Hallmark Events and Mega Events - Case Study Example

llmаrk Еvеnts and Меgа-еvеnts Саsе Study Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: Date Introduction The tourism industry growth rate has been on the rise in the recent past. However, the increased discovery of new tourist attraction sites and travel destinations has increased destination's competitions as each seeks to increase its attractiveness and overall competitiveness in the industry. Consequently, unlike the traditional industry approach where marketing was limited, the modern tourism industry experiences increased marketing activities in a bid to market individual travel destinations. In this case, the industry has adopted a social approach in its marketing strategies through the use of both the mega and Hall mark events. The application of these events in the tourism industry has caused increased marketing competition (Appiah-Adu, Fyall and Singh, 2000, p.96). However, a majority confuse the two events due to their overall implications on increased tourism activities. This essay argues that, despite their similarities, the Mega and Hall mark events have increased differences. This essay seeks to evaluate the characteristic differences between Mega and Hall mark events. In this case, the essay adopts a case study of each of the event type to provide a practical aspect in the characteristics differentiation. Mega Events Mega events are classified as events f high profile. In this case, the events are characterized by the presence of a large number of participants. In this case, such events are attended by large and huge crowds’ of people. The name mega means large. In this case, such events nature and worth are classified in terms of the number of total attendees. Due to the large numbers of people expected into these events, it is imperative for a range of precautions to be applied in their management and planning stages. One among them is security enhancement. Public security is of paramount relevance and importance in the event of holding such mega events. Therefore, in managing and organizing events of this nature it is of importance to involve the relevant security organs in the economy. Moreover, involving emergency healthcare services providers play a significant role in facilitating increased events success. The hosting of mega events such as exhibitions and culture and sporting activities have a range of aimed implications in the tourism industry. They facilitate increased tourism attraction as well as supporting infrastructure development that supports tourism activities in the long run. An ideal example of a mega event can be cited in the case study of Rugby world cup 2011 in Auckland, New Zealand. In this case, the event was a congremeration of all rugby unions across the globe to fight for the world title. Rugby is classified as an increasingly popular sporting activity besides football. Over the years, the sporting has grown in popularity steadily allowing for increased number of funs attending rugby games. Zealand (2012, p.23) argued that the 2011 New Zealand Rugby world cup represented an opportunity for the Nation and the city to present and market itself to the entire world and consequently attracts both the investors and tourists. This scenario was applied both in the short and long run periods. In the short run, the city management used the free media airtime presented to showcase its management efficiency. In this regard, the security organ was increasingly used in managing the event. As such, insecurity threats in the event were considerably reduced. As such, this increased the media and public confidence in the ability of the city management to provide ample security to its citizens. The tourism industry growth is highly influenced by the nature of security in particular destination. The rise of terrorism and terrorist activities caused an entrapped fear in the industry management. In this regard, the industry has increasingly encountered reduced tourism activities in areas perceived as insecure. Therefore, boasting of security confidence pays a significant role in raise travel destinations attractiveness. This was the case in New Zealand with the hosting of the 2011 rugby world cup. Security maintained during the event period guaranteed the international community that the nation was a secure tourist destination. In addition, the Auckland City received an increased number of visitors over the event’s period. In this case, this boasted the tourism industry earnings in the short run. As facilitators and fans toured the event, they had time to visit some of the nation’s significant tourist attraction sites. Consequently, the event itself served as a tourist attraction avenue with the help of increased tourists’ destinations in the country advertisements by both the local and international media. In addition, the 2011 rugby world cup mega event enabled increased tourism industry earnings in the nation, in the long run. In this case, the event opened up the city and nation at large to foreign investment. Consequently, it registered increased market investments leading to increased capital flow and subsequent economic development acceleration. Increased economic development is an imperative tool to infrastructural development. Subsequent to the 2011 rugby world cup, New Zealand experienced increased infrastructural developments that enhanced industrially based growth in areas such as accommodation and transportation. Thus, the event served as a long-term merit in the enhancement of increased tourism in the market. This can be evidenced by the increased tourism industry growth rate in the nation in the year 2012 and 2013. Based on this analysis, it is apparent that mega events enable the stimulation of investments in an economy that in turn causes ripple effects in the long-term enhancement of tourism industry support services development. Hall mark Events Contrary to mega events that are held based on different industries but have their implications on the tourism industry, hallmark event are purposely organized to support the tourism industry (Goldblatt, 2011, p.13). In this case, the events are organized with the aim of increasing tourism in an economy. In this case, the events can be one off or on a regular basis. For the one off hall mark events, they represent events of historical significance that are intended to form a lasting impression in the populations’ lives. On the other hand, regular events are historical events that recur on a regular basis at regular and often equal intervals. Such include cultural exhibitions. Hallmark events have direct implications on the tourism industry. In this case, their intended implications are majorly social implications that seek to influence the tourism industry consumers’ decision making model. The decision making model is characterized by alternatives evaluation and selection based on preferences on the travel destinations. Therefore, through the introduction of hallmark events, the tourism industry regulates the industry stability by enhancing interval booms through the events. Hall mark events are not necessarily large. As such, the vents significance is not pegged on their attendance number but on their historical implication and significance. Thus, organizers under hallmark events seek to establish historical implications rather than attract large crowds. This is a sharp contrast to mega events that target at pooling increased number of people into the events. On their part, Hall mark events aim at benefiting from the events impacts rather than on the events themselves. In this case, the implications serve as marketing tools for the target tourist destination. An example of a Hall mark event is in the case of the Indian cultural festivals. The festivals are held on a regular basis in the Indian market. In this case, the festivals seek to promote the Indian culture. The Indian culture forms a key aspect in its attractiveness on the market. As such, it is imperative to promote the culture to retain the existing tourist attraction on it. In this regard, the Indian government, through its tourism docket organizes the Indian cultural festivals. As Banerjee (2008, p.369) argued, the festivals aim at attracting leading tourism agencies, promoters and organizations in the market. Through showcasing the Indian culture to these elite groups, the Indian market is consequently market. The group has a great influence on the tourism industry consumers’ destination choice. Consumers rely on the catalogue and recommendations offered by these organizational stakeholders to develop appropriate decisions on preferential travel destinations. Further, the festivals attract the international media that offers it enough air play. As such, this creates increased desire by the international community to learn the Indian culture subsequently promoting tourism in the region. Therefore, based on this analysis, it is apparent that the Indian cultural festivals facilitate increased tourism attraction in the region. Therefore, the event qualifies as a Hall mark event. Hall mark events have their primary role in marketing respective travel destinations. In this regard, the events are developed with an aim of increased international awareness on the tourist destination as well as merits of visiting such regions. Thus, the events are purposely organized as marketing tools for the travel destinations. Therefore, based on the marketing objective criteria, the Indian cultural festivals qualify as Hall mark events. Besides marketing, Hall mark events aim at establishing avenues through which to empower the respective communities in the tourism industry. In this case, the events aim at offering the respective communities the opportunity on control and directly benefit from the tourism industry revenues. It is imperative to realize that tourism Hall mark events are partially or wholly supported by public funds. In these events the community gains from awards and prizes offered. Moreover, the community acquires an increased control over the tourism industry through increased community and society awareness programs conducted over the events. The case of the Indian cultural festivals represents a case of community empowerment. Besides the dance and jubilation that characterizes the events, the government has initiated citizens’ education programs that seek to raise awareness on tourism benefits and its implications on the Indian society. Consequently, these events have facilitated the development of the evident public support of the tourism industry in India. Thus, the Indian festivals serve as an ideal Hall mark example. Conclusion In summary, the essay offers a review of both the mega events and Hall mark events in the tourism industry. In this case, the essay analysis is based on the understanding that despite their shared similarity in promoting the tourism industry, the events have their differences in both their events organisation as well as events objectives. On one hand, the mega events in the market are classified as events with a large audience. In this regard, the essay argues that Mega events are characterised by the presence of huge crowds of people. S such, they in themselves act as tourism enhancement tool through the increased attending audience often drawn from the global platform. Moreover, the essay establishes that Mega events are not necessarily established to support tourism as their main objective, but has it as among their social benefits on the society. In order to provide a practical view, the essay offers a review of the New Zealand hosting of the Rugby world cup in 2011. The vent, a sporting activity enhanced tourism in New Zealand both during the sporting event that attracted huge international fans crowds as well as afterwards through increased investment that supported the development of the tourism industry. On the other hand, the essay argues that Hall mark events are mainly developed as marketing tools for the tourism industry as well as enhancing increased community empowerment in the programs. In this regard, the essay offers a practical example of the Indian cultural festivals held annually References Appiah-Adu, K., Fyall, A. & Singh, S. 2000, "Marketing culture and customer retention in the tourism industry", The Service Industries Journal, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 95-113 Banerjee, S. 2008, "Dimensions of Indian culture, core cultural values and marketing implications", Cross Cultural Management, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 367-378. Goldblatt, J. J. (2011). Special events: A new generation and the next frontier, Wiley Publishers, Hoboken, N.J. Zealand, N. 2012, Tourism Satellite Account: 2012, Statistics New Zealand, Wellington. Read More