PAPER C
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, TOURISM AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT
COMMITTEE - 2 SEPTEMBER 2004
THE 2004 ISLE OF WIGHT MUSIC FESTIVAL
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR TOURISM AND LEISURE
To monitor the success of the IW Music Festival held in June 2004
ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE
To note the success of the event and the benefits it generated for the
Island.
To make proposals to the Portfolio holder in respect of any
developments that the select committee would wish to see in the
management/organisation of the Music Festival to ensure that it continues to be
of a benefit to the island.
BACKGROUND
The 2004 Isle of Wight Music Festival was the third event that the
Council has taken the lead in co-ordinating.
This year it ran from the 4th – 19th June and had,
at its heart, the Nokia Isle of Wight Festival event at Seaclose Park. Whilst much of the focus of attention was on
this event, a diverse music programme
including rock, classical, jazz, dance, global, country, youth, folk, blues and
easy listening, were also on offer throughout the two weeks.
The first of these “recent” music festivals was held in 2002 as part of
the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations.
In November 2001 the Executive agreed on its intended aims and
objectives for the music festival(s) and these are reproduced at Annex 1 to
this report.
It is difficult to be precise about the final scale of the overall
event. As only a co-ordinator rather
than provider, of many activities, the support of the many venues, promoters,
artists and other organisations who arranged or participated in events as part
of the festival is required in order to provide the Council with detailed
information on its delivery.
Nevertheless, a picture as to the extent of “activity” around the event
has been produced using information drawn from those involved. This data is summarised in Annex 2 herewith.
A specific Youth Music Festival, Wight Noize, was again organised as
part of the music festival in 2004. In
partnership with Platform One, this event was aimed at supporting bands and
artists resident on the Island. It
included a series of live showcase gigs, master classes, workshops, DJ
sessions, a Schools’ tour and recording and advice sessions. Also, 34 bands auditioned in front of
industry professionals for the slot to play at the Nokia Festival.
The total audience for the music festival is estimated to have been
133,000, an increase of 75,500 people (135%) on 2003. All of this increase however was due to an increase of 77,000
(275%) in the audience at the Nokia Isle of Wight Festival event, to a total of
105,000.
The underlying picture to these figures is of a reduction in the
audiences to all but the Nokia festival of 1500, yet an increased number of
events to 247. The audience per event
being 142 in 2003 and 113 in 2004 (20% reduction).
It is thought that the change from 2 to 3 days for the Nokia Festival
in 2004 is partly responsible for the reduction in attendances at the other events
in the two week programme. The national
and international quality of the artists at the Nokia Festival being a second
significant factor.
If the success of the Nokia Festival can be sustained throughout the
remainder of the contract term, then it may be necessary to review whether the
two week festival should continue around it.
Essentially the Nokia Festival would seem to be capable of meeting all
of the Council’s expressed aims and objectives on its own and without the
support of the two week programme.
It is estimated that the overall music festival attracted in the order
of £940,000 of press coverage for the Island (as against £180,000 in
2003). This figure may in actual fact
be a little understated as only a press media tracking service was employed
this year. The marked increase in
interest and coverage of the event is further demonstrated by the number
of “hits” on the event’s website;
isleofwightfestival.com. This rose by
522% to 420,597 for the period January – June 2004 as compared with the same
period to 2003.
The economic value of an event or an activity such as this is difficult
to estimate but using formula suggested by Tourism South East and supported by
the South East Cultural Consortium and South East England Development Agency,
the value of the 2004 event to the Island’s economy is thought to be around
£7.9m, a 250% increase on 2003. (The
calculation of this figure is shown in Annex 3).
RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Within the Corporate Plan objective of Improving health, housing and
the quality of life for all, the Council is specifically committed to, further
developing our programme of events, leisure and cultural opportunities to meet
the needs of both visitors and residents. This theme is continued
under the objective to encourage job creation and economic prosperity with an
aim to support the development of the Island as one of the UK’s leading
tourist destinations and a specific commitment to work with the tourism industry to promote the Island as an all-year
holiday destination. The
Council also makes a specific commitment to maintain and develop youth and
community activities for people aged 9 – 21 years within its Corporate
objective of raising education standards and promoting lifelong learning.
The delivery of the music festival underpins five of the seven themes
of the Community Strategy:-
The aim of the Island’s Cultural Strategy which was recently endorsed
by the Executive is to enhance the quality of life of IW residents through the
provision of cultural experiences and opportunities and the development of
cultural values; and to use the cultural activities and values to assist in
underpinning the Island’s tourism industry.
One of the strategy’s themes is to develop all-year-round tourism and
within that theme, there is an objective to capitalise on the Island’s
success and expertise in event presentation and management.
This report has been prepared using information from venues and
promoters associated with the 2004 Isle of Wight Music Festival and also
comments from staff, Councillors and the general public who attended or were
affected by it.
FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS
The gross cost of the two week festival was £67,000 which was funded by
a generated income of £47,000 and a Council revenue contribution of £20,000
(against a budget of £25,000).
Some £40,000 of the income generated towards the costs of staging the
two week festival came from commission made by the Council on ticket sales for
the Nokia Festival.
The above figures exclude all of the income generated through the
contract base payment and percentage of ticket sales, in the agreement between
the Council and the Solo Agency Ltd for the staging of the Nokia Isle of Wight
Festival. When it agreed to this ten
year arrangement in May 2003, the Executive resolved that the income generated
in this way should be used to offset the investment made by the Council in the
2002 two week event. In 2003 a total of
£24,000 was generated through this agreement and in 2004 £124,000 was
earned.
It is important however to bring to Members’ attention that it has been
necessary to fund some of the Council’s contractual obligations to the Solo
Agency from within this earned income.
In 2003 a sum of £6,000 was necessary to fund some marketing costs and in
2004 a sum of £8,500 was necessary to undertake some reinstatement works to the
grounds.
Nevertheless, the Council has still been able to recover, over the last
two years, £133,500 or 35% of its investment in the 2002 event.
The recommendation raises no legal implications.
APPENDICES ATTACHED
1.
The Council’s
aims and objectives for the Isle of Wight Music Festival.
2.
The scale of
the 2004 Isle of Wight Music Festival.
3.
Calculation of
the economic value of the 2004 Music Festival to the Island.
BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT
None
Contact Point : John Metcalfe, F 3825 e-mail [email protected]
JOHN
FLEMING
Portfolio
Holder for Tourism and Leisure
Annex 1
THE COUNCIL’S AIMS AND
OBJECTIVES FOR THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL
Aims
·
Develop and build the largest music festival in the UK
·
Put the Isle of Wight on the map as a world-class
music venue
·
Promote tourism, economic, leisure and cultural
development
·
Support community regeneration and social inclusion
·
Encouraging job creation and economic prosperity
Objectives
·
Encompass the widest range of music in as many venues as possible
during the two-week festival programme and package, brand and promote as one
complete attraction, whilst maintaining quality.
·
Bring maximum exposure to the festival via a high profile Rock Festival
with world famous musicians and bands.
·
Keep the festival in the spotlight with a range of specialist interest
themed performances throughout the two-week period.
·
Stage a Youth Music festival and educational programme.
·
Encourage Island-wide participation and use the festival to showcase
local talent.
·
Achieve Island-wide participation in the programme from a maximum
number of venues.
·
Raise the profile of music in particular and, more generally, the arts
and promote better access to a wide range of high quality arts work through the
varied programme.
·
Build a sense of community achievement through active involvement in
creating and developing the UK’s largest music festival.
Annex 2
THE SCALE OF THE 2004 ISLE OF WIGHT MUSIC FESTIVAL
Ø
247 events across the Island
took place within the two-week festival (an increase of 39 events from 2003.
Ø
There were 397 performances ranging from solo
artists to a band with over 20 members (an increase overall of 66 performances
from 2003).
Ø
Total
audience for the two
week festival is estimated at approximately 133,000 people (an
increase of 75,500 people from 2003).
Ø
The Nokia
Isle of Wight Festival had an audience of 105,000 over three days
(an increase of 77,000 people from 2003).
Ø
It is estimated that 21% of the total audience were
under the age of 20; 59% fell in the 21-40 years age range and the balance were
41 years and older.
Ø
It is estimated that 68% of
the total audience to the event was from the mainland. For 2003 the figure was only 33%
Ø
Using the accepted formula of the Southern Tourist
Board that is supported by the South East England Cultural Consortium and the
South East England Development Agency, the two-week Isle of Wight Festival
generated a spend into the Island’s economy of over £7,930,000. This
figure represents an increase of over 250% on the 2003 figure.
Ø
70,000 free festival brochures were produced to
support the festival of which 45,000 were distributed through The County Press
and 11,000 distributed through HMV stores in the South-East (the brochures were
self financing). Others were distributed on and off Island through the festival venues,
TIC’s, ferry ports and other outlets.
Ø
40% of Venues / promoters rated their event(s) as
very successful and 35% rated it/them as successful
Ø
The
value of the press coverage alone (not including website coverage) for the Isle
of Wight Festival is estimated at approximately £944,088 (compared to £186,454
in 2003).
Ø
In
addition to the above the Isle of Wight Festival was substantially covered in
the broadcast media including: BBC One, Channel Four, Meridian TV, Liquid News,
Sky News, Solent TV, BBC Radio One, BBC Radio Two, Virgin Radio, Xfm, Wave 105,
Solent Radio, Power FM, Isle of Wight Radio and many others.
Using the accepted formula of the Southern Tourist
Board and supported by the South East England Cultural Consortium and South
East England Development Agency, the two-week Isle of Wight Festival generates
a substantial spend into the Island’s economy.
The 2004 figures
are derived from the 2003 figures plus 3% to allow for inflation in the Retail
Price Index.
|
Measurement |
2003 |
2004 |
133,000
Attendees |
|
Staying Visitors
(serviced and non-serviced) per 24 hrs |
£79.76 |
£82.15 |
75,000* |
|
Visitors staying
with friends or relatives per 24 hrs |
£50.26 |
£51.77 |
3,500*** |
|
Day visitors from
home (Nokia) |
£28.04 |
£28.88 |
30,000** |
|
Day visitors from
home (Two-week) |
£28.04 |
£28.88 |
21,000*** |
|
Day visitors on
holiday |
£33.75 |
£34.76 |
3,500*** |
* Based on 35,000
who attended the Nokia Festival minus 10,000 estimated Island residents who
attended and day ticket holders, multiplied by three days for the three days of
the festival.
** 10,000 Island
based residents and day ticket holders who attended the Nokia Festival
multiplied by the three days of the festival.
*** The overall
attendance figures for the two-week festival (133,000) minus 105,000 who
attended the Nokia Festival gives a remaining figure of 28,000.
If the Nokia
Festival statistics are taken out of the calculation for the percentage split
between on and off Island attendees at the two week festival, approximately 75%
were Island based and 25% were off Island. Therefore, 7,000 were visitors from
off Island and 21,000 were visitors from home.
There is no way of
knowing if the 7,000 visitors were staying with friends or on holiday, so an
equal split has been assumed.
£82.15 X 75,000 = 6,161,250
£51.77 X 3,500 = 181,195
£28.88 X 30,000 =
866,400
£28.88 X 21,000 =
606,480
£34.76 X 3,500 =
121,660