Cowalfest has stepped in to lead a consortium to attempt to retain the £10,000 assigned by Homecoming Scotland to the Dunoon and Cowal Marketing Group. This was awarded to the Group for a planned programme of events to complement the 2009 Cowal Gathering, which takes place from 27th-29th August.

The idea was to return to the town the excitement and sense of  occasion that used to accompany the hosting of the Games, with parades of pipe bands through the town. With increasing commercialisation of the event and professionalism in the competing pipe bands, now required to play in early morning qualifying rounds, there is no longer time or focus for a town parade.

The initiative is now in tatters, as reported in the latest issue of the Dunoon Observer and Argyllshire Standard, published yesterday. The Dunoon and Cowal Marketing Group (DCMG) has had to admit that it is unable to carry the programme forwards because of what it despairingly describes as: ‘a complete lack of support from our members both the group’s AGM in November last year and at the EGM called in April’.

One major observation to be made here is that this should not have come as a surprise. Most people join organisations to be helped by them not to contribute to them. Sad? Sure. Shortsighted? Absolutely. But par for the course.

If, as the lead group in an organisation, you commit to anything, you do it yourself. If you make a success of it, a few others – if you’re lucky – may be energised to help next time. Others may simply gripe that you’re getting above yourself and make hand grenades of the things you didn’t get quite right.  C’est la vie. The choice is always between doing something and doing nothing. In the end it’s down to temperament, philosophy and capability.

The lead in the rescue bid

Last night, Cowalfest’s Chair, Russell Bruce, announced that the festival organisation is to lead a consortium in a last ditch attempt to retain the funding and mount a programme with the same intentions.

At the end of what had been a frenetic day of phone calls, emails and fast thinking, Russell Bruce said: ‘We have secured the help of our MSP and Tourism Minister, Jim Mather and importantly also secured a hearing with EventScotland’s Homecoming Director.

‘We are are also in a dialogue with Argyll & Bute Council whose support is vital to our bid to lead a consortium to deliver this important extension of the Cowal Games experience. We are here at the 11th hour and working against the odds’.

This last note is a realistic assessment of the challenge the ad hoc consortium faces and acts a s a timely warning against over optimism. There is a hard road to travel.

At the same time, part of yesterday’s high-speed activity was described by Dorothy Bruce, Cowalfest Vice Chair. Putting the matter into perspective at the same time, she says: ‘It is never easy to deliver events. We know just how hard work it is and the demands it makes on willing volunteers and the management and direction demanded of event organisers in pulling it all together and delivering a quality visitor experience.

‘I have been in touch with Malcolm Barclay of The Cowal Gathering and he has agreed to provide us with details of the programme they put together for DCMG’.

It’s worth noting here that The Cowal Gathering is to be a major partner with Cowalfest in this rescue bid. Russell Bruce says that The Cowal Gathering want this programme of events to take place and that Malcolm Barclay is being hugely helpful at a time when his organisation is really busy.

There is a huge and mutually valuable benefit from the fun of ‘pied piper’ events literally leading townsfolk and visitors to the Stadium at all and any time of the day. However, regardless of the outcome of this energetic commitment, the enforcedly fast formation of this consortium itself has the capacity to lay down the right sort of foundation for the future of marketing and presenting events in Cowal.

A consortium by its nature is inclusive and it has to be led well. Cowalfest, with its track record of successfully managed growth leading to its current standing, is obviously the best equipped to play this role.

The lead in Cowal tourism development

Following the item in Cowalfest’s latest tourism Trade Newsletter on the strengths and weaknesses in developments at visitscotland’s websites – reported in For Argyll – visitscotland made contact with Cowalfest.

The outcome is that Cowalfest has agreed to host a tourism forum to be held from 2.00pm-5.00pm at Ardkinglas House in Cairndow on 24th September. Present will be:

• Scott Armstrong, Regional Director for Strategic Relations for the area that includes Cowal. (He’s based in Inverness so the area he covers is obviously a large one and that itself may be an issue.)
• Ben Thorburn from visitscotland’s marketing team
• Representatives of other industries whose services relate to the tourism sector

We will publish updates on the event’s programme and will report when the online registration form is available. In the meantime, those anxious to secureone of the places available should email Dorothy Bruce for a reservation, as others have already done: dorothy.bruce@bannachra.plus.com

Everyone, including visitscotland, is aware that there have been and still are problems in delivering the energetic, rich and deep profile Scotland expects of its national tourism agency. It is also fair to say that not all of these problems have been of visitscotland’s making.

What is new – and hopeful – is that there is evidence – as in this development – of a real will from both the industry and the agency to get things right. This is the spirit of collaboration and mutual respect which has been missing and which has the capacity to move minds, attitudes and markets. It is also very much in line with the operational mode Scotland’s Tourism Minister and Argyll’s MPS, Jim Mather, intends to foster.

The focus of the forum will be positive. Ardkinglas House is an inspired choice of venue. It has the tranquillity and the out-of-timeness necessary for creative and constructive sessions. It also marries heritage with the enterprise and commitment to community development that together form the hallmark of the Noble family who built and still live in it.

Cowalfest’s achievement in paying serious attention to professional thinking in tourism development and to those who produce it, has brought it to this crucial position as a sector facilitator for its area. This is the sort of initiative and the sort of structure that has the potential to serve not only Cowal, but Argyll, well.

Note: Cowalfest Travel Trade Newsletters are available online at the Cowalfest website.

The photograph above is of Loch Eck, in the Cowal peninsula and is by copyright holder Sue Anderson of Island Focus. Images may not be reproduced without permission.

Related Posts

• Tourism IS everybody’s business (3)
• Peatbogs WOW Dunoon – Gathering Around does what it said on the tin (0)
• Tourism is Everyone’s Business – Cowalfest Forum at Ardkinglas House (0)
• Successful retrieval by Cowalfest: Gathering Around – with the Peatbog Faeries (1)
• Cowalfest consortium still working around the clock on events rescue (0)

---

The Latest News from ForArgyll delivered via email, weekly or daily. You know it makes sense!

---

Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping | | Print This Post