Building a preliminary event management model for rural communities

With a focus on tourism development planning and event management models, this case study investigates the roles of stakeholders' power relationships and networking processes in promoting the rural communities between the Orta and Maggiore Lakes. Qualitative case-study methods were adopted to facilitate an understanding of the importance of stakeholders' power relationships and social networks inside the event industry. The study draws from a series of events examining the roles of stakeholders in relation with their potential interests in the leisure industry. The findings underline the importance of leaders and innovators, mainly represented by local associations and informal groups. However, the dependence on public funds and inputs of volunteer activity is still high. Potential barriers to future developments are represented by the difficulties to integrate the emerging cultural activities with the current provision of hospitality industry in the area. A model is proposed in which social networks and stakeholders' power relationships help explain event organisers' problem solving activities. This contribution is significant, as it prescribes a collaborative approach inside the event industry considering in-depth analysis of informal relationships among local actors. Yet, as the case study is explorative and focused on a rural context, further investigation is needed to make it more robust.