Special Events Research Paper

1. INTRODUCTION
Through many decades, celebrations have been a part of human culture when people from all walks of life and around the world mark significant key moments and happenings of sporting, artistic and other types of milestones. In recent decades, the proliferation and emergence of such celebrations is evident in the world leisure and tourism industry and has received much attention from countries across the globe. Today, celebrations like the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, Carnivale in Rio de Janeiro, Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Oktoberfest in Munich which hold much prestige and significance are commonly known as “special events”.

2. DEFINITION
Special events have become an important motivator of tourism arising from non-routine

FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS
Special events can be categorized by their form or size. Examples of the forms of special events are festivals i.e. arts, cultural, food & wine and film, recreational, sports, political and business i.e. fairs, exhibitions, meetings and conventions. Examples of the type of events by size are local or community events, major events, hallmark events and mega events.

Community events are smaller in scale and appeal to a smaller market segment. They are usually held more frequently compared to larger types of events. The celebration of this type of event is typically to promote family fun and community bonding; the way of life within a community or the community’s history. These events can range from fund-raising events within a community to arts and culture festival, with a desire to celebrate its local talents within different fields (Douglas et al. 2001. 357). Major events are events that are capable, by their scale and media interest, of attracting significant visitor numbers, media coverage and economic benefits (J. Allen et al. 2011). Hallmark events are events that possesses such significance, in terms of tradition, attractiveness, quality or publicity, that the event provides the host venue, community, or destination with a competitive advantage. Over time, the event and destination can become inextricably linked, such as Mardi Gras and Oktoberfest in Munich. Mega events, by way of their size or significance, are those that yield extraordinarily

Governments look to events to promote the destination’s image, attract investment and foster greater community cohesion (McCartney, 2010). Some prominent events held around the world that has saw a significant growth in the tourism industry are the London Olympic Games held in 2012, Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix held recently this year and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In addition, some trends like the increase for short getaways and experiential travel have also resulted in the abundance of special events, which are often able to provide tourists with flexible options for all