Agenda item

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to seek Members’ approval for a programme of events that will be delivered and supported by the Council’s City Events Unit, and the Tourism Culture Heritage and Arts team.  This includes the Irish Athletics Boxing Association’s (IABA) 2020 Elite Men and Women’s Champions which is the subject of 2 notices of motion.

1.2       The Committee is also asked to note the route for this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade due to the diversionary requirements enforced due to the Bank Buildings fire.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

(i)          approve the annual programme of Events for 2019/2020 within the attached appendix, based on previous year’s spend;

(ii)        note the 2019 St Patrick’s Day Parade route;

(iii)      approve the staging of the Irish Athletics Boxing Association’s (IABA) 2020 Elite Men and Women’s Champions. This item is based on a Notice of Motion presented to Members in March 2018 and subsequent report to Members in September 2018; and

(iv)      approve the use of a Council venue, such as one of its parks, to be part of the package of support for the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Championship.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       2019/2020 Events and Festivals Programme

On an annual basis, the Council’s City Events Unit delivers a series of large-scale public events, which are free to access by both citizens and visitors to the city, on behalf of Belfast City Council.  In 2018/2019, it is estimated that these events generated over £6 million of additional economic activity, with 208,511 visitors attending the events programme (Christmas, St Patrick’s and Culture Night details still to be added).

3.2       The Culture and Arts Unit also support a number of annual programmes and activities.   Members will be aware that a ten year Cultural Strategy for Belfast is currently under development and is due to be presented to Committee at a later date. This strategy will set out long-term recommendations for events in the city including a proposed investment model to be operational from April 2020.

3.3       For 2019/20, the recommendation is to follow the approach of recent years with direct approval of support for specified events through departmental budgets.  A separate report is being presented which asks committee to consider the allocation of non-recurrent funding to enhance the city’s events and festivals offer. Details of this non-recurrent funding is set out in the Progression of the Cultural Programme - Festival and Events Update report to Committee.

3.4       In relation to the allocation of departmental budgets, the draft programme of events being delivered or supported by the Council’s City Events Unit and other sections of the Place and Economy Department in 2019/2020 is outlined in the attached appendix.  This includes a range of projects across the calendar year, beginning with the Lord Mayor’s Day in April, through to the Christmas Lights Switch-On in November and finishing with the city’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations in 2020.  In addition, there is also a significant grants programme for sporting events across the city via the Council’s Support for Sport events grant, as well as support for investment in small-scale events and festivals and local cultural projects. 

3.5       The cost of the proposed programme is £1,092,114, with this amount contained within the existing revenue finances that form part of Place and Economy Department’s 2019-2020 estimates.

3.6       The majority of these events are run on an annual basis or have been supported over the last number of years with approval of committee.  This is with the exception of IABA. 

St Patrick’s Day Parade Route, Sunday 17th March 2019

3.7       Due to the Bank Buildings fire, Members are asked to note the route for the 2019 parade.  The route will see participants assemble along Linenhall Street, behind City Hall, from 10.00am to 12.20pm, with the parade departing at 12.30pm and moving to Writers’ Square via Donegall Square South, Donegall Square West, Donegall Square North, Chichester Street, Victoria Street, High Street, Bridge Street on to Donegall Street and finish at Writers’ Square.   Despite the disruption caused by the enforced Bank Buildings road closures, it is anticipated that tens of thousands of visitors will still see the procession, which is delivered by Beat Initiative in conjunction with the Council and community groups.

IABA 2020 Elite Men and Women’s Champions

(7 to 9 February tbc), Belfast Waterfront Hall

3.8      On back of a Council Notice of Motion, Officers have been liaising with the IABA on the staging of the above championships. There are currently no concrete economic statistics attached to the competition, as the Elite Finals have not been held outside of the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin. However, it is estimated by the IABA, that the finals would attract approximately 2,000 people, alongside 100 competitors (20 bouts for male competitors and 20 bouts for female competitors plus coaching staff). The IABA estimates that visitors would create 950 overnight stays.  At September’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee, Members agreed that Officers would continue to negotiate with IABA to build a greater understanding of the costs associated with holding the event, which is now costed at £69,470 (based on information from the IABA).  Councillors also instructed Officers to analyse whether the Council could retain ticketing income from the event.  Unfortunately, the IABA have indicated that this is not feasible.  They have stated that this annual event would normally provide a revenue stream, with limited expenditure, to the Association, as it is normally staged at the IABA’s own venue - the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin.

RSPBA NI 2019 Belfast Pipe Band Championships

3.9       Members will recall that the Council lost a bid for the World Pipe Band Championships which it had supported over a number of years.  However this year the RSPBA would like to run one of their events in a Council venue and for Council to contribute £20,000.00. 

Financial and Resource Implications

3.10     Members are asked to note the City Growth and Regeneration meeting, on 27th June 2018, agreed that any financial request from the Belfast City Marathon Ltd would be submitted for the Committee’s consideration at a future date and would need to be placed within the context of other financial requests presented to the Council. Currently the Marathon are not seeking an increase in the Council’s annual support, which stands at £26,000, but would look to diminish this level of support over the next five years (2019/20 - £26,000; 2020/21 - £20,000; 2021/22 - £15,000; 2022/23 - £10,000 and 2023/24 - £5,000).  After this point, the Belfast City Marathon would be hopeful to be in a position of self-financing the event and or review the staging of it and any funding approval will be subject to agreed set targets with the Belfast City Marathon Ltd.

3.11     Therefore, inclusive of the Belfast City Marathon costs, and subject to agreement of the city rate, the resources indicated within the programme for the 2019/20 events programme will be met through the existing 2019/2020 revenue estimates. 

Equality or Good Relations Implications/

Rural Needs Assessment

3.12     The proposed programme of events are open to all and as such have the potential to promote good relations & equality by bringing together people from a wide range of backgrounds.  There are no Rural Needs implications.

4.0       Document Attached

4.1       Draft City Events Programme 2019/2020.”

APPENDIX

Draft City Events Programme 2019/2020