewpoint, Homecoming Scotland 2009, VisitScotland, Scotlandistheplace.com, others courtesy of relevant events.