If you’re involved in event planning and currently wondering what sort of shindig would be best for bringing in hordes of crowds to your city or town, you might want to think about holding a market of some kind or other.
New research from ATG Access has just revealed that markets are in fact the most popular option for drawing regular crowds, with 50 per cent of Brits having attended a local one in the last 12 months. Christmas, naturally, is one of the best times of year to hold such an event, with 47 per cent going to a local market in 2017 and 22 per cent going to their town’s Christmas light switch-on.
One-off special musical performances and other music events are also popular, with 36 per cent of those asked saying they went to at least one last year. And spectator sporting events are a solid choice as well, as are arts festivals, public protests and civic events like parades.
Interestingly, there are many out there who believe that local events increase their sense of enjoyment of living in or near an area that holds such events… and one in ten said they would even go as far as to choose where to work or live based on the frequency and availability of public events in local areas!
“When a city organises a range of events throughout the year that are aimed at different audiences, this can also become one of the major sources of attraction for visitors and tourists – people who will likely spend considerable amounts of money during their visit.
“Local authorities need to bear in mind the huge social and economic benefits that hosting events can generate. They have a responsibility to do all they can to bring in more revenue and foster a greater sense community to boost the local economy. It’s clear that investing in various events, such as concerts and markets, will go a long way to achieving this aim,” sales and marketing director with ATG Access Gavin Hepburn said.
If a market is of interest to you and your organisation, you will likely need to apply for a market rights licence from your local authority. Do this as soon as possible but at least 21 days before the date you want to hold it on. This should give the council enough time to consider the application and let you know the outcome, as well as completing the licensing process if your application is indeed successful.
You’ll still need this licence even if you’ve already received other permissions like planning consent or temporary event notices. Even if your market is to take place on private land, you’ll need to sort out permission if the general public are able to access the event. If you fail to sort this out, you and the landowner in question could be prosecuted.
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