HERITAGE, CULTURE AND LEISURE				Tuesday 29 November 2016
Is the final decision on the recommendations in this report to be made at this meeting?					Yes
Review of MCL Events and Festivals 2016
Final Decision-Maker		Heritage, Culture and Leisure Committee
Lead Head of Service		Head of Commercial and Economic Development
Lead Officer and Report Author		MCL Marketing & Sales Manager, Laura Dickson
Classification		Public
Wards affected		All
This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:
1.   To continue to support Proms in the Park but look for alternative funding and introduce ticketing to reduce the cost to Maidstone Borough Council (MBC). 2.   To develop a new multi-cultural event and food festival and outsource it to an external provider with a reducing subsidy over 3 years so it becomes self-financing. 3.   To approve the amendments to the Festivals and Events Policy relating to the noise levels and frequency of events.
This report relates to the following corporate priorities:
·         Keeping Maidstone Borough an attractive place for all – by providing a wide range of quality cultural events and supporting the ambition for Maidstone to be known for events. ·         Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough –  the economic impact of events supports jobs and businesses in the borough
Timetable
Meeting			Date
Heritage Culture & Leisure Committee			29 November 2016

Review of MCL Events and Festivals 2016

 

1.        PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

1.1     MBC support two events each year both financially and with officer time, Proms in the Park and the Maidstone Mela. Given the budgetary issues facing MBC over the next few years, funding for these events is at risk and will be considered in saving proposals.

 

1.2     The report includes the Mela consultation results and the survey of attendees from Proms in the Park. It sets out suggestions as to how Proms and the Mela can be delivered and supported in the future.

 

1.3     There were also two large music festivals in Mote Park run by external event companies. This part of the report is for information only and provides an overview of these events in 2016.

 

1.4      The report also recommends an amendment to the Council’s adopted Festivals and Event Policy regarding the noise levels and frequency of events.

 

2.        INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

 

2.1     Festivals and Events Policy

 

The Festivals & Events Policy sets out the priorities, aims and objectives for the delivery of the Council’s Festivals and Events programme. The vision is:

 

“To develop a festivals and events programme that creates a lively and vibrant place to live, work and visit, whilst ensuring the sustainable use of the Borough’s venues and;

That by 2017 Maidstone borough is recognised as a destination that hosts and develops high quality sustainable festivals and events; and cultivates community creativity for maximum economic benefit and social enjoyment.”

 

Festivals and events directly support tourism and the economic impact of events benefits the borough as outlined in the Council’s Economic Development Strategy. The Tourism Destination Management Plan (DMP) identifies events as one of key growth areas that will drive more visitors to the borough.

 

Well organised festivals and events are recognised for their ability to produce benefits for the local economy, bring life to an area, create interest in the area and reflect the place.  Due to the broad dynamics of events and festivals, which cover sports, leisure, special interest, culture, heritage and the arts, they can each have a positive impact and make a significant contribution to the status and image of the Borough.

 

Maidstone Borough has an established history and tradition of hosting Events and Festivals. There is a comprehensive and diverse range of activities; from music events, to community events that have direct links to the well-being and cohesion of the local community.

 

Overview of 2016 Events

 

2.2     Proms in the Park

 

2.2    

2.2.1   Proms is run and funded by MBC. Parkwood Leisure, who manage the Hazlitt Theatre, provide the event management as part of their contract.  MBC provide financial support of £14,000 per year as well as staff resource in planning and marketing the event. There is no additional marketing budget therefore in 2016 advertising was sold in the event programme to finance the promotional activities.

 

2.2.2   The event took place on the Saturday 28^th May 2016, the bank holiday weekend, with Maidstone Wind Symphony providing the headline performance. Approximately 1,800-2,000 people attended the event. Following a decision to cut fireworks from the programme for wildlife reasons, the programme started earlier in the afternoon. It was no longer necessary to finish after dark and the programme was therefore planned to allow the audience to leave safely whilst there was still light. This has the advantage of reducing the risk and necessity for additional lighting and safety barriers.

 

2.2.3   In addition to Maidstone Wind Symphony, a selection of performances and roaming entertainment was provided, with This Art of Mine providing activities and magician Adam Hoffman performing throughout the day.

 

2.2.4   There were concerns about whether or not the fireworks would deter attendance. However it is a free event, so there is never any guarantee as how many people will attend. The weather can also play a major factor in attendance. This year’s event had a good sized crowd that comfortably fitted the space in Whatman Park.

 

2.2.5   Mid Kent College provided student volunteers who helped with the meet and greet, giving out programmes. They are interested in getting more involved in the future, providing a food concession although subject to student availability over the bank holiday.

 

2.2.6   In additional to the performances on stage, This Art of Mine supplied a children’s craft station and there was a stilt walker and magician to entertain the crowd. There was one catering concession, but the majority people brought their own picnic.

 

2.2.7   The full list of main-stage performers included:

Maidstone Wind Symphony: Regarded as one of the United Kingdom’s finest wind orchestras, Maidstone Wind Symphony was founded by Brendon Le Page in 1998, and has had musical directors including Jeremy Cooper and current director Jonathan Crowhurst.

Hazlitt Youth Theatre: The Hazlitt Youth Theatre started in September 1997 as a weekly workshop for 11-18 year olds. Since then, HYT has expanded dramatically and now consists of nearly 200 members, aged 6-18 years.

Maidstone Singers: The Maidstone Singers, founded in 1998, is a group of 20 accomplished singers who perform a cappella choral works dating from the 16^th century.

Energize: Energize is a community choir based in Parkwood, Maidstone.

Invicta Jazz: Invicta Jazz Orchestra is a 30+ strong big jazz band, with Music Director Scott Jenkins a founding member.

Rochester Choral Society Chamber Choir: The Rochester Choral Society was formed in 1873 and has performed regularly in Rochester Cathedral since 1922.

2.2.8   During the event a survey of the audience as carried out to gauge the views   on a number of issues. This was not a full consultation but a simple survey of attendees. There were two main questions. Firstly to ask their view regarding fireworks at the event and secondly their view on ticketing prices to attend the event. Over 60 questionnaires were completed.  The results of the questionnaire are in Appendix I.

 

2.2.9    The key results were:

 

·         28% were not Maidstone residents.

·         32% attended with children

·         48% preferred the event to stay in May and have no fireworks, 32% didn’t mind when it was, 20% would move it in September with fireworks.

·         54% would be prepared to pay £5 or less for a ticket, 7% would pay up to £10, 16% would not pay. Another 11% would pay if there were fireworks.

·         13% had a friend or family member taking part.

 

2.2.10                 Proms in the Park adds a great cultural event to Maidstone’s programme   of events. However the number of attendees is modest in comparison to the cost to run the event is calculated at between £7-£10 per person. The survey also suggests that a third of the audience were not Maidstone residents, although it is recognised the economic benefit visitors bring to the town.

 

2.3     Maidstone Mela

 

2.3.1  Maidstone Mela was set up in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, with the intention of creating an event that promoted positive perceptions of different cultures, and provided a celebratory, inclusive community and family focused event for the Maidstone district. Until this year it has been held in Mote Park and has been free to attend with MBC supporting the event both financially and with staffing resources.

 

2.3.2  The event is budgeted at £35,500 to run. A grant from Arts Council and income from stall holders reduces the budgeted contribution from MBC to £15,550 not including staff costs. However in 2015 the net cost to MBC was £18,674, even with a reduction to the size of event.

 

2.3.3  The Mela has evolved over the years into a general community event with more community and charity groups than food and drink sellers.  The programming on the stage is diverse and does showcase different cultural genres, but the main draw is usually the headline act such as Ruby Turner in 2014 or a tribute act such as Bob Marley.

 

2.3.4  It was recognised that this event required a complete review given the drift away from original objectives, current budget challenges and the lack of internal resources at MBC to deliver this event.  Delivering the 2015 event was extremely challenging and was pushed over budget with increased costs of staging, infrastructure, stewarding, reduced income from stalls and the need to employ an external Event Manager.

 

2.3.5  This year a presence was maintained for the Mela whilst a full consultation was undertaken with stakeholders on its future.  Following a meeting with Cohesion Plus, our delivery partners for the event, in February to discuss the proposal, the idea of a ‘Street Mela’ in Maidstone town centre was suggested. This was seen to have the advantage of taking a taste of a multi-cultural event to a wider and different audience in the town centre and engaging with the wider community in a consultation on its future.

The BME forum brought volunteers who helped with the consultation process on the day. 

 

2.3.6  The Street Mela took place on Sunday 11^th September. There were two performance areas, Jubilee Square and Fremlin Walk for music and dance performances. It featured exciting performances including:

Four by Four Bhangra Dancers

Reel Eire Irish Dancers

Phase 5 Steel Band

Wolf’s Head Morris

Ronak Mela Brass Band

Maidstone Nepalese Community Group

 

2.3.7  In addition there were street mime artists, stilt walkers, human statues, and an interactive arts workshop for young people. A street trading license was granted for a small number of food stalls in Jubilee Square. The council trailer was used as the base for the consultation. As a taster event it ran smoothly and was in general well received by the public, many of whom had never experienced the Mela.

 

2.3.8  Should an event be held in the town in future some stage and seating would make the viewing of the acts more comfortable for the audience.  The event did attract a number of people who came to specifically complain that that it ‘had been moved’ from Mote Park. 140 questionnaires were completed on the day and a further 785 online. The analysis is discussed in the consultation section of this report and a summary of consultation is in Appendix II.

 

2.3.9 During the Street Mela it became apparent that name ‘Mela’ was either not understood or associated with one ethnic group rather than recognised as a multi-cultural festival.

 

 

2.4    Large Events in MBC Venues

          Maidstone Culture and Leisure had existing income targets for festivals and events. The hire of Mote Park for external events such as the Ramblin Man Fair and the Big Day Out make a significant contribution to these income targets which were put in place to support the budget for the parks and leisure service.

 

2.4.1  The Big Day Out

          The Big Day Out is not an MBC event but is a large festival held on MBC land where we have a hire contract in place. Mote Park was booked for this new family focused music festival. The event took place on the 25^th & 26^th June with a build period from Monday 19^th June.

 

2.4.2  The festival was ticketed with early bird tickets available at a discounted price and all ticket process set at a low level from £15 -£25 for adults. Initially planned as a one day event, demand was so high that the first day sold out quickly and a second day was added. 

 

2.4.3  The entertainment took place on a main outdoor stage and a second outdoor stage. A small amount of fairground rides were provided. In addition to the music performers there were a number of well-known children’s acts such as Peppa Pig. The main stage acts included Diversity, Union J, Chas and Dave, The Hoosiers and the Lightning Seeds.

 

2.4.4  The event was well run and any issues arising were dealt with quickly. Parking was bookable in advance but on the first day many cars without booking turned up causing tailbacks on the surrounding roads. However the organiser reacted quickly and opened the parking to all without taking payment to solve the problem. There was no issue on the second day. There were queues at the entrance gates to the festival arena on the first day taking up to 45 minutes to get through the security. However this was resolved on the second day with an increase in the staff manning on the gates.

 

2.4.5  There were 7 noise complaints. The noise levels were not breached at any point and in fact were generally at a much lower level than the maximum permitted due to the family nature of the event.

 

2.4.6  The weather was particularly bad with heavy rain storms on the first day. This caused a problem for some of the children’s character acts who were unable to make an appearance on safety grounds. We have suggested a covered area in future for this type of performer.

 

2.4.7  As with any large event the full Event Management Plan went to the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) was signed off prior to the event.  There was a full SAG debrief of the event and there were no concerns over the event, just some suggestions  based on the issues mentioned to improve the event.

 

2.5     Ramblin Man Fair

 

2.5.1  This is another is another large event where Mote Park was booked by an external event promoter and where a hire contract was put in place. This year the festival ran on 23^rd and 24^th July.  Although this is the second year the festival has taken place, it this was the first year for this promoter to run Ramblin Man since taking over the brand from the company that went into receivership last year.

 

2.5.2  Concentrating on a core offering of classic and Southern rock music it showcased both legends and new talent. As a celebration of classic rock, progressive rock, country and blues music, the live music featured the likes of Whitesnake, Black Stone Cherry, Family, Procol Harum, Thin Lizzy, Airbourne, Europe, Uriah Heep, Hawkwind, Hayseed Dixie, Warren Haynes, Walter Trout and more.

 

2.5.3  Glamping was offered on site and live vehicle camping were able to book pitches. There was additional camping on the Mote Cricket Club and the Rugby Club fields. All the hotels in the borough and beyond were fully booked.  Day parking was available at the grammar school, keeping the parking at Mote Park free for park users.

 

2.5.4  The festival organiser has provided information that we have used to assess the economic impact of the event. There were 16,765 admissions, 6,280 people attended both days. 75 % of Festival goers were from outside Kent and there were tickets sold to 23 countries around the world. The organisers used over 150 local contractors and spent over 280 bed nights in the borough. All the information gathered has enabled us to use the economic impact of events toolkit. This is an industry standard model that allows us estimate of the worth of an event to the destination.  The initial estimate showed the event was worth over £1.5m. However now that we have been able to add more detailed information provided by the festival organiser, the figure now shows an economic impact of over £2.5m  (Appendix III).

 

2.2.11 

2.5.5  There were 45 Stage 1 complaints and 4 have progressed to Stage 2. The majority of complaints were about music noise and 1 was about traffic management.  The noise complaints all came from due east of the park. There was no significant noise audible from behind the leisure centre, Mote Road or the roads to the west of the arena. The organisers halted stage performances for 30 minutes on both days to accommodate wedding ceremonies at Turkey Mill.

 

2.5.6  SAG agreed the event plan before the event. The maximum permitted noise levels were largely maintained throughout the weekend but there were five instances on Saturday where the monitored noise went over the levels set. These breaches were minor breaches with the maximum breach being 2 decibels. The SAG debrief discussed these issues and the organisers have assured SAG that they will put measure in place to eliminate this happening next year. This will include reviewing the orientation of the main stage and the appointment of specialist event noise consultants. The maximum noise levels permitted will remain the same as per the Festival and Events Policy, but some additional information will be provided as explained in 2.6.  The noise limit will be included in the licence and hire contract in 2017. There were no other concerns raised at thedebrief from Licensing, MBC Food Safety, Health and Safety, Building Control, Environmental Services, NHS or Kent Police.

 

 

2.6     Noise Levels and the Number of Days for Noisy Events

 

2.6.1  There has been some confusion over the number of ‘noisy’ events permitted in Mote Park. The Noise Council Environmental Noise Control at Concerts provides guidance which refers to concerts only.  However there are many other events, not classified as concerts that can cause disturbance and have an impact on the surrounding area.

  

2.6.2  In order to differentiate type of events, particularly those that are noisier but not necessarily concerts, an amendment to the approved Festival and Events Policy is proposed. The proposal is to introduce three categories of event:

 

·         Category A events - amplified noise profile will extend beyond the boundary of the park and will be clearly audible at properties within and/or surrounding the parks and/ or significant:

o   increase in the number of visitors to the parks,

o   change to the normal use and operational matters in the parks,

o   impact on the surrounding area.   

 

Examples- Music Concert, VIP Visit, high profile event  

 

·         Category B events - where the number of participants requires changes to normal use of the park and the surrounding infrastructure.  Much lower noise profile but utilising amplified noise to communicate to audiences or with live / recorded music as part of the entertainment. 

 

Example- Large scale charity run, cultural festival.  

 

·         Category C events - events with little or no impact on the surrounding area and no amplified noise. 

 

Example- Nature talks and smaller community events. 

 

2.6.3 Introducing these categories will help balance the impact of the different types of events and provide clarification to stakeholders of the amount of event days that can be expected and their likely impact on the surrounding community as we set out to deliver the Festival and Events Policy vision. 

 

2.6.4  Due to the anticipated impact of each type of event, each category has a gradated limit to ensure those events with the greatest impact are restricted.   Where appropriate a music noise level will be applied which is measured 1m from the façade of any noise sensitive property or locations identified by the Environmental Enforcement team through consultation with event organisers as appropriate (All Category A or Category B events which are reviewed by the Safety Advisory Group). 

 

2.6.5  Although setting the noise limits in terms of dB(A) is convenient it does not always take into account the intrusiveness of low frequency noise. Low Frequency noise, by its nature is harder to control and can travel further, having a broader impact on the surrounding community and further afield. Even if the dB(A) limits are being met it can seem to residents that the noise is loud because the genres of music rely heavily on the low frequencies for the audience to enjoy the experience of the event.  Their absence makes events untenable.  Therefore it may be necessary to set additional criterion in terms of low frequency noise or apply additional conditions on a case by case basis.

 

2.6.6  The proposed limits per year are as follows: 

 

          Mote Park

 

 

Whatman Park

 

 

2.6.7  It should be noted that The Noise Council guidance suggests the maximum number of days for concerts with a 65dB LAEQ (15min) limit is 3 days per year.  A venue hosting more than 3 days of concerts is recommended to have a limit of 15dB LAEQ (15min) above the normal background levels.  For Mote Park the day time limit is likely to be approximately 60dB which could reduce by up to 20dB in the evening.  These limits would significantly impact on Mote Park’s attractiveness to event organisers as a concert venue and the social/economic benefits of hosting concerts/festivals in the grounds of the park.

 

2.6.8  The proposed noise limits are such that the impact on communities will be manageable whilst retaining the commercial viability of the park as a category A venue.  As previously explained the levels for a Category A concert/festival are such that the music will be clearly audible at properties surrounding the park and significantly louder than the normal background levels.  To ensure the impact is restricted, Category A events will be required to finish by 23:00 (22:30 on Sundays) and they will be distributed over the festival season (May-September) to ensure events are not concentrated. 

 

2.6.9 The noise limits proposed in the 2.6.7, are greater than those recommended in the guidance and members will need to consider whether the impact on residents is significant enough to reduce the availability of Mote Park as a Category A venue and compromise the delivery of the policy vision.

 

          Current Wording:

Large music events involving high powered amplification can cause disturbance to those living in the vicinity. The Noise Council Code of Practice on Noise Control at Concerts provides guidance on the number and level of noise for urban venues such as parks.

 

The number of amplified music events with a Music Noise Level (MNL) of up to and not exceeding 65dB(A) in Mote Park will be limited to 5 events per year.  These events will be limited to a maximum of 3 consecutive days or a total of 8 days in the year. 

 

The number of amplified music events with a Music Noise Level (MNL) of up to and not exceeding 65dB(A) in Whatman Park will be limited to 3 events per year and a maximum of 2 consecutive days and no more than 5 days in the year.  If the frequency and timing of these events will cause additional disturbance, then the maximum Music Noise Level will be set lower and must be agreed to by the event organiser.

 

New wording:

Large music events involving high powered amplification can cause disturbance to those living in the vicinity.  These events we will categorise to ensure the impact of these events is minimised and spread out over the Festival and Event season.  The category of events will be as follows:

 

·         Category A events - amplified noise profile will extend beyond the boundary of the park and will be clearly audible at properties within and/or surrounding the parks and/ or significant:

o   increase in the number of visitors to the parks,

o   change to the normal use and operational matters in the parks,

o   impact on the surrounding area.   

 

Examples- Music Concert, VIP Visit, high profile event  

 

·         Category B events - where the number of participants requires changes to normal use of the park and the surrounding infrastructure.  Much lower noise profile but utilising amplified noise to communicate to audiences or with live / recorded music as part of the entertainment. 

 

Example- Large scale charity run, cultural festival.  

 

·         Category C events - events with little or no impact on the surrounding area and no amplified noise. 

 

Example- Nature talks and smaller community events. 

 

          In order to manage the impact of events, each park will be assigned limits based on the category types event and, where appropriate, the noise limits will also be set follows: 

 

          Mote Park

 

 

Whatman Park

 

 

 

 

3.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

       Proms in the Park

3.1     Continue with current arrangements and support in full financially.

3.2     No longer fund or run Proms in the Park

3.3     Support Proms in the Park but look for alternative methods of funding to reduce the subsidy over the next three years to move towards a cost neutral position. This could include making it a ticketed event, applying for Arts Council funding, and sponsorship.

 

Maidstone Mela

3.4     No longer fund or support Maidstone Mela or a multi-cultural festival.

3.5     Reduce the size of the Mela and outsource the event management to fit the current budget continuing to work with partners to deliver the event. This will be dependent on continued Arts Council funding and income through stalls and require MBC funding in full.

3.6     Develop an new 2 -3 day multi-cultural event and food festival, outsourcing the event and reducing the subsidy over 3 years until it becomes firstly self- funding and then potentially profitable.

 

Festival and Events Policy

3.7     The Festival and Events policy remain the same.

3.8     Amend the Festival and Events policy to provide clarity over noise levels and number of event days.

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Proms in the Park

4.1     3.3 above Support Proms but look for alternative funding models. Proms  makes a valuable contribution to the cultural calendar as well as providing an outlet for our local orchestras and choirs.

Introducing paid tickets for adults based on the ticket price that the survey found to be most palatable to attendees would not make the event self-financing but could reduce the subsidy. Other funding would need to be found in addition to make it cost neutral. The survey also showed that is preferable to keep Proms at the end of May where it is already established. According to attendees, fireworks was not the most important part of the event.

 

Multi-Cultural Festival

4.2    3.6 Develop a new 2–3 day multi-cultural event and food festival that is longer and more sustainable. Outsourcing this would bring in expertise with the aim of reducing the subsidy over 3 years through the income raised by the food festival stalls. Discussion on the viability of this option with an external food festival company have indicated that this would be a good development of this event and feasible.

 

From the consultation it is clear that the most important elements for a future multi-cultural event are food, entertainment, children’s activities and local products and goods to buy. Using the existing budget will help to establish the event so that it can be self-financing within 3 years. There is no longer the staff resource within MBC to provide event management so any event would have to be external managed or completely outsourced.

We would seek bidders to run the event on a reverse tender basis with a reducing budget of £15k year one, £10k year two, and £5k year three, after which the event would be self-sustaining, and may even return an income to MBC thereafter.

 

Festival and Events Policy

 

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1  The Multi-Cultural Events and Festival Survey was conducted during the ‘Street Mela’ and as an online survey between 9 September and 23 October 2016. 140 surveys were completed at the Street Mela and a further 785 online.

 

5.2  Overall, 72% of respondents had heard of the Maidstone Mela and 28% have not. The greatest difference between groupings relates to ethnicity where 82% of respondents from BME group have previously heard of the Mela compared to 71% of respondents from white groups – an 11% difference. 

 

5.3  53% of respondent said they had never visited the Mela. The highest proportion being in the 18 to 24 years old group where 76% had never visited. The acorn profile for those who have visited the Mela shows that 32% have a household income less than £20k and that there are a higher proportion of households where someone is unemployed compared to Maidstone overall.

 

5.4 For those people who had visited before:

·         75% rated The Mela as good or very good, 7% rated it as bad or very bad

·         71% rated the variety of stalls as good or very good, 12% rated it as bad or very bad

·         81% rated the music and entertainment as good or very good, only 6% rated it bad or very bad

·         69% rated the food and drink offer as good or very good, 11% bad or very bad

·         55% rated the activities for children as good or very good, 10% rated them as bad or very bad

·         83% would recommend the event to family or friends

·         69% thought it was important that Maidstone has a multi-cultural event to celebrate the diversity of its communities, 13% said it unimportant or very unimportant

·         75% agreed that cultural festivals help people gain knowledge and appreciation of other cultures

·         The top things that people wanted to see at a multi-cultural festival were:

o   Food stalls 26%

o   Musical Acts and Entertainment 24%

o   Children’s activities 12%

o   Local goods for sale/local products 11%

·         51% thought a multi-cultural event should be held in the summer and 18% in the autumn.

·         53% said it should be held in a park with 38% of these specifically stating Mote Park. 19% said in the town centre, 12% across more than one location.  16% inferred we should not hold such an event at all.  Other comments stated places with good transport, links, and parking.

·         74% want to be a visitor only and not involved in the delivery of the event.  10% said they would volunteer. The remainder would  perform or have a stall. 

 

 

6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     Communicate with all relevant partners and stakeholders on agreed options and work to implement them.

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

 

Issue	Implications	Sign-off
Impact on Corporate Priorities	Festivals and Events are important securing a successful economy for the borough through events that bring in visitors and are enjoyed by residents.	Head of Commercial and Economic Development
Risk Management	By not supporting Proms and a multi-cultural event as recommended in the report MBC carries the risk of reputational damage and damage to the visitor economy.	Head of Commercial and Economic Development
Financial	The options in the report have financial implications for the council.	[Section 151 Officer & Finance Team]
Staffing	All options have staffing implications that will be dealt with at individual event level.	Head of Commercial and Economic Development
Legal	There will be legal input required for any outsourced event contracts as well as the normal contracts relating to the hiring.	Team Leader (Contracts and Commissioning)
Equality Impact Needs Assessment	No impact	[Policy & Information Manager]
Environmental/Sustainable Development	N/A
Community Safety	N/A
Human Rights Act	N/A
Procurement	The procurement of any event management contracts will be in accordance with the council’s constitution	[Head of Service & Section 151 Officer]
Asset Management	N/A

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix I: Proms in the Park Survey

·         Appendix II: Multi- Cultural Events Consultation Summary

·         Appendix III: Ramblin Man Economic Impact report

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

Revised Festival and Events Policy v2 February 2016

Maidstone Destination Management Plan 2015

Economic Development Strategy

Code of Practice on  Environmental Noise Control at Concerts