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The Ipswich events corporation: policy directions, past present and future

A growing number of events take place in rural and peripheral communities (Higham & Ritchie, 2001) and events play a central, social and political role in different societies and cultures (Alomes, 1985). Moreover, events can provide the opportunity for communities to not only enhance their image (Wolman & Spitzley, 1996) but also to promote growth and development. Thus governments, as key stakeholders in the development of events, produce policies in an attempt to facilitate the growth and potential of events as a platform for industry and economic development (Burgan & Mules, 2000). Despite the paucity of research undertaken to date, to determine the effectiveness and consequences of government policies pertaining to events at either Federal, State or Local levels (Formica, 1998), the significance of effective local government event policy and the need for event policy analysis must not be underestimated as contemporary events are increasingly providing opportunities for the socio-cultural and economic advancement of regional communities. (Alston, 1998). The growth and development of local communities and concurrently, community events are dependent to a large extent upon the policies and or initiatives of local government. One such initiative undertaken by the Ipswich City Council (ICC) in May 1992, led directly to the formation of the Ipswich Events Corporation (IEC). The IEC charter intended, among other things, to oversee the promotion of the City of Ipswich through the introduction of policy supporting the development of events (Ipswich Events Corporation, 2001). Interestingly, in many instances the IEC works in conjunction with other event stakeholders and interest groups. This action is considered desirable by Long (2001) who suggested that the management of events often involves some form of partnership between different organizations and interest groups The purpose of this paper then is twofold. First, to identify and map the policy community (Oakley & Green, 2001) within which the IEC operates and second, to critically review the development and significant policy outcomes of the IEC over the last ten years.