The Aspects and Concepts of a Festival in Relation to the Melbourne Cup Carnival - Case Study Example

Melbourne Cup Carnival Name Date Course Introduction Melbourne Cup Carnival is one of the most prestigious festivals in Australia. The festival involves a four day world class horse racing event which usually takes place in the month of November. The event also involves a 3,200 meter race for three year olds and above (Moritz, 2016). The race is considered as one of the richest due to the prizes that it attracts. It is usually conducted annually on Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne under the Victorian racing club. The festival is quite prominent as it also offers an opportunity for betting. It is the largest sources of betting income as about $ 60 million is usually spend on the first day alone. The prize money for the winner is $ 6 million which plays an essential role in attracting a high number of competitors (Moritz, 2016). Over 350,000 patrons usually attend the event which is an indication of its prominence. The popularity of the event has seen the first day declared a public holiday for everyone working within Metropolitan Melbourne as well as some regional parts of Victoria. The vent is increasingly becoming popular with more people attending and many more following the proceedings o television. The paper thus discusses the aspects and concepts of a festival in relation to Melbourne Cup Carnival. Context in which the event takes place Australia is well known for holding large festivals in order to enable the people to enjoy themselves when they are not working. Horse racing is an age old tradition Australia but the event made if formal and it also introduced some form of professionalism. The event honours the trainers and owners of horses by providing them with a platform to compete and win various prizes. It highlights the value that is placed on the horses in Australia (Howell, 2010). Most of the festivals involve celebrations and fun which gives the members of the community an opportunity to enjoy themselves. It is also considered a time to appreciate certain issues or give thanks for life and successes achieved. The activities during the festival is a reminder of the past where horse racing was popular and it also reiterates the importance of taking good care of horses and animals as a whole. The event highlights the benefits of taking good care of horses as well as the appreciating the hardwork that the trainers and keepers usually undertake. The event also promotes the Social, sporting and racing culture of Australia. Content Festivals and events are usually non-ordinary events that interrupt the routine activities (Lucas, 2014). It is for this reason that the day of the event is usually declared a public holiday so as to enable the people to attend it. The major activity during the event is horse racing. However, there are also other forms of off-track competitions that usually takes place. Fashion in the field is an event that also attracts a prize award. In order to win the award, the winners which includes a man and a woman have to be the best dressed. Celebrations and parties usually characterize the event on the first and last day. The opening event is usually colorful with up to 12000 rose flowers being placed at the racecourse (Lloyd, et al, 2013). Over 200 varieties of flowers are usually nurtured by 12 gardeners specifically for the event. The opening day of a festival plays an essential role in establishing the theme and atmosphere of the event. Betting companies are usually at the event and it is estimated that thousands of adults usually place their bets that amounts to millions of dollars. In 2010 alone, about $ 183 million was spent by 83,000 tourists on betting alone (Graham, 2015). The closing day of the event is usually colorful as winners are also awarded and people prepare to go back to their normal lives. The closing day of an event is considered an important ritual as it informs the people that they are about to return to their everyday life. Location The location of the event plays an important role in determining the ability of the people to access it (Ferrara, et al, 2016). The event may also have some historical facts that are related to the event. Melbourne Cup Carnival is usually held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The location is a major horse racing location and hence making it convenient for the event. The location as first used for horse racing in 1840 (Winter & Young, 2015). It therefore enables the spectators to have a look at the historical location for horse racing. The location is also situated in a low alluvial flat making it convenient for horse racing as well as the spectators. The first Melbourne Cup Carnival was held at the location in 1861 and this has continued to date. The location has a railway branch which operates during the race days. This plays an important role in ensuring that the visitors can easily access the location through the rail transport. The location has available space for the disabled and taxi ranks. Other essential services that are available include lifts as well as a high number of seating capacity. Shuttle buses from the nearby Epsom Road also reach the location. The accessibility of the location plays an essential role in ensuring that the visitors are able to attend the event (Dionysiou & Tsoukas, 2013). Significance of the event What the event symbolizes The event is an important part of Melbourne’s social calendar. The main focus of the event is sporting and specifically horse racing. The event symbolizes the importance of horses and horse racing. The importance of sports in bringing the people together is also symbolized by the event. Horse racing is an age old event that n important part of the Australian culture. The importance of an event is determined by what it symbolized. This also plays an essential role in determining the number of people who can be attracted. Most of the festivals usually has a connection with the people and hence making it relevant (Getz, et al, 2010).The events that can connect with the way of life of the people are likely to be successful due to the support that it enjoys among the local people. Melbourne Cup Carnival usually attracts a high number of local people from different parts of Australia. The event has always acted as a reminder of the age old tradition in Australia and hence its continued popularity. Meanings behind the rituals The rituals performed during the event have psychological as well as social benefits to those who perform it were well as to the people who watch. The expertise of the trainers and participants in terms of handling the horses is an important aspect that highlights their expertise. The rituals have also played an essential role in ensuring that continuity is achieved in terms of the age old tradition. The clothing that is worn by the off-track competitors is part of the ritual that symbolizes the culture of the Australian people. This is especially in terms of wearing hats among men. The meaning behind the ritual is usually transferred from one generation to the other and hence its continuity in the festivals (Lucas, 2014). Changes in the event The event has been undergone a lot of changes in relation to different aspects. The entrance fees for each of the participant have changed over time and it currently stands at $ 600 per horse. The horses involved in the races have to undergo quarantine for a period of 14 days before travelling to the location. The prize money has been on the increase over the years. This is an indication that the festival is becoming more commercial as compared to the past. The prize money is currently $ 6,200,000 (Lagos, et al, 2014). The involvement of betting companies is a further indication that the event has become commercial. The spectators as well as the betting companies are able to make money during the event. The entry of the foreign trained horses and competitors is one of the major changes. In the past, the event only involved the Australians. Foreign competitors from Japan and New Zealand usually participate in the event with some emerging winners. Festivals usually undergo changes in response to the prevailing conditions as wells introduction of new practices. The safety of the horses has played an important role in changing the practices taking place during the event. Foreign companies are also heavily involved in the sponsorship of the event (Winter & Young, 2015). Emirates Airline is the current sponsor of the festival. Similar events A similar event is also present in other countries across the world. The United Arab Emirates is one of the countries that usually host horse racing event every year (Winter & Young, 2015). The event just like the Melbourne cup carnival usually attracts foreigners as well as the local people. Thousands of people usually attend the event in UAE and it is also one of the main tourist attractions. The event held in UAE also attracts prize money which has played an important role in attracting the local as well as the international participants. In both countries the events is increasingly being professionalized. Characteristics and motivation of the event goers There are various factors that influence the goers to attend the event. Melbourne Cup Carnival is considered as one of the most popular festivals in Australia (Moritz, 2016). This is due to the high number of people who usually attend. Horse racing as a sport is interesting to watch and this has played an important role attracting the visitors. Most of the event goers are usually adults although most children usually attend alongside their parents. A part from the exiting horse race that characterizes the festival, the adults also have an opportunity to watch their favourite horses racing. There is an opportunity for them to bet on their favourite horses and win big. A high number of adults have ended up with big wins and hence attracting a high number of people. There is also an opportunity for the goers to enjoy themselves. During the event, baristas, high profile chefs, artists and entertainers are usually invited (Moritz, 2016). This is mainly for providing the goers with an opportunity to have as much fun as possible. Alcohol and different types of food is also sold during the festival. The goers also have an opportunity to meet new people at the event. This has greatly contributed to the motivation of the event goers both locally and internationally. Positive and negative impacts on the host community The event has a lot of positive effects on the community although there are a few negative impacts. The event usually attracts tourists from different parts of the world and hence impacting positively on the local businesses. The event has been cited as a contributor of the economy due to the high number of tourists it attracts. Celebrities as well as ambassadors usually attend the festival (Lagos, et al, 2014). Their presence has played an important role in boosting the image of the community in the international scene. The meaning and originality of the festival has not been lost and hence the increasing popularity. The infrastructure within the community has greatly developed as a result of the event. Effective road and rail network are in place which also benefits the community. The infrastructure was mainly developed in order to enable the visitors to easily access the location. International companies have also been established in the locality and this has benefited the community in terms of employment. Festivals that benefit the community usually receive a lot of support from the local people (Kim, 2016). Despite the success and benefits associated with the event, there are also negative effects on the community. The community usually suffers from environmental pollution during the event due to littering as well as noise from the crowd. A high number of people usually indulge in alcohol during the event leading to social problems that affects the local people (Lloyd, et al, 2013). There have also been reports of drugs being smuggled by tourists and other visitors and this has affected some of the community members. In other instances, incidences of crime have also been reported in the local community during the event. However, the benefits of the event outweigh the negative effects. It is common for festivals to have both the positive as well as negative effects. References Winter, C. and Young, W., 2015. Fatalities and Fascinators: A new perspective on Thoroughbred Racing. In Domestic Animals and Leisure (pp. 241-258). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Lagos, E., et al., 2014. Motivations and expectations associated with attending major sporting effects: The case of Melbourne Cup. CAUTHE 2014: Tourism and Hospitality in the Contemporary World: Trends, Changes and Complexity, p. 963. Moritz, P., 2016. Environment: Introductions all round. Chemistry in Australia, (March 2016), p.40. Howell, S., 2010. The story of the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s greatest race. Docklands, Vic: Slattery Media Group. Lloyd, B., et al., 2013. Alcohol intoxication in the context of major public holidays, sporting and social; events: A time-series analysis in Melbourne, Australia, 2000-2009. Addiction, 108(4), pp.701-709. Graham, R., 2015. Human-Animal Relations and the celebration of place identity: A case study of the scone Racing Carnival, New South Wales. Geographical Research. Lucas, J.M., 2014. The organizing practices of a community festival. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, 3(2), pp. 275-290. Dionysiou, D. D., & Tsoukas, H., 2013. Understanding the recreation of routines from within: a symbolic interactionist perspective. Academy of Management Review, 38(2), pp. 181-205. Getz, D., et al., 2010. Festival management studies: developing a framework and priorities for comparative and cross-cultural research. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 1(1), pp. 29-59. Lucas, M., 2014. Nomadic organization and the experience of journeying: Through luminal spaces and organizing places. Culture and Organization, 20(3), pp. 196-214. Kim, Y. H., 2016. To find Equilibrium of Food Festival Tourism: An application of Factors Analysis and Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAAHP). 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