Agenda item

(A report by Phil Perry, Head of Place and Space)

The Head of Place and Space presented an update by the Events Working Group on the 2018/19 programme of events and a summary of the events programme planned for the 2019/20 financial year, with budgeted financial breakdown attached, for the Committee to note and approve.

Following the increase in the number and breadth of the events programme, Boston was developing into a town more noted for its events, with a wide mix of family-oriented and more commercially-focused events.  It appeared that local people were starting to stay within town to find activities and more visitors were also starting to travel from further afield to Boston for BTAC events, as previously reported.

The Events Team would continue to establish new relationships with businesses to create further sponsorship opportunities to support the costs of running events where feasible.

The current capacity within the Events Team was sufficient to deliver the 2019/20 programme.  However, any ambition to expand the events programme further was likely to require additional resource in order to ensure it is delivered safely and further reporting to BTAC.

The Chairman of the Events Working Group asked that the four members of the public serving on the Group be formally recognised and thanked.  Some events would not have taken place without them; they had carried out the work in their own time, saving officer time.  It was good to see families attending free events in the park and even free events would have help finances through the increase in car parking income.  Some events made a profit, but the free events were enjoyed and generated goodwill.  The Committee needed to keep up the momentum.  Individual events could be considered in terms of a cost and benefits analysis to decide whether to hold them again.  The Council had received 17 compliments relating to events and no complaints.  The Working Group had done a fantastic job and the Committee was urged to continue to fund events. 

Other Members echoed these views.  The Committee’s decision to reinvigorate the town had worked; BTAC Members and members of the public had worked hard, people had attended events and others had returned to the town.  It was suggested the Committee should now try to take steps to hold major events to attract people from other countries.

Members expressed appreciation of the work of the members of the Working Group, particularly the volunteers involved who had given their own time.  They had brought people together and there had been a marked improvement in events.  It was important to continue holding free events for those already paying for them through the BTAC precept and there was general agreement that there should be some much larger events.

The Chairman of the Events Working Group confirmed that the situation where three different prices had been advertised for one of the events would not reoccur; pricing had been re-examined and had been simplified. 

[Councillor Alison Austin arrived at 6.55 pm]

Another view was expressed that it would be beneficial for the town if there were more ideas in terms of encouraging integration of the communities from the many different nationalities in Boston, perhaps relating to food and/or music, and that these should be well publicised. 

RESOLVED that:

1.    The outcomes of the 2018/19 events programme be noted and approved.

2.    The planned programme of events for the 2019/20 financial year be approved.