·      The event catered to the target audience which was battle dancers based in Ireland and also uk. 

·      In terms of the logistics, the venue was not appropriate as it was small in comparison to the amount of attendees. The registration process ran smoothly as there was a staff member in charge of this. The seating arrangement was effective as it created that authentic feel as seats were pleased in a circle around the floor.

·      There was time during breaks which allowed people to connect and exchange within cyphers, this was a positive as it allowed the Irish dancers to connect with the UK scene. 

·      All of the feedback was positive, feedback included ‘can’t wait for next one’.

·      The events social media Presence was good running up to the event but in the months after they weren’t consistent which could of led to disengagement.

·      They had one category called forge master which is something that has never been done before therefore this was a very unique aspect. 

·      This event did not cater for the target audience of battle dancers due to the environment and the set up, the environment was very commercialised in terms of the staging and seating it felt more like a showcase than a battle. 

·      In terms of feedback a lot of the attendees feedback was negative due to the planning of the event as the time management was not the best as the event finished at 11pm and ran of time to finish some categories.

·      In terms of positive feedback the different style sections that included experimental, all styles, Hip Hop and house had an influence on the number of  attendees as they made it worth travelling to.

·      The event felt like it was mainly targeted younger audience as there was a lot of dance schools present for the weekend event. 

·      The registration process ran really smooth as this was done online before we arrived. 

·      There wasn’t really an environment meant to connect and speak to people due to the size of the space which caused people to stand apart. 

·      The events social media only shared one or two posts about the battle due to the event being a full convention. 

·      This event did not have anything unique. 

·      This event is such a positive part of the Manchester community and has been for a number years, people travel internationally for this yearly event. This event is three days long bringing a different energy each day, this is a positive aspect of the event as it makes people want to travel as it will be worth there time and money. 

·      A negative from personal experience would be having both HipHop and popping prelims at the same time this causes problems in terms of the music. 

·      The environment they create through there events feel authentic and true to the culture. 

·      A negative would be that the event is three days long with free different venues this can cause confusion for attendees.

·      The registration process was fast and smooth. 

·      A aim for this project would be to start and run a successful battle event in the north of England.

·      Another aim would be to gain more experience and knowledge in running successful events.

·      Finally, to help create a community of battle dancers in Manchester and provide access to more battle opportunities.

 

Objectives 

 

·      In order do complete this aim I will stay on top of all my tasks in relation to my role to in order everything runs smoothly and on time. 

·      I will insure that I am present during every session taking on as much knowledge as possible from Clara as she has years of experience running small and big events all over the world. 

·      I will make sure the Manchester scene are aware of the event, I will try my best to make all battle dancers aware by using of mouth and also social media. 

Strength-  A strength I have in regards to this process is that I have some experience in running battle events as I have been running a battle event annually in Belfast for three years. Therefore I understand the logistics in events and what it takes to run a successful event, for example dealing and booking judges and also set up and how the venue should look to best suit the vibe.

 

Weakness- A weakness that could possible affect me during this process is I can sometimes find it hard to focus, but also to turn this weakness into a positive I can often become hyper focused on things which can then Cause me to complete things ahead of schedule. Another weakness could be my lack of knowledge of the scene in Manchester as I may not have as much contacts as other people.

 

Opportunities- An opportunity I will gain  from this process is gaining knowledge from Clara in terms of organisation and her process of creating events as she has a variety of experience in events all over the world and also a range of contacts to network with which could benefit me in the future.

 

Threats- a threat could be another battle or dance event being on the same date this could be an issue as then people may go to the event that is most convenient for them for example if there an event in London, dancers from London May choose to stay in London. 

 

 

 

 

Weakness- a weakness is the process of getting the budget of the event approved this has delayed a lot of our planning, another weakness is a sense within the group as a few people missing sessions means things will be delayed. 

 

Opportunities- a opportunity I will have will be connecting and contacting the judges as this could be a positive thing as I could build connections and network with people within the community, which is crucial in the dance scene. 

 

Threats- a threat would be people within the group delaying with things in there personal life’s and not being fully committed to there role this is a threat due to the group of us being larger.

 

‘A community event focuses on a local community, bringing the members of the community together creating a social event that they can enjoy’. (Collis, 2023) Community events are important as mentioned by Collis not only to bring local community’s together but also to create communities were they may be needed. Community events could be celebrations like, seasonal gatherings eg. Christmas, free fundays, markets, arts and crafts or anything that brings together people with similar or different interests within one community. 

 

There are numerous types of community events that are held within society, which can often bring groups of people together who may have similar interests. Inclusivity is a key aim for these types of events as they try to bring people to together. A definition of community festivals or events should always have reference to different cultures as inclusive cultures provides greater opportunity for the event to include and all ethnic groups (Quinn, 2006). These type of events can also draw in a crowd from different places as events as apart of the tourism market and events are subject to destination marketing and can be a contributing factor to tourism, these events can strengthen the appeal compared to other destinations. Getz (2008) argues event tourism in context of destination and a marketing strategy for the realization of the potential economic benefits of the event (Mihajlovic & Vidak, M., 2019).

 

A lot of benefits come from community events, according to (Irshad, H, 2011) possible impacts of community events and festivals can be, creation of employment,Increase in labor supply, Increased awareness of the region as a travel/tourism destination, Creation of new accommodation and tourist attractions Increase in accessibility and Increased local pride and community spirit. Marketing of community events is expected to bring social, physical and economic benefits to the host community or nation. The increased expenditure in the area is a common feature of any special event (Murphy and Carmichael, 1991). There is an expectation that visitor spending will contribute significantly to the local economy (Walo, et al, 1996).

 

There are a range of different aspects that come into community events, a major one is keeping children safe and engaged. We see this a lot through community groups and projects these sort of  activities are a way to bring young people through the door, and may lead onto other activities, like  socialisation and accredited awards. Activities, however, need to have continuous appeal to the young people through enjoyment and the value provided by a sense of progression. An example of these events could be music and dance activities, football clubs, group projects which include trips (Bailey and Jones, 2006). 

(Molitor et al, 2011) talks about how community events increase sense of trust of neighbours, which may have resulted from the new acquaintances and friendships developed from attending a community event. Improving social bonds is another outcome event planners would hope for as these events are targeted to communities and community events connect individuals in ways that foster new relationships and advance trust among neighbours. (Molitor et al, 2011) also states establishing and maintaining relationships among individuals within and across communities, appear to have the greatest impact on promoting social capital.

 

 

In relation to Hip Hop community events, these are so important as the culture was created and grew  through community and people holding parties, battles and jams this is what allowed more and more people to learn and join the culture. All of the Street Dance styles were created in a community setting therefore  it is important that these events keep going as they build community no matter where they are in the world. Community events within Hip Hop allow people to not only connect with like minded people but also learn and develop there art. Community events are important also to ensure different cities are being authentic and keeping the community growing through generations.

 

To summarise community events, the importance these events have on the people within the community is huge, it gives people a sense of purpose and family feel. These events have a range of benefits for the participants who can access these, to learn and grow, for different groups of people to connect, and even the host destination/environment through expenditures and creating jobs. Within HipHop we can see the importance of these events as it is what the culture is built upon and how we as a community of people and dancers create and thrive.

Jepson, A. and Clarke, A., 2014. Defining and exploring community festivals and events. In Exploring community festivals and events (pp. 1-13). Routledge.

 

Mihajlović, I. and Vidak, M., 2019. The importance of local events for positioning of tourist destination. European Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 6(1), pp.48-67.

 

Irshad, H., 2011. Impacts of community events and festivals on rural places. Government of Alberta, Agriculture and Rural Development Division.

 

 

Walo, M., Bull, A. and Breen, H., 1996. Achieving economic benefits at local events: A case study of a local sports event. Festival Management and Event Tourism, 4(3-4), pp.95-106.

 

 

Bailey, G. and Jones, K., 2006. Our kids, our community. Community Development Foundation.

Emdin, C., 2013. Pursuing the pedagogical potential of the pillars of hip-hop through urban science education. The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 4(3).

Teoli, D., Sanvictores, T. and An, J., 2019. SWOT analysis.

 

 

 

Molitor, F., Rossi, M., Branton, L. and Field, J., 2011. Increasing social capital and personal efficacy through small‐scale community events. Journal of Community Psychology, 39(6), pp.749-754.

 

 

Duffy, M. and Mair, J., 2018. Engaging the senses to explore community events. Event Management, 22(1), pp.49-63.

Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management Review, 70 (11): 35-36. Cited in Day & Tosey (2011).

Specific – Within this event process I am to achieve success in my job role, which is booking and securing specific judges of our choosing as a group, which includes contacting the  through emails and social media while being professional. I aim to provide good service to the costumers on the day through selling and scanning tickets and being a positive front of house member. I’m also aiming to create a inclusive and suitable environment through set up of the venue. Finally, creating appropriate and fitting certificates for the winners. 

Measurable – I will measure my success through confirmation of judges for the event, event set up being appropriate and matching the vibe of the day, good feedback from attendees and judges will also measure the success of my planning. 

Acheiveable – I think I was the right person for my job role, as I have experience in all of these aspects from previous experience running events therefore I think it was realistic and achievable for me to complete these tasks. 

Relevant – my role is crucial to the success of the event, firstly as judges are the main priority of the event without them the event could not exist, therefore my role to secure them is key. Also the room layout/ design can have a massive impact on the vibe and feedback of the event as space, layout and facilities all are crucial to a successful battle environment. 

Time bound – my first job role, securing judges was set to be complete within the first weeks of event process, this will be completed as majority of them have already confirmed and booked for the day. My other tasks will be completed on the day of the event as front of house and venue co ordinator. 

My name is Zara Janahi I’m currently studying at  Shockout Arts on the Street and Hip Hop vernacular dance course. As part of our module we are running a battle event called Throne of the North. 

Team Throne of North would like to offer you the opportunity to judge at our first event that we are running in Manchester on May 11th 2024. It is a new battle event, and it will be an official qualifier in partnership with Kingdom's League (produced by Indahouse / Fiyahouse/ The Jam Movement) It will be the first qualifier ever held in the north.

If you are available, you will be judging one category (popping). The categories will consist of judging the prelim rounds and 1v1 battles through to the top 16 and on to the final. The fee will be set at £200, £25 perdiam and of course travel will be covered.

We would love to collaborate with you, hope to hear back soon!

Kings regards