When approached strategically, events can create more than temporary enjoyment. They can define a place, foster deeper connections and leave lasting legacies. This page contains practical guidance and examples from around the UK to support your own events strategy.
An events strategy aligns the ambitions of your area with the events you host, ensuring they complement longer term goals like economic growth, community wellbeing and environmental sustainability. It’s about viewing events not as isolated moments but as part of a broader, interconnected plan.
To get you started. Take a look at our short video, featuring leading experts in the public events sector, giving their thoughts on why events strategies matter and how to maximise their potential. We also have a whole host of resources further down this page for you to use and learn from.
Events have the power to shape the identity of a place, boost the local economy and bring communities closer together. From major international events to small local arts festivals, they can drive innovation, build partnerships and even lead to measurable improvements in health, culture and the local environment. But if we only look at events one at a time, we miss out on bigger opportunities. An events strategy helps connect the dots, ensuring every event supports a bigger vision for a city or region. Developing an event strategy is a key part of making the most of the impact that events can deliver, clarifying a place’s objectives and ensuring each event they host aligns with a broader ambition.
Creating a successful events strategy takes teamwork. Businesses, tourism, local government, and communities all need to work together toward shared goals. A good strategy focuses on two types of events: Brought-in Events, which are competitively secured events like major festivals or sports events and Local Events, which are home-grown events that reflect the community.
Event organisers alone can’t provide everything needed to succeed, like transport, hotels, or local job opportunities. A solid strategy ensures these elements work together to benefit everyone. It lets each event specialize while the bigger picture stays on track.
An events strategy should link with national and regional plans for funding and support. It should sit alongside the strategies of those responsible for the designation and funding of events, including DCMS, Arts Council England, UK Sport, other National Lottery distributors, devolved administrations and their agencies (EventScotland, Events Wales, Tourism Northern Ireland etc.), as well as local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships.
We’ve created short videos with several experts, in which they give practical advice and guidance on managing and shaping events strategically. You can check them out below. Their tips cover a range of topics like setting measurable goals, engaging stakeholders and involving your community early in the process.
There are some further resources and case studies to help you get practical tips and expert advice, as well as some of the data behind the guidance.
