Event tourism: A strategic methodology for emergency management

Threat and risk have both economic and environmental implications for tourism event settings. The threat of natural or man-made activity disrupting the transport, communications or economic infrastructure of any civilisation is a high priority in any cultural context. The delivery of analytical processes and assessment and management protocols related to threat and risk depends on a range of activities encompassed by intelligence and counterintelligence networks. These networks are supported by rigorous training and educational frameworks related to the staging of events, although one may argue that they are in part preceded by measures designed to aid disaster recovery and business continuity in the event of an emergency. The same aspects and parameters apply in event tourism, but are specifically focused on the context of the event as a tourism destination. Adapting an existing model, this paper combines existing best practice and supportive strategies with recent research to create a methodology based upon the three stages of an event: before during and after. In this manner it creates a strategic model which identifies issues and allows flexibility to support those in the tourism event industry. Keywords: business continuity, event security, disaster management, communication strategy, risk, intelligence, counterintelligence, continuum strategiesEvent tourism: A strategic methodology for emergency management Chris Kemp Received (in revised form): 24th February, 2009 Chris Kemp studied human movement, sport, recreation management and contemporary dance at St. John’s PE College in York. He was awarded his MA in arts administration by the City University in London, and his PhD by the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland. Chris has worked as Artistic Director of Rococo Dance Company, and has managed a number of venues. Over a ten-year period he promoted over 3,000 events and acts including Blur, Iron Maiden, The Royal Shakespeare Company and London Contemporary Dance Company. Chris joined Buckinghamshire New University in 1993, and is now Executive Dean of the Faculty of Enterprise & Innovation. He takes an active role in researching concerts and sporting events with a view to making them safer. ABSTRACT Threat and risk have both economic and environmental implications for tourism event settings. The threat of natural or man-made activity disrupting the transport, communications or economic infrastructure of any civilisation is a high priority in any cultural context. The delivery of analytical processes and assessment and management protocols related to threat and risk depends on a range of activities encompassed by intelligence and counterintelligence networks. These networks are supported by rigorous training and educational frameworks related to the staging of events, although one may argue that they are in part preceded by measures designed to aid disaster recovery and business continuity in the event of an emergency. The same aspects and parameters apply in event tourism, but are specifically focused on the context of the event as a tourism destination. Adapting an existing model, this paper combines existing best practice and supportive strategies with recent research to create a methodology based upon the three stages of an event: before during and after. In this manner it creates a strategic model which identifies issues and allows flexibility to support those in the tourism event industry.