Creating an Event: Case “Spring Festival” in Imatra

Abstract

The purpose of the project was to create a new event in Imatra, Finland, and to see how theoretical approach to event management is applied in practice. The event was designed to be public non-profit event for local families. The work was carried out in co-operation with Imitsi, the local association of town businesses, which aims at improving business environment and developing the town centre of Imatra to be a lively place. Theoretical background for the project was gathered using various sources, including books, articles and Internet webpages. The gathered information was applied to create an event in Imatra. The process ran from developing the concept to running the event and evaluating it. The event took place on 25 May, 2013 on Koskenparras, the main pedestrian street of Imatra. The results showed that there are opportunities for organising new events in Imatra. Also, it was proven that different approaches described in the literature give best results when combined together. As a recommendation for developing a new event several important points are highlighted in the conclusion. The main findings underline the importance of finding the right partner, the major role of networking in the process, the commitment of volunteers and the need to be flexible. The results of the project may be useful when planning a new event, especially in Imatra, and for those interested in event management and its practical application.