Final Evaluation Prepared by Ian Barr, Dumfries and Galloway Council, on behalf of the Original Bicycle Festival Planning Group “When Cycling Came Home” www.originalbicyclefestival.co.uk DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY STEPPING STONES Introduction Contents Dumfries and Galloway Council has an active and 2 Introduction aspirational events strategy, which seeks to make Dumfries and Galloway a leading rural destination in 3 Contents the UK for high quality, enjoyable and affordable events 4 - 5 Executive Summary - affordable to deliver and attend. 6 - 7 The Rationale for the Original Bicycle Festival We are also, as this Festival So it was a real pleasure to 8 - 9 The Planning for the Original Bicycle Festival evaluation report will outline, be involved with the Original extremely proud of our cycling Bicycle Festival - a genuine, 10 - 11 The Kirkpatrick Macmillan Play heritage, mountain bike trails grassroots celebration of and association with major cycling, which was held Councillor Ian Carruthers 12 Avalanche Enduro UK events such as the Tour of to promote everything Britain. good about the bicycle and 13 Dalbeattie Junior Mountain Bike Day Dumfries and Galloway as a Within the Council, we are visitor destination. The Cycling Film Festival serious about promoting 14 - 15 cycling. The Council is very I hope you will enjoy finding The Festival Café committed to developing the out more about the Festival, 16 - 17 region’s cycling infrastructure, via this Evaluation Report, CTC Discovery Rides and is currently supporting the which includes many images 18 £5.4m Dumfries Sustainable from the ‘OBF’, and that you Women on Wheels Transport Town programme. intend to cycle in Dumfries 19 Each year the Council takes and Galloway soon. The Burns Solway Coastal Sportive Challenge the lead in welcoming the 20 Tour of Britain to the region Councillor Ian Carruthers, Beattock Open Time Trial - an association with the UK’s 21 Dumfries and Galloway’s blue riband cycling event Events Champion The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Criteriums of which we are proud, and 22 there are ongoing initiatives The Stepping Stanes Family Fun Day to develop cycling for sport, 23 leisure and tourism. 24 - 25 The Economic Impact of the Festival 26 - 28 The Marketing Campaign 29 The Role of Volunteers During the OBF 30 - 31 The Press Generated for Cycling in Dumfries and Galloway 32 - 33 The Public Relations Campaign for the Original Bicycle Festival 34 - 35 Lessons Learned and Legacies 2 3 Executive Summary The Original Bicycle Festival was The Festival achieved great support The Festival created £173,000 of delivered successfully in May 2009 from cyclists and generated direct economic impact to the by a partnership of agencies and excellent media for Dumfries and Scottish economy. Notably, the cycling interest organisations and Galloway. It was driven by a desire media value for the Festival was businesses. Within the Festival to get people onto their bikes - it £311,000. The appointment of an there were major events such as was a participative festival. It did Edinburgh based marketing and the Ae Enduro Avalanche and not become however a spectator PR agency (Rare Management), Scottish Cycling’s town centre festival - although hopes were was the correct tactic to generate Criteriums, both of which were originally high for decent spectator substantial PR and media interest new to Dumfries and Galloway. numbers at the Criteriums, more in the Original Bicycle Festival. There was also a range of road and work is required to develop There was good and ongoing mountain bike events to appeal to audiences for high profile cycling coverage of the Festival in the cyclists of all types and abilities and events. The regional interest in the regional media, exceptional quirky cultural events. annual arrival of the Tour of Britain coverage on Radio Scotland and shows what can be achieved with a highlight was the feature on The rationale for the Original the active promotion of cycling the BBC One Show. Dumfries Bicycle Festival - a unique and one- races. and Galloway Council’s financial off Festival, was to complement the investment in the Original Bicycle World Mountain Bike Conference Festival was £32,000. Therefore on Sustainability, which was due the Council achieved a ratio of to take place between May 12 and 32: 474 (the direct economic May 15 of this year. Sadly however, benefit and media values achieved due to the global downturn by the Festival) as its Return on and some ill-fated bad luck, the Investment. The ratio of 32: 474 Conference was cancelled in April can be simplified to 1: 15. 2009. Organisers are hopeful that it will take place in the future. The Festival has left a number of legacies, including a range of Although the absence of World cycling events that should serve Conference delegates was felt, the region well over the years, and especially at the Dumfries events optimism for the future of cycling of the Original Bicycle Festival in Dumfries and Galloway. during the middle weekend of the Festival, the Festival had developed as a strong stand alone project. There was a strong sense of mission and vision within the Planning Group: to promote the legacy of Kirkpatrick Macmillan, the inventor of the pedal bicycle in 1839, and to promote Dumfries and Galloway as a beautiful place to cycle. Dumfries Cycling Club’s Coastal Sportive Criteriums are colourful and exciting 4 5 The Rationale for the Original Bicycle Festival The Original Bicycle Festival was conceived to be a major cycling festival to complement and coincide with the World Mountain Bike Conference on Sustainability (WMBCS). The attraction of the WMBCS to cycling trails. In 1839 Kirkpatrick region. Mountain biking is now a but our quiet open roads have These then were the key Dumfries, which was planned for Macmillan, a blacksmith from Keir, hugely important leisure activity many supporters too. During ingredients for the planning and May 12 - 15 2009, was important near Thornhill, invented the first and economic driver. The Council the Festival, Graeme Obree aka delivery of the OBF; recognition of the world class pedal bicycle. The bicycle, which is committed to working with ‘The Flying Scotsman’, who was • The proposed WMBCS stature and appreciation of the he called a ‘velocipede’ was heavy, Forestry Commission Scotland to a great Ambassador for the OBF, region’s 7stanes mountain bike difficult to manoeuvre and a touch develop the economic and sporting reiterated his view that Dumfries • The emergence of many trail centres. The Conference was cumbersome, but it was the world’s benefits of the 7stanes, and this and Galloway is a brilliant place cycling events and the also anticipated to be an important first modern bicycle and Macmillan effective partnership, which for road cycling. It is hoped that commitment of cycling economic event, forecast to bring was a quietly brilliant man. He pre-dates the OBF, was one of the Graeme will return to Dumfries to events organisers in Dumfries £1.2m to the regional economy. never really capitalised upon his strengths the Festival Planning lead a future workshop on cycling and Galloway invention which is why the story Group was able to draw upon. development in the region. • The 7stanes mountain Sadly, the global economic of the bicycle is often told without The trails are calculated to have bike trails downturn and sheer bad luck reference to this modest character. been worth £9.289m to the South The Council has led the regional • The region’s association resulted in the postponement of of Scotland economy over the planning and funding to make with the Tour of Britain this Conference, and a new date Today, Dumfries and Galloway is course of the period 2005-2007. the Tour of Britain an almost for it to take place has still to home to 5 of the legendary 7stanes Future revenues to the regional permanent fixture in the area’s • The appreciation of Dumfries be set. mountain bike trail centres, at Ae, economy will be greater. Sporting Calendar since 2005. The and Galloway as a place to cycle Mabie, Dalbeattie, Kirroughtree Tour is eagerly welcomed, always • Youth developments in cycling The Original Bicycle Festival and Glentrool. The 7stanes are The South of Scotland is recognised dramatic and colourful and an though, organised by a separate one means of getting out and across the Globe as one of the best annual highlight. The Tour has a Ian Barr, Events Strategy Officer, planning group committed to about and exploring our beautiful locations for mountain biking, large following in Dumfries and Dumfries, August 2009 promoting Dumfries and Galloway Galloway, and it is to be hoped as a great cycling destination, that it will continue to return quickly gained momentum. The to the region each year. The The old and new together Planning Group formed in May knowledge and confidence gained 2008 and was an active and locally by working each year with committed group. This was due the Tour was another catalyst for to the recent development work the OBF. that has gone into cycling in the region - in terms of the nurturance The last few years have seen and growth of cycling events, the the emergence of many good development and marketing of quality cycling events in Dumfries the 7stanes mountain bike trails and Galloway. Most events are and youth development initiatives. organised by committed volunteers The notion of the Original Bicycle and cycling enthusiasts. The events Festival, so called to promote are too numerous to mention, and pay homage to Kirkpatrick but the talents of local cycling Macmillan, as well as to signify organisers, and their commitment a unique Festival, to be delivered to the sport and the region at the same time as the WMBCS, provided the foundation - the provided strong motivation.