Agenda item

9.1

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Economy, Skills and Culture – City Futures, which outlined a more strategic approach to Major Events through building upon strengths, addressing weaknesses and challenges and looking at how to support events with greater investment and different funding models.

9.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee:-

1.    Agrees the principles and foundations of the Major Events Plan as outlined in this report

2.    Agree that work should begin to formally explore the funding mechanisms and Council seed corn funding models to facilitate the Major Events Plan

3.    Agree that work continues to refine the 10-year events pipleline to a ‘ready to bid/commission position’

4.    Agree that we begin meaningful engagement with city stakeholders and experts in this field to gain expertise, advice and feedback on the plan and approach

9.3

Reasons for Decision

9.3.1

We are making the recommendations in this report because:

-       Events are a powerful economic and community tool to create vibrancy, visitors, pride of place and community engagement

-       We need a Major Events Plan to capitalise on the city’s ambitions for major events in Sheffield. This needs some agreed principles and foundations and a shared understanding of what the plan will achieve for Sheffield

-       We need agreement to formally explore the funding mechanisms and business models required to properly resource the Major Events Plan and refine our 10-year events pipeline to be ‘bid/commissioning-ready’

-       We need agreement to begin consultation and engagement with key experts in the field, partners and stakeholders to develop and write the Major Events Plan

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

9.4.1

Alternative Option 1: We maintain the status quo and continue looking at events as one offs. This leads to ‘late’ decision making and funding requests at short notice, does not always allow for social impact programmes to be develop and does not always allow for strategic partnerships to be developed. It leads to the lack of a longer term strategy and risks Sheffield being left behind as other cities advance in this competitive marketplace.

9.4.2

Alternative Option 2: We could choose not to invest in events. It would be unlikely that the funding gap would be met by other stakeholders without the Council taking a lead with national organisations and mobilising city infrastructure. The number and calibre of events hosted in the city would reduce. We would lose Sheffield’s place as a competitive key host city for events. We would likely not achieve the same level of growth from events as outlined in our key strategies. Businesses would suffer from reduced footfall.

35.1

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Economy, Skills and Culture – City Futures, which outlined a more strategic approach to Major Events through building upon strengths, addressing weaknesses and challenges and looking at how to support events with greater investment and different funding models.

35.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee:-

1.    Agrees the principles and foundations of the Major Events Plan as outlined in this report

2.    Agree that work should begin to formally explore the funding mechanisms and Council seed corn funding models to facilitate the Major Events Plan

3.    Agree that work continues to refine the 10-year events pipleline to a ‘ready to bid/commission position’

4.    Agree that we begin meaningful engagement with city stakeholders and experts in this field to gain expertise, advice and feedback on the plan and approach

35.3

Reasons for Decision

35.3.1

We are making the recommendations in this report because:

-       Events are a powerful economic and community tool to create vibrancy, visitors, pride of place and community engagement

-       We need a Major Events Plan to capitalise on the city’s ambitions for major events in Sheffield. This needs some agreed principles and foundations and a shared understanding of what the plan will achieve for Sheffield

-       We need agreement to formally explore the funding mechanisms and business models required to properly resource the Major Events Plan and refine our 10-year events pipeline to be ‘bid/commissioning-ready’

-       We need agreement to begin consultation and engagement with key experts in the field, partners and stakeholders to develop and write the Major Events Plan

35.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

35.4.1

Alternative Option 1: We maintain the status quo and continue looking at events as one offs. This leads to ‘late’ decision making and funding requests at short notice, does not always allow for social impact programmes to be develop and does not always allow for strategic partnerships to be developed. It leads to the lack of a longer term strategy and risks Sheffield being left behind as other cities advance in this competitive marketplace.

35.4.2

Alternative Option 2: We could choose not to invest in events. It would be unlikely that the funding gap would be met by other stakeholders without the Council taking a lead with national organisations and mobilising city infrastructure. The number and calibre of events hosted in the city would reduce. We would lose Sheffield’s place as a competitive key host city for events. We would likely not achieve the same level of growth from events as outlined in our key strategies. Businesses would suffer from reduced footfall.