Advantages and Disadvantages of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival - Case Study Example

Case Study Analytical Report Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name 3rd June 2013 Introduction Festivals are themed tourist attractions that create an environment of public celebrations and economic generators. Food and wine festivals are an example of festivals famous in Australia. Wine festivals are different from other festivals because during such festivals, various wines in the region are tasted and purchased. This paper has used the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) to explain the cultural, social, economic, environmental and political advantages and disadvantages that are associated with the festival. The paper has also summarized the successes and failures that the festival has encountered so far. Finally, the paper has recommended the steps that should be taken to reduce the failures encountered during the festival’s events. Discussion of key issues from the lecture notes and Study Guide of topics and how the issues apply to food/wine festivals The first issue to discuss is the cultural impacts of ritual-based festivals. Festivals have a sacred or profane element within them. Ritual acts such as opening ceremonies, rituals or symbolic acts are building blocks of festivals. A ritual is an act that is performed habitually in a particular way. Rituals can be religious ceremonies which can be part of festivals. Periodic festivals are such as harvest festivals and annual commemorations are periodic as they take place at a particular time annually. Rituals are inflexible and repetitive in nature. Some of the characteristics of rituals are: They must be performed in the same manner- rituals are repeated and this makes them to remain the same over time They are symbolic and carry meaning which is passed to the partakers of the festivals. There can be verbal formulae in a ritual. For example, during Christmas festival, the term ‘Merry Christmas’ is used They may involve stylized gestures such as raising glasses to toast There are objects and materials that are used by the ritual performers. For example, ringing church bells Festivals bring group solidarity as they bring various communities together. Food and drinks are usually part of cultural rituals. For example, Saints’ days are festivals that require the partakers to consume wine or tea. Such practices maintain cultural traditions because they remain the same even when life has become modernized. Food and wine festivals are held with precise goals in place. For instance, wine is included in religious rituals because it symbolizes the blood of Christ and also, because it is considered as a superior drink to others. Festivals, on the other hand, can have negative cultural effects to the host community. For example, they can cause modification of the host community’s culture and tamper with the local identity (Beames 2003). The second issue is to discuss the social impacts of community-based festivals. One of their impacts is that they create a sense of community. This refers to a feeling of belonging and community support. Festivals offer shared experiences whereby people feel together. Community members want to enjoy entertainment that is different from the usual daily activities. On the other hand, festivals can have negative effects on the host community. For instance, they can lead to bad behaviour due to intoxications, drug taking and excess noise. Additionally, they can cause disruption to the normal community activities. In order to manage social impacts of festivals community involvement needs to be in place. Events can create social cohesion while voluntary activities can create local social networks. By engaging the community to be part of the event they can become ready to be part of it. Incentives such as competitors and contests can create community involvement and cohesion (Beames 2003). The third issue is the economic impact of festivals. Food and wine festivals are very effective in promoting food and wine tourism destinations. They can promote a certain region by attracting various participants such as businesses and buyers. An event can create images that can bring up a positive impression by key destination marketing methodologies. Festivals encourage tourist activities by illustrating the main attractions of the destination that are part of festivities. When there are festivals, tourists can explore various tourism attractions such as traditional carvings. Food and wine festivals also create opportunities for tourists to taste local food which are different to their usual local foods (Du Rand &Heath 2006). The fourth issue is the role of food and wine festivals in maximizing inter-industry integration and partnerships. Food and wine festivals are important in ensuring the development of network and partnerships. By organizing, sponsoring and participating in festivals, different industry sectors are able to network. Certain festivals create new industry partnership opportunities at different levels. The levels can be local, national or international. Other festivals strengthen the local industry. Several food and wine festivals have established industry associations, sponsorships and partnerships as strategies for maximizing their inter-industry benefits. The fifth and last issue is the political and environmental impact of festivals in tourism destination. Politically, governments encourage festivals because they promote big businesses and as such, they are economic generators. Mega events are encouraged by governments as they act as platforms for creating international trade relations. For example, Olympic Games are symbolic of dominance and commodity relations. Such events can also create a positive image of a place that has a bad reputation due to negative political events in the past. Environmentally, festivals can promote the positive environmental effects by educating participants about environmental factors such as climate change and environmental leadership. Many food and wine festivals involve various environmental activities such as recycling glasses and waste management. On the other hand, food and wine festivals cause environmental pollution by acts such as dumping of broken glass on the ground and noise pollution (Taylor & Shanka 2002). Using examples of food/wine festival/s from anywhere in the world, as case studies, describe the key issues as they relate to the festival/s Winemakers and experts across the globe celebrate new vintages during wine festivals. The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is a 2-week-long festival conducted in March in Melbourne, Australia. The festival has been in place for 20 years, keeping wine lovers appreciative and happy about the commodity. It has more than 250 events and tastings. An example of an event is the Crawl ‘n Bite tapas crawl. It also incorporates more than 200 wine education programs which enable participants to interact with international sommeliers, chefs and wine producers. The festival also includes the World’s Longest Lunch whereby a Melbourne chef prepares a wine-paired lunch to about 900 people. The Langham Melbourne Masterclass is another event whereby 100 chefs and wine experts share information regarding international vintages and foods (Conners 2012). Culturally, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) enables the residents of Victoria to share diverse culinary experiences gathered from various parts of the globe. Tourism encourages community residents to preserve culture and heritage. The participants take part in competitive events and ceremonies that bring cultural integration. On the other hand tourism can divide a previously homogenous community. Many tourists in festivals such as MFWF create changes in the society’s dynamics. For example, there is sex tourism which creates a clash between the community’s values and the newly introduced immoral practices. Some cultural practices can also alienate the community instead of uniting it. For example, efforts to preserve certain cultural elements can make the residents to feel insecure and decide to abandon the project or to relocate altogether. The event also causes intercultural misunderstanding. This happens when the participants of the festival take part in prohibited practices which can hurt the community’s morals or culture (Pandazopoulos 2007). The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) maximizes inter-industry integration and partnerships by sponsoring events such as Second Bite, StreetSmart and HEAT. Second Bite creates a positive impact to people by identifying various sources of nutritious foods which would otherwise get wasted. StreetSmart is a campaign that runs for six weeks prior to Christmas. The participants request diners at the restaurants that take part in the event to donate $2 on their bills. HEAT (Hospital Employment Training) is a program conducted by the youth to assist fellow young people in developing self-esteem. Such events bring unity and harmony as the participants have a common goal which they achieve by engaging the rest of the participants (Beames 2003). The festival also creates social networking by providing opportunities for people to meet and have fun with their friends and family. Some of the events held during the festival are MFWF Greenhouse organized by Joast and Footscray. The various entertainment opportunities in place are a source of social meeting points. MFWF creates a local sense of belonging and community pride. Such a feeling indicates that the community’s social capital is rich. It also creates an opportunity for intercultural contact. Volunteering in the various events creates a sense of improved local and social networks. However, the event is associated with excessive drinking, drug use, crime and prostitution which reduce the society’s morality. Behavioural differences between the tourists and residents of Melbourne cause inequality between the tourists’ wealth and the residents. The community gets dissatisfied when the events held fail to fit the community’s socio-cultural theme. The event is usually very crowded which often results to violence and rowdy behavior. MFWF is associated with rapid developments which makes Melbourne and Victoria residents to feel alienated as they lose a sense of attachment and belonging to the community (Pandazopoulos 2007). Economically, the event creates more cash inflow from the tourists. This money is used to stimulate the economy. Media coverage of the event also encourages business and tourism development within Melbourne. The festival encourages employment among the youth who set-up their businesses to host various the events in place. Similarly, young graduates or unemployed people acquire employment in the various programs that are run during the MFWF. Traffic congestion affects the other businesses that do not take part in the festival. This reduces economic growth in certain sectors. The festival causes increased prices for locals. Prices shoot up as the sellers and retailers take advantage of the available cash flow from tourists. Additionally, if the event turns out unsuccessful it can cause losses to the sponsors of the events. The event creates an opportunity for the region to experience increased tourism and business activities even after the event is over. Several people remain within the Australia in order to enjoy the climate and the natural sceneries that are found in the country (Pandazopoulos 2007). Environmentally, the MFWF creates an opportunity for new facilities and infrastructure to be put in place. Such structures are permanent and they benefit the community in the long term. Also, regions and areas that could have been polluted or run down are regenerated and beautified by existence of the MFWF. However, MFWF is accompanied with a lot of litter which causes environmental pollution. For example, there is architectural pollution and environmental damage. Also, things such as noise, traffic congestion and overcrowding cause environmental pollution. Lower socioeconomic groups get dislocated as new and desirable ones get created to suit the festival’s class. This can lead to loss of income for the small businesses that may not have sufficient income to start big and sustainable businesses (Pandazopoulos 2007). Politically, the event causes career enhancement of certain political figures. Various dignitaries meet in such events and exchange ideas that benefit governments and create political careers for individuals. However, the event causes loss of local autonomy. Communities that were previously very independent have to agree with other communities in order to incorporate all the social and cultural tastes. Protest groups also arise during such events as the hosts and the visitors rebel each other’s practices (Pandazopoulos 2007). Summary of the literature in regard to the issues and analyses of what is learnt about the issues The cultural aspect of MFWF is maintained by providing the tourists and other participants with curinaries and wine varieties. Indigenous foods are also provided. This brings a sense of cultural integration and harmony. People feel a sense of belonging by participating in the festival’s events. The festival also creates social element of belonging as participants share meals and drinks together. The events are characterized by many tourists who spend a lot of money on meals, drinks and other natural and cultural items found in the festival. Various industries and programs that take part in the industry such as StreetSmart and Second Bite create integration between businesses as they share ideas. New buildings and road structures are established during the festival. Such elements are a source of income and finances for businesses and the nation as a whole. The presence of many tourists in the states of Victoria and Melbourne creates employment opportunities for the youth. They are also a source of income for the businesses that take part in the festival. Politically, the festival enables various political leaders to meet and exchange ideas. Therefore, through MFWF, various political ties are established which can result to various business opportunities being established. Evaluate how the example (i.e. food/wine festivals) was successful or failed in achieving its goals/ objectives Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has been successful in integrating food and wine as marketing techniques in both Melbourne and the regions within Australia. The event has also attained champion success as it strengthens awareness of Victoria’s reputation in wine and food manufacturing. Therefore, chefs and wine makers get celebrated. The event has also managed to influence Melbourne as a member of the Global Network of Great Wine Capitals of the World. This has enabled Victoria to get noticed both domestically and internationally and it is an accredited wine tourism destination. The event has also managed to create awareness of natural features such as the Yarra Valley which has increased tourist activities in both Victoria and other destinations. It has also managed to enhance food and wine production through cooperative alliances and packaging companies. The alliances are formed between the major producers, restaurants and markets. MWFW has supported industry programs to improve service delivery and standards. It has managed to compile a stock of Victoria’s culinary products and experiences in order to raise the standards of available food and wine products. The festival has been raised to the status of the best food and wine festivals globally. This has enabled raised the standards of wine and food events held during the MFWF festival. The festival has also managed to integrate the elements of MFWF partnerships such Tourism Victoria, RDV, Food Victoria and DPI in order to increase the industry’s benefits. It has also managed to create social networks between the hosts of the festival and the visitors or tourists. Some of the festival’s failures were: As a result of complicated supply chain and cost issues, regional cafes and restaurants had difficulties accessing reliable sources of ingredients required in food and wine processing. This caused delays in deliveries as well as loss of income as the buyers acquired the food and drinks from other restaurants. There were also inconsistencies in the opening hours. Signages for wineries were either incorrect or inconsistent which made some cafes and restaurants to open and start operating earlier than others. There were inconsistencies in service delivery and quality standards. This was caused by poor workplace training and education. This meant that the service providers had poor skills in both food and wine processing as well as in serving the tourists. Poor career incentives and acquisition of skilled labour in regional sectors also proved difficult. Shifts in wine distribution chains and changes in consumer behavior caused a shift in buying trend whereby buyers were now able to buy wines away from the cellar door. This reduced specific dealers’ earnings. MFWF involves various licenses and food handling compliance requirements. This made it difficult for small participants of the festival to comply with the mandatory requirements. The festival failed to capture the attention of large exporters of food products. This is because such producers fail to recognize the potential they have in tourism. Therefore, they tend to concentrate on exporting. The organizers of the festival failed to conduct supply-side research in order to assist with investment and business planning. This led to insufficiency in supply of some commodities. There is fragmented leadership within the industry which leads to divided authority. This affects how duties and responsibilities are handled and the overall cultural, social and economic performance of the festival. Recommendations for future improvement of the festival It is recommended that the festival managers should have a coordinated supply chain in order to enable the regional cafes and restaurants to access the necessary materials for the festival The opening/ operating hours for the various events should be standardized in order to reduce instances whereby some restaurants open earlier than others and take advantage of the available clientele. Service delivery and standards should be standardized by doing audits of the festival service providers prior to the opening date. This would reduce instances whereby low quality services are provided at the expense of the tourists and other participants. The festival performers should conduct a market study on behavior patterns, tastes and preferences prior to the festival. This can be done using previous years; figures and statistics. Such a step would reduce wastage by enabling the service providers to offer the desired services at the right time The managers and organizers of the events can make arrangements with the business license providers in order to reduce the steps of acquiring them. This would encourage more participants to the festival which would be accompanied by increased revenues. Large exporters of food and wine products should be made aware of the benefits that come with the festival’s events. This would increase their participation in the festival and increased revenues. The festival organizers should also conduct supply-side research in order to ensure constant and smooth supply of production facilities during the festival. There should be harmonized leadership across the various events in order to reduce instances whereby participants formulate their rules. Such a move would reduce the quality of service standards as well as the trust and respect that the tourists have on the festival. References Beames, G 2003 ‘The Rock, the Reef and the Grape: the Challenges of Developing Wine Tourism in Regional Australia’, Journal of Vacation Marketing, vol. 9 no.3, pp 205-212. Conners, V 2012 Food and Drink: Best International Wine Festivals, viewed 01 June 2013, . Du Rand, G.E. &Heath, E 2006 ‘Towards a Framework for Food Tourism as an Element of Destination Marketing’, Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 9 no. 3, pp 206-234. Pandazopoulos, J 2007 ‘Food and Wine 2004-2007’. Victoria’s Tourism Plan Summary, vol. 1, pp. 1-41. Taylor, R & Shanka, T 2002 ‘Attributes for Staging Successful Wine Festivals’, Event Management, vol. 7, pp 165-175 Read More