Inclusion can be narrowly or broadly defined. In formulating relevant policy, therefore, the meaning of ‘inclusion’ and what it will encompass is important to clarify as it represents a promise to the community. It should, therefore, be tied to the capacity of the municipality to realize stated goals and objectives and specify where this will require assistance from other public or not-for-profit agencies to achieve.
Moreover, an event designed to attract visitors to the community may warrant assistance (financial or in-kind) from other organizations and agencies that also stand to benefit (e.g., surrounding municipalities, regional agencies). The following criteria are suggested for determining an event’s designation as visitor attractive. It: of people into the community, and • Is expected to create a positive economic development impact for the community, and • Is expected to promote the area regionally, provincially, nationally, or internationally. • Must be open to the public and is expected to bring a substantial number It is recommended that the Town preface its Manual with a separate ‘Policy’ chapter, which could also be published online. This section would include the existing text from the Manual that relates to an overarching policy on the Town’s purpose, role, etc. in supporting event provision, and definitions of terms. The policy could be further developed to make the distinction between community and visitor-attractive events and any differences in the Town’s involvement in each. It should also note the requirement to perform a post-event evaluation, with the manual providing the details regarding the evaluation process. The purpose of this exercise would be to determine the costs of delivering the event in relation to benefits to the community, along with feedback on the delivery of the
Event Support
• To be developed in conjunction with reviewing the existing Special Event Manual & Policy Events - including community-specific and visitor-oriented ones - are becoming a larger component of municipal parks and recreation services. They require careful planning and coordination to implement, and all incur costs to deliver. At the same time, all events can be potential revenue-generators. To this end, there is an increasing emphasis on hosting visitor- attractive events in most communities. The Town’s Special Event Manual & Policy combines both policy and procedures and provides event organizers with detailed direction on the steps required to host an event. An increasing emphasis on larger events with larger geographic draw supports separating community-serving events from those designed to attract visitors to the Town. This can help ensure the municipality’s contributions are in line with its capacity and the anticipated ‘return on investment.’
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Town of Tillsonburg | DRAFT Parks and Recreation Master Plan
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