Recommendation[i]

Cabinet

Member[ii]

Response[iii]

Timetable[iv]

Lead Officer[v]

a)   That where MBC provide funding for an event, it should take on the role of Event Organiser (and the legalities set out above involved in this) and delegates the event management to a responsible person/s.

Cllr Greer

Not agreed - The Council does not have the resources to do this, nor would it be appropriate to organise others events.  It is crucial that Festivals and Events organisers understand and take on the responsibility of organising and delivering an event and demonstrate their capability to do so.

Where MBC delivers its own events or leads on a joint event this will apply.

N/A

Dawn Hudd

b)   That the event documents should be reviewed in conjunction with the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) with the aim of creating an Events Pack for anyone wishing to hold an event which includes a checklist.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - This is already underway with a Festivals and Events Toolkit being developed to accompany the Festivals and Events Strategy, which will be available on the Council’s website.

December 2014

Dawn Hudd

c)   That the Committee supports the compiling of an Events Calendar by the Cabinet member for Economic & Commercial Development.

Cllr Greer

Not agreed - Festivals and Events organisers are and will continue to be encouraged to provide information for inclusion on the Visit Maidstone website ‘What’s On’ section at www.visitmaidstone.co.uk 

Public events which are to take place on Council owned property will be automatically included.

N/A

Dawn Hudd

d)   That once in place, the Economic Impact Assessment online tool should be used for all regular events that happen in the borough that receive funding or support from the Council.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - This is included as a condition in the Festivals and Events Strategy for events of an appropriate size. It will be a condition that any organisation receiving funding and support from the Council for a Festival or Event will use the Economic Impact Assessment tool to evaluate the impact of the event where appropriate.

Immediate.

Laura Case

e)   That once in place, the Economic Impact Assessment tool should be publicised to event promoters and those who have held events in the borough over the past three years.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - all Festival and Events organisers that contact the Council will be made aware of the EIA and encouraged to use it.

Links to the EIA on-line tool will be provided through the Council website.

January 2015

Laura Case

f)    That a debriefing should happen with the relevant Head of Service following each Council funded or supported event to capture feedback and understand what lessons can be learnt. 

Cllr Greer

Agreed - this already happens with council funded or supported events and will continue.

Immediate

Laura Case

g)   That the Council works with Maidstone Area Arts Partnership, and other partners, to create an Economic Impact Assessment tool for smaller events; including a matrix to determine which tool should be used for each event.

Cllr Greer

Agreed -this will be  developed alongside the Festivals and Events Toolkit.

January 2015

Laura Case

h)   That there should be a single point of contact at the Council for Event Organisers.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - this will be identified through the Festivals and Events Strategy and development of Maidstone Culture & Leisure Service (MCL).  Work is currently underway to process pay the existing customer journey with a view to simplification and single point of entry.

January 2015

Dawn Hudd

i)     That an Event forum is set up to facilitate better sharing on information between the relevant event organisations/partners.

Cllr Greer

Not agreed - there are currently no resources to enable this to happen except in an on-line forum if external parties feel this would be useful.

N/A

Dawn Hudd

j)    That consideration is given to resurrecting the database of leisure and cultural based organisations, including the possibility of sharing the maintenance and administration of this database with another agency.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - a Customer Relationship Database is currently being developed for use across the Council. 

This will enable a database of leisure and cultural based organisations to be maintained across the council and potentially to share with partners.

September 2014

Dawn Hudd

k)   That the possibility of sending out an Events Pamphlet with the Annual Council Tax bill be investigated for 2015 and beyond. 

Cllr Greer

Not agreed - there is no funding  for this kind of activity and the Council is moving away from producing printed material wherever possible as it goes out of date very quickly

Festivals and Events will be promoted via websites, social media, Downs Mail, Posters and any other means available to us.

N/A

Dawn Hudd

l)     That investigations be carried out into the feasibility of extending sharing arrangements with items from Maidstone attractions and events to promote and signpost to other attractions. For example, by having a piece from Kent Life displayed at the Hazlitt.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - Partners/attractions will be encouraged to do this if they think it appropriate as part of a future marketing strategy.

January 2015

Laura Dickson

m) That consideration is given to introducing an early warning system to inform residents about events taking place in their area.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - As part of the permission to hold a Festival or Event on Council property the organiser will be required to inform local residents who may be adversely impacted by the event due to noise, additional traffic and other factors.

January 2014

Dawn Hudd

n)   That a mechanism for signposting people in the Town Centre to events happening elsewhere in the borough be introduced, as well as exploring opportunities for cross marketing of events.

Cllr Greer

Agreed - Work is being undertaken to develop a brand for Maidstone Borough as a destination for Festivals and Events.  This will include workshops with stakeholders and partners.

Festivals and Events organisers will be encouraged to cross promote each other’s events.

January 2015

Laura Dickson

o)   That the council should compile a list of all the event equipment it holds and publish this list accordingly, and encourage other event organisers/providers to do the same.  

Cllr Greer

Not agreed - the council does not hold a stock of events equipment other than a few gazebos and hi-viz jackets.  Specialist and appropriate equipment relating to the individual event is hired in as appropriate.

N/A

Dawn Hudd

p)   That arrangements for hiring event equipment, when it is not in use, to partners and other event providers in the borough be investigated.

Cllr Greer

Not agreed - as the Council has very little events equipment there is no scope for hiring out to third parties.

N/A

Dawn Hudd