“Learn all about best practice in generating visits and spend in heritage based tourism destinations. You will network with both local businesses and guests from other UK heritage towns and cities.”   A number of speakers will be attending this event on the 5th February 2008 -  to find out more visit Scottish Enterprise’s website.

Farming UK reports that a conference on corn mazes is being held on Tuesday, December 4th at Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre, Thornhaugh, Peterborough.

To find out more please click here.

The Association of National Park Authorities Conference 2007: National Parks: The Next Ten Years runs from Wednesday 19 September – Friday 21 September at Palace Hotel in Buxtox.  To find out more click here.

The impact of the continuing bad weather in the UK - the Northern Echo reports that the Country Land and Business Association Game Fair which is held at Harewood House, near Harrogate and is marketed as the world’s biggest countryside event has been cancelled. It was estimated that the event would have attracted 140,000 visitors.

Estimated visitors 157,000 +

• Approximately 600 exhibitors, including 20 show gardens
• 8,000 bottles of champagne consumed
• 20,000 glasses of Pimms consumed
• 35,000 sandwiches sold

Game Plan Active is an interesting concept which has been developed by two Brighton entrepreneurs and offers businesses in the South East bespoke team building days involving fun, strategy and team work.   There is a focus on using activity as a means of improving teamwork and staff morale.

Mendip District Council has passed a proposal to increase the capacity of the Glastonbury Festival by 27,500 users, taking the capacity up to 177,000 people. We understand that 400,000 people have registered for tickets.

The Scottish Executive has provided an extra £1.4 million of funding for 110 events (sporting and cultural) across Scotland over the last four years.  Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson commented “The extra funding which these events receive often serves as a catalyst for them to expand, both in terms of scale and ambition.”  For more information please visit the Scottish Executive’s website.

Events can help to raise the profile of an area and extend the tourist season.

 22nd November, The Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

“A major conference is to give tourism businesses from across Moray, Aberdeen City and Shire the chance to hear first-hand how the north east hopes to achieve an ambition for 50% tourism growth.”  For more information please click here.

Events are an important part of the tourism product on offer to visitors and members of the local community alike.  For example, the create an additional reason to visit, increase dwell time and additional visitor spend etc.

We would be interested to learn about events which you think add to the tourism profile of an area.  Email me at news@pslplan.co.uk

The largest hot-air balloon festival in Europe has been held over this past weekend at Ashton Court, England.  Approximately 130 balloons took part in the festival, which is free for visitors to attend (apart from a car parking charge).  Over the four days it was estimated that 500,000 people attended the event.   The first fiesta was held in 1979.
Large-scale events which run over a number of days can bring considerable economic benefits to an area with overnight accommodation spend and secondary spend on food and retail.  Importantly, a successful event can help to establish the ‘identity’ of a destination through the regional, national and international media.