Tourism NI St Anne s Court 59 North Street Belfast BT1 1NB T: +44 (0)

Transcription

1 Tourism NI St Anne s Court 59 North Street Belfast BT1 1NB T: +44 (0)

2 Giro d Italia Grande Partenza 2014 Event Report

3 02 Foreword The Giro d Italia Grande Partenza provided another opportunity for Northern Ireland to shine both in terms of our ability to deliver an outstanding event on a world stage but also to embrace and showcase the character of our people. Through the Giro we really demonstrated that this is a wonderful place not only to visit, but to invest, do business, work and study. The collective partnerships that were forged across Government, private, statutory and voluntary sectors, and our co-ordinated approach to achieving world class standards, has enabled us to create a framework to bid for further epic global events for Northern Ireland, consistent with our strategic vision for tourism. Many people have worked very hard to ensure that the Northern Ireland welcome for the Grande Partenza was second to none as RCS, owners of the Giro d Italia, recognised. The enthusiasm of the volunteers, spectators, farming and business sectors and many more who dressed themselves, premises, fields and roads in pink showed a level of engagement that left our Italian partners in awe. The results are recognition of all our stakeholders who have embraced the spirit and energy of the Giro d Italia Grande Partenza, maximising the business potential on offer. When we reflect on the success of the event it is clear that Northern Ireland delivered the wow factor that the event organisers had sensed when they chose to come here. From the amazing spectators who lined the route, to the huge global audiences viewing the elite athletes on their gruelling race across our magnificent landscapes. The impact of this event will be felt for a long time. Northern Ireland has continued to raise the bar in delivering global events. It has further cemented the building blocks to establish Northern Ireland as a unique and attractive tourism destination.

4 03 Achievements National and International Media Impact 11.6m Tourism Impact 12.7m Return on Investment 1 : 2.45 TV global viewing audience figures 56m National and international Spectators 227,000 Image credit: Graham Watson Photography

5 04 Contents 02 Foreword 03 Achievements 05 Giro d Italia comes to NI 06 Route Maps 07 Giro co-ordination 08 Spectator and participants 10 Volunteering 12 NI dazzling in pink 14 Cycling and schools 16 Business and community 18 Mass media 20 Event Aims & Objectives 22 Awards and Accolades 23 Team NI

6 05 Giro d Italia comes to Northern Ireland The Giro d Italia is an annual Italian, 21 day, professional cycle race, one of the three Grand Tours and part of the UCI world ranking calendar organised and owned by RCS Sport. The Grande Partenza (Big Start) is the opening stage of the Giro d Italia and takes place outside Italy every second year. Traditionally the event is formatted over six days, the first three days are preparation for the Giro start, while the remaining three are the actual race days. Tourism NI, in partnership with Belfast City Council and Shadetree Sports, developed a bid to host the event in Following site visits to Italy and a return visit to Northern Ireland by RCS it was felt that our wonderful landscapes, the enthusiastic welcome of our people and our high quality infrastructure would make it an ideal setting for this prestigious event. It would also demonstrate Northern Ireland s capability to host major events. Hosting the Grande Partenza would assist in achieving key objectives within the PfG (Programme for Government) and ensure that Northern Ireland is profiled on a local, national and international stage, raising the profile and changing perceptions both in terms of a great venue for cycling as well as a place to visit, work, study and invest. Following the successful bid to host the Grande Partenza, it arrived in Northern Ireland in May 2014.

7 06 Finish City Hall Donegall Square Stranmillis Embankment Start Titanic Belfast Day 1 Friday 9 May km Titanic Belfast Stormont City Hall Belfast On 9 May 2014 the first stage took cyclists on the exciting team time trials around Belfast, beginning at the Titanic Quarter and ending at the City Hall. Giant s Causeway Portrush Ballymoney Ballymena Ballycastle Antrim Glenariff Templepatrick Cushendall Waterfoot Carnlough Glenarm Ballygally Larne Start Titanic Belfast Finish Donegall Square North, Belfast Whitehead Carrickfergus Whiteabbey Day 2 Saturday 10 May km Belfast Causeway Coastal Route Belfast On 10 May 2014 competitors cycled to the Causeway Coast and Glens and back to Belfast via the stunning Causeway Coastal Route. Start Armagh Keady Fews Forest Newtownhamilton Forkhill Loughgall Richhill Dundalk Markethill Castlebellingham Day 3 Sunday 11 May km Armagh Dublin On 11 May 2014 Armagh Cathedral City hosted the final Northern Ireland stage of the heroic event on route to Dublin. Ballbriggan Swords Finish Dublin

8 07 Giro co-ordination To help ensure the successful delivery of the event and to enable NI to capitalise on the opportunity, a robust local management and delivery structure was devised and implemented. Local Authority Group Giro Steering Committee Marketing & Comms Committee Race Committee Activation Committee Sub Groups Transport Emergency Services/ Siver/ Gold Comand Sub Groups Legacy Dressing Volunteering Cycling Schools Over 50 organisations and 250 staff played key roles in the development and delivery of the Giro d Italia Grande Partenza. This included multiple Government agencies, Local Authorities, commercial business, statutory and voluntary organisations through a series of committee sub-groups.

9 08 Spectators and participants 227,000 Spectators and 2,137 participants enjoyed the event In total, 227,000 spectators watched the Giro Big Start along the routes during the 3 NI stages. 17,300 spectators were from outside NI. In addition, 2,137 participants took part. 17,300 spectators came from outside NI: Scotland 20% Europe 11% ROI 33% 227,000 Spectators 2,137 Participants England 36%

10 09 Spectators believed.. 95 % of spectators would recommend the event to family and friends 99 % of out-of-state visitors said the event made NI worth a visit 78 % of NI people said the event made them feel more proud of NI 62 % of spectators who currently cycle and 26% who never cycle, said they would likely cycle more because of the event 91 % of spectators rated the event as very good The event improved NI s reputation as a tourist destination The event improved NI s reputation as a place which can successfully host major events The event improved NI s global image The event created a sense of excitement 69 % 73 % 68 % 67 %

11 10 Volunteering Volunteering Volunteers played a key role in the success of the event. Over 950 volunteers were recruited and managed by Volunteer Now. They delivered the Tourism NI funded Giro d Italia Big Start Volunteer Programme. Our investment in volunteering helped reduce the other areas of spend such as policing costs and demonstrated our partnership approach. Six volunteer roles were developed: Giro support Main Operations Centre Marshals Meet and Greet Photography Support for RCS Sport Volunteers improved their personal performance Marshaling Using initiative Team work Social skills Confidence building Decision making Customer service Problem solving Communication Leadership Volunteer feedback 89 % 50 % 63 % Reasons for volunteering 66 % 63 % 59 % 34 % are more likely to volunteer again as a result cited that Volunteering at the event increased their confidence in applying for jobs of Volunteers stated that working on this event had a positive impact on their participation in physical activities. Opportunity to play a part in a global event Help promote NI Meet new people Interest in cycling

12 11 Volunteers said the experience was both enjoyable and rewarding with 77% citing it was an opportunity to participate in new experiences, while 69% cited the opportunity to help others was their key driver to volunteer. Quirky facts NI railway provided an additional 35,000 customer journeys during the Giro week 7,446 road cones were used 2,631 traffic and road signs were used to direct traffic 146 traffic lights were turned off, (and on again), during the three days of the event

13 12 NI dazzling in pink Critical to the events success was the dressing and industry engagement plan. Its aim was to change perceptions of NI, engender civic pride, demonstrate our unique character, encourage stakeholder participation and industry/ community buy-in, create a welcoming and vibrant destination and create a legacy for NI. We had good examples of Giro mania elsewhere but what we found in NI was without comparison. Everything was pink and we felt the love towards our Giro. In my 20+ years experience, the best pink dressing overall Mauro Vegni, Giro D Italia Race Director. Some of our amazing highlights 6 giro branded taxis promoting 6 50,000 Giro merchandise shared with 13,000m for 3 months spectators along the route providing Giro mementos 11,000m of Giro bunting across the route and businesses inflatable Freddies toured over 50 locations across NI of Giro bannering was installed 160 iconic sites dressed Thousands of images of fully engaged industry, visitors and communities transmitted globally Partnerships were forged to promote the Giro including Translink Ulster in Bloom which saw 25 Local Authorities participate in the Best Dressed Giro Floral Display. The Young Farmers Clubs in Co Antrim created a Giro Field Art Installation and DSD provided facelifts to key sites along the route.

14 13 The Giro dressings played a significant role in adding to the atmosphere as well as the image of NI Collective approach to dressing across all 11 council areas (using Giro Dressing kit) The dressing played a significant role in adding to the atmosphere as well as the image of NI Harland & Wolff Goliath crane was illuminated in pink with #Girostart % of Giro spectators agreed that the pink theme /dressing added significantly to the atmosphere and overall event experience 69% agreed that the promotional gifts/ mementos added significantly to the atmosphere/experience. 86% of spectators felt that the involvement of local businesses, schools and communities in making it pink added significantly to the experience 76% felt that the facelifts to improve buildings along the way improved the overall experience

15 14 Cycling and schools One of the aims of the Cycling subgroup, chaired by Sport NI, and the Schools subgroup, chaired by DE, was to strengthen communications with local cycling clubs and schools. A survey of 72 cycling clubs demonstrates that the Giro Big Start led to increased membership and activity among the clubs, schools, and community group. 92 % of clubs surveyed, participated in the Giro Big Start, including volunteering and organising as well as attending the races and related activity. Responses suggest that the event could have very positive impacts on NI cycling clubs and cycling in Northern Ireland generally. 90% of the cycling clubs surveyed stated that the event led to a heightened interest within their clubs local community 94 schools registered to take part in Sustrans Giro Schools Big Pedal Challenge aimed at increasing walking and cycling to schools 300 schools engaged in multiple Giro Big Start projects through Sport NI s Activ8 brand. This encouraged awareness of the importance of 60 minutes of physical activity every day for children and young people. 240 entries were received to DRD Travelwise NI s Design a Banner competition

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17 16 Business and community Across Northern Ireland Local Authorities and businesses alike got involved with celebrating and promoting the Giro d Italia. A fabulous array of festival entertainment was organised and delivered by the Councils across the three days, and thousands of attendees supported the events during the build up to and throughout the Giro. The Belfast City Centre Management (BCCM) survey of city centre businesses showed great support for the Grande Partenza and the majority were in agreement that it offered a major opportunity to showcase NI, even if it didn t generate business for some during the event. 5,616 downloads of Big Start Toolkit 5000 Big Start Toolkits distributed to partner organisations and communities 12,618 downloads of business/community engagement opportunities 750 attendees to Get Ready for Giro roadshows Northern Ireland Businesses got behind the event

18 17 While businesses strongly supported the Giro d Italia in Belfast, it was evident that people were there to spectate and not to shop or do business. BCCM suggest that while business such as hotels, bars and coffee shops may have benefitted, others experienced a decline in footfall and sales. 88 % of businesses support major events being held in Belfast 69 % of businesses supported the Giro by hosting in-store events, window dressing and/or special offers 72% of spectators felt that the Giro themed events added to the atmosphere and overall event experience (even if they didn t attend themselves) Charity Support Oxfam Ireland were the nominated charity for the Giro d Italia Grande Partenza. Following the event a large number of recycled Giro materials were distributed to the Oxfam NI outlets generating almost 5,000 The funds assisted Oxfam s worldwide projects.

19 18 Mass media The Giro provided the perfect opportunity to promote Northern Ireland on the world stage. Our incredible landscapes, our enthusiastic welcome, our endearing characters, our savvy businesses all provided wonderful opportunities for the mass media to capture and broadcast positive stories about Northern Ireland. Here s what we achieved RCS Giro coverage achieving 235 unique carried by 65 TV networks broadcast in 171 countries total 314 hours of broadcasts covereage it is estimated that it received a cumulative global TV audience of 56m BBC NI Broadcast reached an audience of 365,000 in NI (22% of local population) BBC NI coverage Saturday audience was largest with 22% share of viewings Coverage received a score of 91 on BBC s Appreciation Index, a exceptionally high and rare achievement

20 19 Digital and print highlights: 59,118 page views on discovernorthernireland. com/giro % spectators utilised social media to receive updates about the event or to share their own Giro d Italia Big Start experiences equivalent advertising value for print media is estimated to be over 11.6 million Social Media Type Facebook Twitter YouTube App Coverage 3,300,000 post views during the Team Presentation and first 3 stages Global Trending topic on Twitter during the team presentation Average pages viewed during the first 3 stages: 1,250,000 Average unique users during the first 3 stages: 170,000 Video streaming: 90, ,000 views of highlights of the first 3 stages on YouTube Average page views during the first 3 stages: 670,000 Average unique users during the first 3 stages: 27,000

21 20 The Achievement of Objectives The event was deemed as having the potential to contribute to Programme of Government objectives and assist in achieving a number of economic and tourism objectives. In particular it was considered that the event could improve NI s visitor profile and build a platform for a lasting tourism legacy, while raising NI s profile as a destination for major events. Further legacy opportunities included health and wellbeing benefits.

22 21 Aims Deliver a world class sporting event. Showcase NI, locally, nationally and internationally, raising the profile and changing perceptions of NI as a holiday destination and a place to live, work, study and invest. Provide a unique marketing opportunity to grow domestic and international visitor numbers and spend. Create a positive visitor experience for event attendees. Build on the 2012 and 2013 events to further demonstrate NI s capability to host major events. Host international events as a result of Giro d Italia. Objective Outcome Generate around 2.5 million of economic activity: 2.48m economic activity and 12.7m tourism impact achieved Attract 140,000 visitors (42,000 out-of-state): 227,000 visitors (15% out-of-state, 17,300) Gain the equivalent of 10 million print media coverage: Stimulate a sense of belonging and pride amongst local people: 11.6m delivered 78% of spectators felt a lot more proud of NI as a result of the Giro

23 22 Awards and Accolades Awards Tourism NI in partnership with key stakeholders were successful in achieving four amazing awards NI Travel & News - NI Tourism Marketing Initiative 2014 Giro d Italia 2014 In making these awards NI Travel News said of the Giro d Italia the event really lived up to its advance hype. Thanks to the Giro the Province s scenery and top tourist sites were beamed into the living rooms of 175 countries all over the world a glowing example of how expertly run events can sell countries and regions. CIM Double Awards: Best Use of Digital Marketing and the Chair s Award UTV Business Eye Awards UTV Tourism/Hospitality Project of the Year Accolades Feed back from RCS Sport suggests that the collaboration, application and creativity of the NI stakeholders, together with the enthusiasm and pride of the NI people, all contributed to make the event particularly successful from their point of view. Our experience was without doubt very, very good, so, with the right timing, we wouldn t exclude repeating it. The experience and know how developed together could be a good starting point for a stage race in NI. One reason that we chose Northern Ireland was the professionalism of the bid we received The enthusiasm for the Giro was amazing. The pink ponchos covering the huge crowd was a great idea and a nice communication driver Communication with NI was excellent, attentive to detail, creative and constant Precise and competent event plan. A benchmark for future Grande Partenza host cities Mauro Vegni Giro D Italia Race Director Our experience at Shadetree Sports in the lead up to and during our promotion of the 2014 Giro d Italia Big Start in Northern Ireland has been fantastic. From early in the bid stage, all the Government stakeholders in Northern Ireland supported this event in a very positive and professional manner. This continued right up through the event delivery, which of course, was a huge success. We are looking forward to future collaborations with NI Inc Darach McQuaid Shadetree Sports I wanted to be a part of this second largest cycling event in the World. It was such a HUGE win for Northern Ireland to host it and I was honoured to be one of the International Volunteers. I spent the week following Stage 2 travelling. Northern Ireland is gorgeous, and I hope to back next year with my bike. I m also continuing my Ambassador Role back in the US by promoting NI! I d love to also come back to volunteer in the future. Volunteer Now team member

24 23 Team NI Thanks to all of our partners Over 50 organisations and 250 staff played key roles in the development and delivery of the Giro d Italia Grande Partenza. This included multiple government agencies. Local Authorities, commercial business, statutory and voluntary organisations through a series of committee sub-groups. We offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who were involved in this amazing project. Antrim Borough Council Armagh District Council Ballymena Borough Council Ballymoney Borough Council Belfast City Airport Belfast City Centre Management Belfast City Council Belfast Harbour Police Belfast International Airport Carrickfergus Borough Council Coleraine Borough Council Cycling Ulster Department of Culture Arts and Leisure(DCAL) Department of Education (DE) Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI) Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) Department of Environment (DOE) Department of Regional Development (DRD) Department of Social Development (DSD) East Belfast Partnership Failte Ireland Health and Social Care Northern Ireland Invest NI Larne Borough Council Moyle District Council National Trust National Air Traffic Services Newry and Mourne District Council Newtownabbey Borough Council Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Public Health Agency Royal Mail Shadetree Sports Sport NI Sustrans Tourism Ireland (TIL) Tourism NI Titanic Belfast Titanic Foundation Titanic Quarter Translink Transport NI Visit Belfast Volunteer Now Waterfront Hall