Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1         Relevant Background Information

 

1.1       Members will be aware that the new Integrated Strategic Framework for Belfast Tourism 2010-2015 identifies high profile events and festivals as a development lever to establish a strong reputation as a vibrant capital city with unique and exciting experiences that, once visited and enjoyed, will compel return visits time and time again.  The strategy’s new product development highlights that music tourism should be developed, packaged and promoted as an authentic experience to ensure that Belfast has a competitive edge.

 

1.2       The Music Tourism Action Plan approved by Members in order to celebrate Belfast’s rich musical heritage included a series of products such as the Belfast Music Coach Tour, the Belfast Music Exhibition, a new music listings website

                       

            Belfastmusic.org, the first ever i-phone application for music.  The plan was significantly enhanced through the successful application to Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s (NITB’s) Tourism Innovation Fund which contributed a further £138,750 and new partnerships that have been formed with Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), BBC and Tourism Ireland Ltd (TIL).  A report ‘Exploring the Music Festival Tourism Market’ commissioned by NITB using Mintel, highlighted that music is a key part of our cultural offering, and foreign and domestic tourists now spend in excess of £100 million on cultural and recreational events in NI each year and domestic tourists spending over £32 million on tickets to concerts and music festivals. Tourism Ireland launched their 2011 Marketing Plans in Belfast and identified Music Tourism as a key driver for Belfast.

 

1.3       At a Development Committee Meeting on 9 March 2010, Members approved the delivery of a Belfast Music Week 2010, in partnership with DETI, ACNI, NITB and TIL.  Music Week aimed to promote Belfast as a world-class music destination and a place which has a new, modern and exciting future.  It concentrated on the promotion of our indigenous musicians to show our rich musical heritage, thriving contemporary musical scene and promoted and highlighted our distinctiveness.

 

1.4       The event offered the opportunity to leverage an internationally recognized brand through MTV and meant that Belfast local scene could target demographics both internationally and locally that we have not had the opportunity to reach before. This was key to developing the youth market, especially in terms of Europe and easily reaching an international market with an event of international stand out appeal

 

2          Key Issues

 

2.1       The Tourism, Culture and Arts Unit co-ordinated venues, promoters, publicly funded organisations and the hospitality sector to deliver 100 live music events in 8 days in over 50 venues across Belfast.  A summary of outputs are as follows:

 

-     63,320 people attended live music events from 12?19 September 2010

 

-     Belfast Music Week generated income of £1,185,000 for Belfast

 

-     Positive (Northern Ireland) media coverage equated to £244,618 in advertising spend generated through local communications activity.

 

-     Positive (National and International) media coverage equated to  €1,555,960 in advertising spend

 

2.2       The initiative enabled NITB and Tourism Ireland to reposition Belfast’s image and perception of the destination and create appeal with a younger audience. Key messaging focused on why there has never been a better time to go to Belfast and most of all offering the unique indigenous music proposition which helps to position Belfast as a unique modern short break destination. The number of consumes that have been exposed to the Belfast message are as follows:

 

-     Radio:  9.1 million audience

 

-     Email newsletters: 1.3 million contacts

 

-     725 Radiotorials on 41 radio stations:  47 million audience

 

-     Online Advertising: 31,300 clicks

 

-     Spotify: 3 million closed user group

 

-     127 articles inc Observer, Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent, NME and Sunday Times Travel magazine

 

-     25,500 visits to the Belfast campaign page on discoverireland.com. There have also been 63,000 visits to the Northern Ireland page since August 1st 2010

 

2.3       Approval is now sought to deliver Belfast Music Week 2011 (Mon 31 October - Sat 5 November).  The aims are:

 

-     To increase the profile of Belfast as an exciting weekend break destination to actively travelling young adults across UK, ROI and Europe and maximise the economic return from the MTV Europe Music Awards.

 

-     To showcase and strengthen Belfast’s position on the world stage as a primary destination for music, entertainment and culture.

 

-     To increase the number of musicians doing business internationally

 

-     To promote and enhance a confident, positive, exciting image of Belfast through delivering world?class events

 

-     To bring together all sectors of the community from Belfast and across the region whilst improving community cohesion

 

2.4       Partners and the music sector desire Belfast Music Week to take place again because:

 

-     There is nothing equivalent in city and it fills a product gap ie a festival of completely indigenous music.  It is hence easier to promote internationally as it is distinctive to Belfast.

 

-     It was the first time the music sector has worked in partnership rather than in competition with each other, due to Council taking a neutral co-ordination role.

 

-     It was the first time national and international music media visited the city (over 20 visits were facilitated by NITB and TIL) for example, Editor of Observer Music Monthly, Music Editor of Sunday Times, NME.

 

-     Knowing that there would be international attention, music promoters had gone the extra mile to deliver events which had not taken place before, from album launches on the Barge to the Top 10 Contenders, Legends Awards and the Belfast Rocks initiative.

 

-     The showcases not only attracted visitors but gave local bands the opportunity to perform in front of national and international music industry

 

-     Given enough notice, venues, promoters and labels are keen to programme their key events to tie in with music week.

 

-     Many labels have suggested that their album launches could be programmed during music week and local bands would reschedule tours.

 

2.5       A neutral co-ordination role is required to ensure Belfast Music Week is open to all live music providers and to ensure clarity of vision, aims and objectives.  It will also ensure there are no programme clashes and that the sector work in partnership rather than in competition.  Headline events need to be profiled to maximise MTV exposure, the venues and hospitality sector should be encouraged to programme live music and representation of genres such as classical, traditional, jazz, folk is required. It requires liaison with managers and labels to ensure schedules of bands tours and album launches coincide with Belfast Music Week.  Partnerships need to be identified and the sourcing of commercial funding.

 

2.6       NITB is committed to developing the music offering and tourism access to music – both live music and additional music products.  To this end, NITB are supportive of the Belfast Music Week and will seek to work with Belfast City Council to maximize the tourism opportunities and to work with the industry to ensure they are visitor ready. Belfast Music Week is in line with the NITB brand in delivering an event that is ‘uniquely NI’ and promotes the best of indigenous music. Belfast Music Week will add to NI’s burgeoning international reputation as a place to discover great music and has the potential to provide legacy to the exciting music events that NI and Belfast will be hosting in 2011 through 2013.

 

3          Resource Implications

 

3.1       Financial

 

            £10,000 to support salary costs for a Co-ordinator which has been provided within the Departmental Budget 2011/12 action plan and £20,000 to support marketing and co?ordination of Belfast Music Tourism Products in 2011.  MTV will brand and promote this week alongside the Europe Music Awards.

 

4          Equality and Good Relations Considerations

 

4.1       The post would be advertised and follow Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), to promote equality of opportunity and good relations. 

 

5          Recommendations

 

5.1       It is recommended that Members:

 

1.   Note the contents of this report

 

2.   Consider approval of £10,000 to support salary costs of Co-ordinator which has been provided within the Departmental Budget 2011/12 action plan

 

3.   Agree to Officers working in partnership with Tourism Ireland, NITB and the music sector to leverage further funding for Belfast Music Week

 

4.   Consider approval of £20,000 to support product development of Belfast Music Tourism in 2011.”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendations and granted the approvals sought.