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We've mentioned community events in a few of the past articles. Last month we touched on fall festivals, and several months ago we recommended sponsoring events as a means of marketing your business.



Get involved! Find an upcoming event in your community that you can help organize, sponsor, or maybe just attend.

We've mentioned community events in a few of the past articles. Last month we touched on fall festivals, and several months ago we recommended sponsoring events as a means of marketing your business. This month we are going to take a closer look at community events and their advantages for the community and the businesses within.

Types of Events

Events come in all shapes and sizes. Their purposes range from supporting charities to celebrating a community's heritage. Almost every community, large or small, has some sort of event each year. Civic events, fairs, festivals, and sporting events are just a few of the many different events your community can offer. Bicentennials, centennials, sesquicentennials and founder's days are examples of civic events. Fairs and festivals are often similar in nature and have experienced tremendous growth as small towns seek the economic benefits of these short term events.

Event Impacts

Strengthens the Community

Events can help solidify and strengthen a community's identity through community participation at the event. Many community events would not be possible without the help of volunteers. Volunteer opportunities bring citizens together to work towards a common purpose. Increased participation in the community gives those who volunteer a greater sense of ownership in their communities. Events bring together people of all cultures and backgrounds to celebrate and learn from one another, thus broadening their cultural perspectives and bringing each closer to others in their own community. Events also help to paint communities in a positive light, showcasing and enhancing their best aspects. Positive news coverage from an event can help attract tourism to an area, thus further increasing the economic benefits of an event.

Economic Stimulus

Events will often attract people from outside of your community. Visitors can contribute significantly to a community's economic health, spending money at local places such as hotels, shops, dining establishments, and gas stations, just to name a few. Their added dollars help stimulate your local economy. Not only will the local business owners benefit from these outside consumers, but the money they spend also contributes to the overall tax base giving cities deeper pockets to spend on the improvement of local services and amenities.

Good for Business

Events benefit all parties in a community, whether it's the business owner sponsoring the event, or the individual helping organize the event, volunteering at the event, or just attending the event.

Events that occur on main streets or downtown squares often encourage merchants to extend their normal business hours for the purpose of entertaining the event attendees, often providing a significant increase in income for the merchants.
Sponsoring a local event can also have many benefits for a business, including:

Sponsoring a local event is a great opportunity for increased marketing or showcasing a new product. When you support an event it shows that your business is vested in the community. Event sponsorships are a great avenue for marketing as sponsor's names may be included on banners, brochures, newspaper, radio and television ads, event signage, t-shirts and other promotional items that many people come in contact with. If the event is not occurring near your business, try to negotiate a booth as part of your sponsorship and sell products or services there.

Create Awareness for a Cause

Many events are centered on a philanthropic cause. The benefits from cause related events are two fold - they educate attendees and create awareness or raise money for a cause.

Health fairs are an example of a cause related event, existing to educate citizens on how to take better care of themselves. Another example is The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, designed to fund cancer research and educate the public about how to decrease their risks for cancer.








Get involved! Find an upcoming event in your community that you can help organize, sponsor, or maybe just attend. With the Holidays approaching, there should be plenty of activities on your community calendar; and if there’s not, why not try creating a new event for all to enjoy. Don’t miss out on the positive impacts a community event can have on you and your community.

About the Author: Alyssa Webb is the Communications Coordinator for AdventGX, an economic development and tourism consulting firm located in College Station, Texas. She is currently pursuing her graduate degree at Texas A&M University in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences with an emphasis on community event planning and tourism marketing. Alyssa can be reached via email at alyssawebb@adventgx.com