The-effects-of-festivals-and-special-events-on-cit

Front.Archit.Civ.Eng.China2007,1(2):255–259DOI10.1007/s11709-007-0032-0RESEARCHARTICLELIUYuan,CHENChongTheeffectsoffestivalsandspecialeventsoncityimagedesign©HigherEducationPressandSpringer-Verlag2007conceivedinthebookMarketingPlaces:AttractingInvestment,Industry,andTourismtoCities,States,andNationsthattheworld’seconomicdevelopmenthasenlargedthecompetitionamongplaces.Whetheraplacetalentshowsitselfandsucceedsinthecompetitionornot,thekeyistomarkettheplace’sadvantagesthroughvariousstrategicandeffectivemethods[2].“Theplaceseller”(suchaslocalecon-omydevelopmentbureauandtravelingpromotionbureauandsoon)mustunderstandtherequisitionof“theplacebuyer”(suchascommercialcompanies,multinationalcorporationheadquarters,vacationers,internationalconferencedelegates,aswellasinhabitantsoremployees)thoroughly,andthentakesuitablestepsandpoliciestosellits“product”andwin“thebuyer”.Undertheguidanceofcitymarketing,someoldindustrialcitiesinEuropeandAmerica,whichfaceddepres-sionaftertheindustrialages,graduallygotridoftheirdiffi-cultpositionandwonthecompetition.TheBritishcityofGlasgow’srevivalissuchanexample.2Statusandfunctionofcityimageintheviewofcitymarketing2.1AnopportunityandtoolforcitymarketingEventsareanessentialpartofcitylife.Generalizedeventsincludeextremelywidespreadcontents,suchasplannedfes-tivalsandaccidentalactivities,politicaleventsandculturalactivities.Eventshavebothaworldwidebasisandnationallevels,suchastheOlympicGamesandtheWorldExpo,andalocalityandcitylevels,suchastheHarbinIceFestival.Eventsarebecomingmoreandmoreprominentintheurbandevelopmentandtotheresident,andevent-relatedresearchhasdevelopedquicklyandhasbecomeapopulartopic[3].Intheviewofcitymarketing,events,whichareaconcernandisexpectedbythepublic,andhavethepivotalinfluencetotheurbandevelopmentbeforehand,arecalledfestivalsandspecialevents(FSEs).Festivalsandspecialeventsincludeculturalactivities,sports,conferencesandexhibitions,reli-giousactivities,andthecomprehensionofeachkindofactiv-ity.Thefestivalshavenon-dailycharacteristics,presentingaAbstractCitymarketingprovidesagoodvehicletostrengthenacityincompetition.Ontheanalysisoftheimportantrolesofeventsandcityimageinthecontextofcitymarketing,thispapersuggeststhatholdingfestivalsorspecialeventsisaneffectiveapproachtoenhancecitymarketing.Thepositiveimpactsoffestivalsandspecialevents,suchastheidentificationofcityimage,thepromotionofthetransmissionofcityimage,andthereversalofthenegativeimageofthecity,arediscussed.Thenegativeimpactsoffestivalsandspecialeventsarealsotalkedabout.TheuniqueimageofthecitycouldbeidentifiedbytheCityMindIdentity,theCityVisualIdentityandtheCityBehaviorIdentityconcernedwithfestivalsandspecialevents.Keywordsevents,festivalsandspecialevents,citymarketing,cityimage,cityidentitysystem1IntroductionAsearlyasthecolonialera,Europe’srulershavealreadyused“placemarketing”toattractresidentstoworkandliveinanewcolony.Duetothegrowingcompetitionbetweencitiesandincreasingglobalization,theideaofplacemarketingorcitymarketingisageneralconcern.AshworthandVoogdproposedtodefineaplaceoracityasaplaceproduct,andthenproposedtodevelopandpromoteittoappealandmeettheneedsofidentifiedcustomers,suchastourists,investorsandnewimmigrants,and“maximizetheefficientsocialandeconomicfunctionoftheareaconcerned,inaccordancewithwhatevergoalshavebeenestablished”[1].Kotleretal.TranslatedfromArchitectureJournal,2006,(7):5–7[译自:建筑学报]LIUYuan()Architecture&CivilEngineering,SouthChinaUniversityofTechnology,Guangzhou510640,ChinaE-mail:[e-mail]anPlanning&DesignSurveyResearchInstitute,Guangzhou510060,China256relativecentralismfunctiontothecityintimeandspace.Therefore,theFSEsconductedwillbreakthecity’sregularandcontinuousdevelopmentrhythm,andoftenisthecatalystofurbanconstructionanddevelopment.Ithasamajorimpactonthehostcity’simage.Getzetal.analyzedthefunctionsoftheFSEstoestablishplacebrand,includingthatFSEsacceleratetourismandurbandevelopment,strengthenplaceconsciousness,moldcityimage,promoteplaceprestige,constitutethetravelingproductsystemasanorganictravelingattraction,anddrawthelocalinfrastructureconstructionasthecatalysttopromotethecitystatus[4].Inshort,theFSEs,withregardtocitymarketing,arethefirstmeanstosell“thecityproduct”.NotonlydoFSEsattracttravelersasthedirectattraction,theyalsoimpelthecorrelationofindustrytransactionandinvestment(forexample,theDalianInternationalClothingFestival).Next,FSEsalsoindirectlypromotecitymarketing.Thecityfacilityandenvironmentpromotionprovide“thecityproduct”forcitymarketing;whilethecity’sfameenhance-mentattractsmoreinvestorsandconsumersfor“thecityproduct”.Inbrief,theFSEsaffectcitymarketingatdifferentlevels,andit’simportanttodisplaythepositiveeffectofFSEstopromotecitymarketing.IneachkindoftheFSEs,thehallmarkeventsandthemega-eventsofworldimportanceandhighprofile,suchastheOlympicGames,theWorldExpo,andtheWorldCupandsoon,areespeciallygoodopportunitiesforthehostcitytomarketitself.LookingfromtheseveraldecadesoftheOlympicGames,thehostcities,fromMunich,Montreal,Moscow,Seoul,BarcelonatoSydney,allusedthe