Minutes:
The Committee considered the undernoted report:
“1 Relevant Background Information
1.1 Members will be aware that approval was given in August 2010 to bid for the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs). The proposed staging of this major event was in-line with the Council’s Integrated Strategic Framework for Belfast Tourism (2010-2015) as the document identifies high profile events as a development opportunity that will allow the city to continue to build a strong reputation as a vibrant location with unique and exciting experiences that encourage new and repeat tourism visits. 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 In addition at the Development Committee in December 2008, Members noted that Visit Britain’s research showed that 21% of potential visitors were inspired to choose a destination because of the music or bands of that country, and approved a Music Tourism Action Plan in order to celebrate Belfast’s rich musical heritage. Due to the work of the Council and partners over the last number of years Belfast’s music has received international praise and the latest generation of Belfast musicians are playing a crucial role in revitalising the city.
1.3 At a Committee Meeting held on 13 April 2011, approval was given to run Belfast Music Week in order to achieve a legacy from the EMA Awards, give a concentrated focus on the promotion of indigenous musicians to show Belfast’s rich musical heritage, thriving contemporary musical scene and promote and highlight the city’s distinctiveness.
1.4 The Committee was also reminded that Council’s current Local Economic Development Plan includes the following key themes: Business Competitiveness, Talent and Community Economic Regeneration. The new local economic development plan states that in order for Belfast to stay competitive it must nurture those sectors which can create high value-added products and bring new wealth to the city. The Music sector in Belfast has grown significantly over the past three years and now plays a key role in the overall economic development of the city. With a rise in musicians and bands making headlines in the international marketplace and new and innovative music businesses based in Belfast, BCC is playing a significant role for this industry.
1.5 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 Belfast played host to the 18th annual MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) on 6 November 2011 alongside its indigenous Belfast Music Week. Disney Princess Selena Gomez hosted the EMA event, which saw international acts including Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Justin Bieber take to the stage at the city’s Odyssey Arena. Meanwhile, local heroes Snow Patrol played a free open-air gig in front of Belfast City Hall to over 15,000 fans and Red Hot Chilli Peppers rocked a packed Ulster Hall.
2.2 For Belfast Music Week (30 October – 6 November) over 170 live performances took place in 45 venues across the city, and bands, creative entrepreneurs and music fans took part in a packed programme of industry workshops, seminars and networking events.
2.3 Results
– The MTV Europe Music Awards generated over £10 million in additional tourism revenue for the city, with Belfast Music Week bringing in a further £1.86 million.
– The total economic impact of Belfast Music Week and MTV EMA is estimated at over £22 million when we include the PR value of media coverage, hotel sales, and expenditure of MTV in the city.
– The show was broadcast live to a global audience of over 1.2 billion people.
– In the UK, the Belfast EMA achieved the event’s highest viewing figures in 8 years and the red carpet show before the main event saw a 400% increase in ratings and online coverage was up 530% on 2010 figures.
– The Europe Music Awards was the grand finale of Belfast Music Week 2011.
– Belfast Music Week was attended by over 33,500 people, 73% of whom would not have come to Belfast that day had the events not been staged. When surveyed, 96% of visitors rated the event positively, with 100% saying they would recommend attending Belfast Music Week events – a resounding endorsement from our audiences.
– In the region of 130 national and international press attended the EMA 2011, with journalists travelling from as far afield as China and the United Arab Emirates to experience all that Belfast has to offer.
– The British Council dedicated a 2 hour radio show on Belfast Music Week which goes out to an audience of over 3 million people in more than 30 countries.
– MTV Canada broadcast a 30 minute programme on Belfast Music Week in December 2011, which was viewed by an audience of over 6 million.
– Over 1000 working crew travelled from outside Northern Ireland and stayed a minimum of 5 nights. An additional 4,200 visitors stayed a minimum of 3 nights. MTV alone booked more than 8000 room nights for crew, artists, and VIP guests across a total of 40 hotels. This translated to an average additional net profit of £393 over the 3 day period for each available hotel room, equating to an estimated £1.21 million in additional sales at hotels across the city.
– The hospitality trade also benefited from the event, reporting an overall average increase of 300% on normal trading for the same period in previous years. One bar reported an approximate increase in trade of over 430%.
– Belfast Music Week contributed significantly to increasing trade in this area, with £188,169 spent by attendees on eating out.
– MTV estimates that the total equivalent PR value of this combined coverage is £10.9 million. The MTV EMA created a media spotlight which shone brightly on Belfast and Northern Ireland in the run-up to the event. National and local radio and television coverage amounted to 9.8 hours on-air, with almost three quarters of that on radio.
The television coverage alone had an equivalent value of almost £3 million across all the main channels, including BBC 1, ITV1, Channel 5, UTV, Sky News, and CNN. 90 print media titles contributed 455 mentions of the event.
– Taking into account the online coverage, print mentions, and on-air minutes across TV and radio, it is estimated that there were 669 million opportunities to see or hear a comment, news story, or broadcast about MTV in Belfast.
– Over 550 people attended the music industry panels, which included sessions on recording, making a living from music writing, music synchronisation, production, management, marketing, and licensing from some of the leading figures in the industry. Speakers included Grammy and Recording Academy member, Jonathan McHugh, who was Senior Vice President of Film and TV at Island Def Jam Music Group and founding member of the Guild of Music Supervisors, and leading music supervisor Amine Ramer who works with film and television heavyweights Lions Gate, HBO, Showtime, MTV, The Style Network, Comedy Central and NBC.
– The Belfast Urban Affinity Community Festival enabled 190 young people aged 12 and over from all across the city to experience the music industry for a day. Endorsed by urban star Tinchy Stryder, the festival allowed the young people to participate in a series of workshops which were run by key figures from the Belfast music scene.
2.4 Belfast Music Week 2012
To capitalize on what has been achieved and to ensure a legacy from 2011 activity and following feedback from Belfast’s Music Sector (including venues, promoters, managers, industry professionals), approval is now sought to deliver Belfast Music Week 2012. 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 music tourism.
– 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
2.5 Partners and the music sector desire Belfast Music Week to take place again because:
– There is nothing equivalent in the city and it fills a product gap i.e. 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.
– Knowing that there would be international attention, music promoters had gone the extra mile to deliver events which had not taken place before.
– The showcases not only attracted visitors but gave local bands the opportunity to perform in front of national and international music industry
2.6 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 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 would to be identified and the sourcing of commercial funding.
2.7 NITB is committed to developing the music offering and tourism access to music both live music and additional music products.
To this end, NITB is 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.
3 Resource Implications
3.1 Finance
£60,000 to deliver Belfast Music Week 2012 and Belfast Music Tourism Product Development which has been provided within the Departmental Budget 2012/13 action plan.
4 Recommendations
4.1 It is recommended that Members:
1. Approve a sum of £60,000 to deliver Belfast Music Week in November 2012 which has been provided within the Departmental Budget 2011/12 action plan
2. Agree that officers work in partnership with Tourism
Ireland, NITB, DCAL, Invest NI, commercial sponsors and the music sector to leverage further funding for Belfast Music Week
3. Members are also asked to note that the Council has received substantial interest from major international music promoters to come to Belfast. Proposals will be developed and further details brought to Committee.”
The Committee adopted the recommendations.