By embracing data-driven strategies, local governments like Medway Council can ensure their events not only celebrate community spirit but also contribute meaningfully to the vitality of their town centres.
Unlocking the Power of Visitor Insights: Medway Council’s Success with Chatham’s Chinese Festival
When it comes to organizing community events, the true measure of success goes beyond just attendance. Understanding the full impact on visitor behaviour, engagement and the local economy is crucial for effective planning and future growth. Medway Council’s recent collaboration with Visitor Insights (VI) for Chatham’s Chinese Festival is a prime example of how data-driven decision-making can enhance event management and strategic planning.
Background: A Community Event with a Larger Goal
Chatham’s Chinese Festival, organized by a coalition of local groups including Nucleus Arts, Pentagon Centre, Dance Alley, and Medway Council, marked the first such event since the Covid-19 pandemic. The festival featured a parade along Chatham High Street and culminated in various activities at the Pentagon Centre. Medway Council aimed to celebrate cultural diversity while revitalizing the town centre, but they also had another critical goal: to gain deep insights into visitor behaviour that went beyond basic footfall counts.
Challenges: Moving Beyond Traditional Metrics
Prior to utilizing Visitor Insights, Medway Council faced significant challenges in measuring the success of its events. The Council had primarily relied on footfall cameras in nearby shopping centres to gauge visitor numbers, a method that provided a limited view of the actual impact on the town centre. There was a clear need for more detailed and diverse set of metrics that could offer a 360 view of visitor engagement, including where visitors came from, how long they stayed and their demographic profiles.
The Solution: Leveraging VI’s Event Analysis
Medway Council appointed Visitor Insights to address these challenges. VI provided a comprehensive Event Report, which used digital geofences to capture a wide range of metrics directly within the town centre. This approach allowed the Council to bypass the need for relying solely on external footfall data.
The Event Report provided by VI included:
- Total visits: An impressive 42,506 visits were recorded in the town centre during the festival, with a week-over-week increase of 46%, a month-over-month increase of 69%, and a year-over-year rise of 74%.
- Dwell time: Detailed insights into how long visitors stayed, which helped understand engagement levels.
- Catchment origin: Data shows the festival attracted visitors from a broader geographical area than usual, indicating a successful outreach.
- Demographics: Using Experian Mosaic analysis, VI offered a clear picture of the different demographic profiles that attended the event compared to a typical day.
Outcomes: Data-Driven Success
The data from VI’s Event Report not only validated Medway Council’s initial impressions but also provided actionable insights that will shape future event strategies. The festival’s success was evident in the significant increase in visits and the diversity of attendees, proving that the event not only brought people together but also had a positive economic impact on the town centre.
These insights are now being used by Medway Council to inform their planning and strategy for upcoming events, ensuring that they can replicate and build upon their success.
Medway Council’s experience with Chatham’s Chinese Festival highlights the importance of using advanced data analytics to understand and optimize the impact of community events. Visitor Insights enabled the Council to move beyond traditional metrics and gain a holistic view of visitor behaviour, leading to more informed decision-making and successful outcomes. As a result, Medway Council is better equipped to plan future events that continue to engage the community and drive economic growth.
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