The City of Moncton is paying $60,000 to a Swiss consulting firm to develop a strategy for attracting and hosting major events over the next decade.
Director of Events and Tourism Jillian Sommers says TSE Consulting is going to spend five months for the development of an overall strategy and action plan with clear deliverables.
“That will examine some best practices, do some research of our colleagues who have had some success to get those action items in place, to analyze funding models in a way that is sustainable and able to be executed over a number of years,” says Sommers.
Sommers says Moncton has established an impressive record of staging successful events, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Canada 2015; FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, Canada 2014; 2010 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships; and, Canadian national championships in important Olympic sports like athletics (2013 and 2014) and figure skating (2012).
Dale Neuburger of TSE Consulting says Moncton has had outstanding success, and they are looking forward to setting an even higher standard over the next ten years.
We are very excited to be working with the City of #Moncton , Canada on the development of an event hosting strategy https://t.co/cobWv53oGy pic.twitter.com/glohWWfjK5
— TSE Consulting (@TSEConsulting) September 18, 2017
He says all events, whether they are major, national, or annual must be well planned, and properly thought out.
“And again are very reflective of a thought process that makes sure that the events that are selected and the events that may receive public funding and certainly public support are reflective of the needs and the wishes of the community,” says Neuburger.
He says it’s not just about physical assets, since many cities have great facilities, good hotel properties, and great infrastructure.
“What set Moncton apart is the human assets, and the things that make the city special,” says Neuburger. “And we need to be able to emphasize those, and be able to carry those out in a way that helps event organizers know that’s the key asset that you bring to the table.”
Neuburger says the most important element for event owners and rights holders is “did you do what you said you were gonna do previously when you had events, did you keep your promises?”
He continues “the hardest bid processes that occur are those in which we work with a city that doesn’t have a strong track record.”
“The strongest ones in terms of future bids are the ones who’ve done what they said they were going to do, it’s as simple as that,” says Neuburger. “One of the great parts for us in this engagement is to work with a city that has had outstanding successs, and to not only continue that, but set a higher standard over the next ten years.”
Neuburger says “it’s exciting to work with a city that’s looking forward that far in advance, and is looking to make sure it’s record is maintained and even improved.”
TSE Consulting’s previous clients include Olympic Committees for Turkey, Brazil, Qatar, and Korea, as well as multiple international sports federations and cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Pittsburgh, and Manchester.