Conference & Meetings World Issue 130 Issue 130 | Page 27

Legacy

has been held in Vancouver , British Columbia ( BC ), multiple times since around 2011 . SIGGRAPH has not only created a significant economic impact on room blocks and direct spending but also inspired a whole generation of young talents in BC to get into the industry .” The consequence is that now Vancouver is considered a hub for computer graphics and animation . It ’ s an interesting view . People come to events for many different reasons . If the event can continue to provide reasons for people to be at “ the place to be ”, that is also event legacy in play . Does Cheng ’ s view make sense ? I think it does . You only need to think of your favourite trade shows and conferences and ask yourself why you go to them year after year . It ’ s easy to attribute this to the event legacy that has been created in attendees .
Lovatt shares an example of attendee event legacy in action . “ I think of Cannes as an event destination rather than a property industry destination . However , for people attending MIPIM , the trade show for the property industry , you might associate the destination with your industry , but people outside your industry probably wouldn ’ t .” Whatever your view on event legacy , it ’ s important that you clearly explain it . Doing so will make it much easier for people to see your perspective . Knowing how you have defined it will help your discussions , whether you are using an event ’ s legacy to pitch to investors or gain government funding . It is also important to be mindful of what an event ’ s legacy means in terms of time . Are you defining the legacy period as one year , three years , or something much longer ? Event legacy is a powerful factor from
“ Taking the time to review the potential event legacy will , at the very least , provide more stories that the industry can use to empower future events .”
which all event professionals can benefit . It may not be easy , events are fast-moving , and the next one is always due imminently . However , taking the time to review the potential event legacy will , at the very least , provide more stories that the industry can use to empower future events . If we want to develop the potential of event legacy , now is the time to share our discoveries . Mega-events will only take us part of the way toward making effective arguments for the value of the events industry . Let ’ s look at everyday events and discover their value as well . Remember though , it ’ s not all about the money , but making a positive difference to the lives of people attending as well as adjacent to our events . Event legacy can be incredibly valuable to the communities in which we live and work now and in the future . n
ISSUE 130 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 27