stockton-international-riverside-festival-2017-evaluation-report

Executive summary Introduction and methodology  Bluegrass Research was commissioned to undertake research to evaluate Stockton International Riverside Festival SIRF 2017, the third con

Stockton International Riverside Festival 2017

September 2017

Contents

Executive summary 5

Introduction and methodology 5

Key findings 5

The audience 5

Audience composition 6

Awareness of and engagement with SIRF 2017 7

Satisfaction with and perceptions of SIRF 2017 8

Expenditure 8

Calculating Direct Economic Impact 9

Introduction 10

Objectives of the evaluation 10

Methodology 10

Reporting statistics 11

Research findings 12

Profile of the Audience 12

Origin 12

Gender 12

Age 13

Employment status 13

Ethnicity 14

Disability 14

Group composition 15

Relationship with SIRF 17

Awareness of the festival 17

Communications 17

Visits to previous festivals 18

Main reason for visit 19

Motivations for visiting SIRF 20

Other reasons for visit 20

Nature of trip 21

Non-Residents’ activities in Stockton 23

Residents’ alternative behaviours 24

Satisfaction with and perceptions of SIRF 24

Rating the festival 24

Perceptions of the festival for Stockton 25

Propensity to recommend and return 26

Engagement with arts and cultural events 27

Audience composition 28

Expenditure 30

Calculating Direct Economic Impact 32

Qualifying expenditure 32

Average Qualifying Expenditure 33

Crowd Size 35

Audience Impact Calculations 35

Additional impacts 35

Direct Economic Impact Calculation 35

Appendix 1: Questionnaire 2017 37

Index of figures

Figure 1: Where is your permanent place of residence? 12

Figure 2: Gender 13

Figure 3: Age 13

Figure 4: Working status 14

Figure 5: Ethnicity 14

Figure 6: Are your activities limited because of a disability which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months? 15

Figure 7: Are the activities of other members of your party today limited because of a disability which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months? 15

Figure 8: Total group size 16

Figure 9: Total adults (16 or over) in group 16

Figure 10: Total children (under 16) in group 16

Figure 11: How did you hear about the festival? 18

Figure 12: How many SIRF festivals have you visited before? 19

Figure 13: When was your last visit before this year? 19

Figure 14: Is / was the festival / this event the main reason for you being in Stockton? 20

Figure 15: Which of the following describe your motivations for visiting? 20

Figure 16: What is / was the main purpose of your visit? 21

Figure 17: Does / did your visit to SIRF include an overnight stay away from home? 21

Figure 18: How many nights are you staying / did you stay away from home for SIRF? 22

Figure 19: Where are / did you stay? 22

Figure 20: Which type of accommodation are you staying / did you stay in? 23

Figure 21: Which of these have you done / did you do on this visit to Stockton? 23

Figure 22: If this event were not held in Stockton, which statement best describes what you would do? 24

Figure 23: Thinking of the festival, how would you rate the following? 25

Figure 24: Comparison of positive ratings 2016 and 2017 25

Figure 25: Please tell me the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements: 26

Figure 26: On a scale from 0-10 how likely is it that you would recommend SIRF to a friend, family member or colleague? 27

Figure 27: Please tell me the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements: 27

Figure 28: Which of these statements best describes the place that arts and culture has in your life? 28

Figure 29: Overall audience composition, Residents and Non-Residents 29

Figure 30: Audience composition by type, 2017 and 2016 29

Figure 31: Audience composition by 'qualifying' and 'non-qualifying' 33

Figure 32: Individual overall average spend in Stockton, by respondent type 34

Figure 33: Individual average spend by category 34

Figure 34: Audience impact calculations 35

Figure 35: Value of crew/performers’ bed nights 35

Figure 36: Gross impact calculation 36

Executive summary

Introduction and methodology

 Bluegrass Research was commissioned to undertake research to evaluate Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) 2017, the third consecutive year we have evaluated this event for Stockton Borough Council

 As in previous years, the main objectives of the evaluation were to:

 provide the Council with an understanding of the audience at SIRF 2017

 measure satisfaction with aspects of the visitor experience and perceptions of SIRF 2017

 consider the Direct Economic Impact of SIRF 2017

 The research involved face-to-face interviews conducted ‘on-street’ with a sample of the audience at various points across the festival Interview shifts were conducted each day between Thursday 3rd and Sunday 6th August 2017 These on-street shifts generated

an overall sample of 394.

 An online version of the survey was created and promoted by Stockton Borough Council, launched on Tuesday 8th August and live until Thursday 17th August In total 111 responses were received online

 The data from the face-to-face and online versions of the survey have been merged to provide a total sample of 505 This paper provides headlines from this data, comparing results with 2016 where relevant

o Elsewhere in Tees Valley 12% [2016: 15%]

o Elsewhere in the North East 12% [2016: 15%].

o Other areas of the UK 4% [2016: 10%]

o around a fifth [23%] were aged 16-29 [2016: 20%].

o nearly a third [ 31% ] were aged 50-69 [2016: 38%].

o 5% were 70 or older [2016: 4%].

Group composition

 The majority [ 82% ] were attending with someone [2016: 89%].

 The most common group sizes were 2 [26%], 3 [ 18% ] and 4 to 5 [23%]

together representing over two thirds of the sample

 Overall, two in five [ 42% ] were attending with a child or children [2016: 31%].

Gender and ethnicity:

 64% female; 36% male [2016: 59% F, 41% M].

 96% of the audience was White British [2016: 94%].

 72% were in work / students [2016: 77%].

Audience composition

 As already established, the audience splits into approximately 70% Stockton Residents

and 30% Non-Residents from outside Stockton Borough area

 The vast majority [ 94% ] of the SIRF 2017 audience were on ‘day’ rather than

‘overnight’ trips [2016 91%], with 6% of individuals in the sample incorporating an overnight stay away from home in their trip to the festival [2016 9%].

 Across the total sample the audience broke down as follows:

o 70% were Residents of Stockton Borough, only one of whom was staying overnight, representing 0.2% of the total sample [2016: 60%]

o 25% Non-Residents on a Day Trip [2016: 31%]

o 5% Non-Residents staying overnight [2016: 9%]

Awareness of and engagement with SIRF 2017

 The vast majority [ 99% ] attending a SIRF event were aware that the event they were attending was part of SIRF 2017 [2016: 97%]

 The majority [86%] of those aware of SIRF had also been to SIRF in previous years [2016: 84%].

 Around a quarter [24%] had been to between 6 and 10 previous SIRFs [2016: 21%]; and a further two in five [ 43% ] had attended more than 10 SIRFs in the past [2016: 35%].

 The majority [88%] [2016: 88%] enjoy arts and culture events, but attend events with varying frequency:

o 39% had attended arts and culture events in the past six months [2016: 59%], rising to 70% if the time period is extended to in the last year [2016: 80%]

o 18% had not attended arts and culture events for more than a year [2016: 9%]

The remaining 12% are not usually interested in arts and culture and do not typically attend this type of event [2016: 12%].

 Attendees’ main motivations for attending the festival were:

o to be entertained 28% [2016: 41%]

o to spend time with friends and family 21% [2016: 19%].

o to enjoy the atmosphere 13% [2016: 12%]

 When asked how they had heard about the event:

o 7% leaflet through door [2016: 10%]

o 7% Stockton Borough Council Website [2016: 8%]

Satisfaction with and perceptions of SIRF 2017

 Respondents were asked to rate various aspects of their experience of SIRF 2017 and were generally very positive, although the rating given to the ‘whole experience’ was 87% positive, still high, but lower than in 2016 [2016: 92%]

 Specific aspects of the festival attracted the following ratings:

o Ease of physical access around the events: 90% positive [2016: 93%]

o Quality of event: 84% positive [2016: 91%]

o Signage to the events: 77% positive [2016: 73%]

o Publicity for the festival: 75% positive [ 2016 78%]

 Levels of positivity about the festival are also reflected in the wider perceptions:

o 92% agree that the festival is good for promoting Stockton as a place to live, work or visit [2016: 93%]

o 91% agree the festival is good use of Council resources [2016: 92%]

Expenditure

 The report considers level of expenditure at SIRF 2017, using data generated from the research This expenditure data shows the total and average expenditure by Residents and Non-Residents across the range of expenditure categories, noting that not all of this can be considered as additional to the local economy and does not therefore constitute Direct Economic Impact attributable to the event

 The overall average rate of expenditure at SIRF 2017 was £21.04 per person This year, Residents spent on average £18.68 at the event, compared to Non- Residents who spent £26.58

Note: In 2016 and 2017, we asked how much those attending had spent on travel both within Stockton and the wider region for reference Although spend outside of Stockton cannot be included in calculations of Direct Economic Impact on Stockton itself, as an indication, inclusion of expenditure on travel outside of Stockton increases the overall spend per person to £22.60

Calculating Direct Economic Impact

 Following the principles of ‘EventImapcts’, a recognised methodology for calculating economic impact of events, Bluegrass has calculated the Direct Economic Impact attributable to SIRF 2017

 Core to this methodology is the importance of distinguishing between ‘qualifying’ and

‘non-qualifying’ expenditure, on the basis that not all expenditure by the audience can be included in the Direct Economic Impact calculation, as some of it:

o would have occurred anyway and/or

o is not attributable to SIRF 2017

 Considering only ‘qualifying’ Residents and Non-Residents, the overall average rate of expenditure at SIRF 2017 was £21.57 per person, down from £22.25 in 2016

o Qualifying Residents: £17.05 in 2017, up from £16.27 in 2016

o Qualifying Non-Residents: £25.77 in 2017, down from £27.41 in 2016

 The average spend per person on each category, still considering only

‘qualifying’ respondents, is shown below, and highlights that, as per 2016, eating and drinking represents the highest spending category

 Stockton Borough Council provided an estimated crowd size of 65,000 for SIRF

2017 Based on this, and the proportions of audience types and their average spend, and including an estimate of crew and performer expenditure whilst staying

in Stockton for the event (also provided by Stockton Borough Council), Direct Economic Impact has been estimated at £787,561

Introduction

Objectives of the evaluation

 The research aimed to provide the organisers of Stockton International Riverside Festival with:

 an understanding of the audience at SIRF 2017

 a measurement of satisfaction with aspects of the visitor experience and perceptions of SIRF 2017

 a calculation of the Direct Economic Impact of SIRF 2017 on Stockton Borough

Specifically, the research with the festival audience sought to provide the organisers with information on:

Profile of the Audience

Relationship with SIRF

Additionally, in 2017, an online survey was created, using the same questionnaire, and disseminated by the team at Stockton Borough Council The survey was live between 8th and

17th August generating a total of 111 responses

An overall combined sample of 505 was therefore achieved

Reporting statistics

Significance testing

 Statistical testing has been undertaken to a 95% confidence level, to identify differences

in results between 2017 and 2016 The statistical formula used to assess whether statistical differences exist takes into consideration the “margin of error”: a statistically derived +/- figure The margin of error states that if the survey was repeated 100 times, the result would lie within this range at least 95 times out of the 100

 Where there is a statistically significant change between 2016 and 2017, significantly higher findings are highlighted in red, significantly lower findings are highlighted in blue

Research findings

Profile of the Audience

Profiling data collected as part of the survey provides a breakdown of respondents’ origin, gender, age, employment status, ethnicity, disability status and group composition The findings are summarised below

Origin

Figure 1 shows respondents’ permanent place of residence for 2017 and, for comparison,

2016 The majority [95%] of respondents reside in the North East region; over two thirds [ 70% ] in Stockton Borough itself, a higher proportion than last year Those from outside the region were predominantly from the UK

Figure 1: Where is your permanent place of residence?

Elsewhere in Tees Valley

Elsewhere in North East

Overseas Other UK

2017

2016

Base: All respondents 2017 (505); 2016 (606)

Figure 2: Gender

Age

Overall, the majority of the sample were aged between 30 and 69 [72%], with a shift

in 2017 away from the upper end of this age range [31% vs 38% in 2016].

Figure 3: Age

Employment status

The majority of the sample, two thirds overall, were employed [67%] There was an increase year-on-year in the proportion of unemployed [ 10% ] and a decrease in the proportion who were retired [ 13% ]

2017

2016

Base: All respondents 2017 (505); 2016 (606)

Figure 4: Working status

Ethnicity

The majority of the sample [96%] said they considered themselves to be White British,

a similar profile to last year

Figure 5: Ethnicity

Disability

Respondents were asked if their own activities, or those of any member of their party, were limited because of a long term illness The vast majority were not affected, either

themselves [91%] or other members of the party [92%] but there was an increase in

2017 amongst the minority [ 6% ] who said their activities were limited a little.

disabled/ill Student Other / refused

Mixed Black or black british

Other ethnic group

Prefer not to say

Figure 6: Are your activities limited because of a disability which has lasted, or

is expected to last, at least 12 months?

Figure 7: Are the activities of other members of your party today limited

because of a disability which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months?

2017

2016

Base: All respondents 2017 (505); 2016 (606)

Figure 8: Total group size

As illustrated in figure 9, the average number of adults in a group was 2.74, with 61% of groups having 1 to 2 adults

Figure 9: Total adults (16 or over) in group

The proportion of groups without children [ 58% ] represented a decrease on last year [69%

in 2016]. There was an increase in the proportions with 2 children in their group in 2017

Figure 10: Total children (under 16) in group

Relationship with SIRF

In this section, the findings relating to levels of awareness of the wider festival, exposure to communications activity, history of visiting previous festivals, motivations for visiting SIRF and other reasons for visiting are all considered as well as the subjects of what alternative action locals would take if SIRF did not take place in Stockton

Awareness of the festival

First, there were questions to establish whether respondents were aware of the festival and whether they had deliberately chosen to attend

The vast majority [ 99% ] were aware that the event they attended was part of the Stockton International Riverside Festival, higher than 2016 [97%]

Communications

Figure 11 shows how respondents had heard about the event The two most significant channels were Word of mouth [34%] and Facebook [ 25% ] However, it is interesting to note the decreasing role of several other channels in reaching people, notably the SIRF website [ 13% ] Meanwhile, there has been a notable increase in those who were just

passing and came to see [ 10% ] and in those who had seen something in the Evening

Figure 11: How did you hear about the festival?

Visits to previous festivals

Respondents were asked about their history of visiting SIRF previously

The vast majority [86%] had visited SIRF before, similar to 2016 [84%].

Those who had visited before had typically been to several previous SIRFs – almost half

[45%] had been to between 3 and 10 previous festivals, whilst around a fifth [ 19%]

had been to 21 or more previous SIRFs

Evening Gazette Brochure in public place Outdoor banners Stockton Borough Council Website

Leaflet through the door Rediscover Stockton shop Stockton Spring Summer Events Guide

Stockton town centre business

Twitter BBC Radio Tees Libraries Northern Echo Heart / Capital Radio

Figure 12: How many SIRF festivals have you visited before?

Over three quarters of respondents said they had visited SIRF last year This was a decrease in comparison to equivalent responses in 2016

Figure 13: When was your last visit before this year?

Main reason for visit

It is important when considering the direct economic impact of the event to understand the proportions of the audience for whom the festival was the main reason for their visit to Stockton that day and who would otherwise not have been present in the town

The findings show that the vast majority [91%] were in Stockton for the event, a similar proportion to last year

Between four and five

Figure 14: Is / was the festival / this event the main reason for you being in Stockton?

Motivations for visiting SIRF

Those aware of SIRF were asked their motivations for visiting the festival Findings suggest that respondents’ main motivations for visiting were more varied than those reported in 2016 While “to be entertained” remains the principle motivation for just over a quarter [ 28% ], this represents a decrease in comparison to 2016

Figure 15: Which of the following describe your motivations for visiting?

Other reasons for visit

Those respondents for whom SIRF was not the main reason for their visit were asked what their main visit purpose had been Results, illustrated in figure 16 below, show that shopping

To spend time with friends / …

To enjoy the atmosphere

To escape from everyday life

For professional reasons

To be intellectually stimulated

For a special occasion

For reflection For peace and quiet

was the main other reason for being in Stockton, but should be used for guidance only as base sizes are low

Figure 16: What is / was the main purpose of your visit?

Nature of trip

A number of questions in the interview related to the nature of the visit, to enable estimates

to be made of the profile of the audience and specifically the different types of visitor present within it

Overall, the vast majority of respondents [ 94% ] were on a day visit, an increase on

Day visit Overnight visit

Base: All respondents 2017 (505); 2016 (606)

Overnight visitors were asked how many nights were spent away from home for SIRF As illustrated in figure 18 below, around a quarter [25%] stayed for 1 night, with significant numbers staying much longer The average stay away from home was 2.41 nights.

However given the base size of overnight visitors is relatively low (28), these findings should

be treated with some caution

Figure 18: How many nights are you staying / did you stay away from home for SIRF?

The majority [64%] of those staying overnight stayed in Stockton Borough; around one in five [21%] in Stockton Town Centre, all similar to 2016

Figure 19: Where are / did you stay?

Almost half of those staying overnight [46%] stayed with friends or family, whilst over half stayed in paid-for accommodation [54%]

Elsewhere in the North East