Decision details

To consider the recommendations within the ‘Events Review’ report attached at Appendix A, and the SCRAIP response attached as Appendix B, to the report of the Economic and Commercial Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(a)  That the recommendations made by the Economic and Commercial Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee (as set out in Appendix A to the report) and the Scrutiny Committee Response Action Implementation Plan (SCRAIP) (as set out in Appendix B to the report) be noted;

(b)  That the Director of Regeneration and Communities, together with  the Head of Commercial and Economic Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community & Leisure Services and the Cabinet Member for Economic and Commercial Development, review the recommendations that the Committee made and incorporate them where appropriate into the Strategy for Festivals and Events  that will be produced early in the new municipal year; and

(c)  That the Commercial Strategy for Festivals and Events be brought to a future Cabinet Meeting for consideration.

(a)  At the meeting of the 22 October 2013, the Economic and Commercial Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee decided to undertake a review of events in the borough.  The scoping document for this review was attached at Appendix A to the report of the Economic & Commercial Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee.  The scope of the review was expanded to include an assessment of how the Council supports those who run event sin the borough.  This was because during the meeting of 28 January 2014 Dawn Hudd, the Head of Commercial and Economic Development, informed the Committee of a toolkit to measure the impact of events that the Council would be introducing.  It was explained to the Committee that this toolkit would not be able to measure the impact of past events.  Therefore the Committee decided to increase the scope of the review.

(b)  The Committee interviewed a wide variety of witnesses to gather evidence for this review, including:

- Dawn Hudd, Head of Commercial & Economic Development at
  Maidstone Borough Council
- Jennifer Hunt, Local Economy Project Officer at Maidstone
  Borough Council
- Alan Reading, Chairman of Maidstone Tourism Association
- Ken Scott, Chairman of Maidstone Area Arts Partnership
- Emily Hirons, General Manager and Natalie Kirk, Events
  Manager of Kent Life
- Natalie Price, General Manager of the Hazlitt Arts Centre

(c)  The recommendations set out in the report of the Economic & Commercial Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee to Cabinet are made as a result of the evidence heard from the above witnesses.

Cabinet could have decided not to respond to the recommendations contained within the “Events Review” report, but was mindful that the recommendations are based on evidence from a range of sources and support the Council’s objectives with regard to Maidstone being a decent place to live.