Herefordshire’s calendar of events is growing every year with 100s of concerts, parties, fund-raisers and charitable bashes taking place.
Sometimes events don’t reach their full potential because the basics have been overlooked – for example, forgetting to obtain the correct licences and not marketing it properly.
Or maybe it’s just difficult to know where to start when you have a good idea, what to do first, who to contact, setting a timetable – this toolkit gives advice on how to start from scratch.
To help local people put on the best events possible, Herefordshire Council’s cultural services team has come up with a Festival and Events CDrom Toolkit, which is designed to inspire and inform all those wanting to organise an event or festival in their local community.
“It’s presented in an easy to use format which aims to provide an insight into the main stages of planning an event, raising issues and questions along the way,” said arts development officer Deborah Allison.
“We have a vast experience of putting on events and have previously offered support to local event and festival organisers at the annual Festival and Events Forum, usually held a the Courtyard Centre for the Arts during November.
“The forum offered practical support on various aspects of event planning and proved extremely popular.
“This CDrom aims to build on the success of the forum by offering a wider range of practical information to the people who need – some of whom may have found it difficult to travel to the city to attend the forum in the past,” added Deborah.
The toolkit, which was produced with funding assistance from Tourism West Midlands, offers guidance and support on all aspects of running an event or festival. Topics covered include:
· Creative ideas
· Planning an organising
· Fundraising
· The importance of a strategy
· Venues and access
· Health and safety
· Promotion and communication
· Valuing and managing volunteers
· Legal issues and insurance
“The CDrom also includes case studies, so people can see what’s worked and hasn’t worked, as well as a list of useful websites and contacts.”
Anyone wanting to get their hands on one of the CDroms should contact principal arts officer Mel Potter by telephoning 01432 26181, or e-mailing her at mpotter@herefordshire.gov.uk.