Palmer/Rae Associates
European Cultural Capital Report
By
Robert Palmer and Greg Richards
The European Cultural Capital event (ECOC) is arguably one of the most successful EU cultural programmes, attracting increasing interest from policy makers, academics and the media every year. As more and more cities are involved in competing for the ECOC title, there is also a growing need for information about and evaluation of the event and the host cities.
The European Cultural Capital Report aims to update the wealth of information contained in the original ECOC evaluation report produced by Robert Palmer, Greg Richards and other experts for the European Commission. In doing so, it aims to provide essential information for those organising, implementing and evaluating the ECOC.
This report seeks to cover the many different aspects of the event, including its cultural, economic, organisational, political and social implications. It provides an independent analysis of the ECOC, identifying trends and best practice which can help those involved with this and other major cultural events to take better informed decisions. By extending and enriching the data collected for the Palmer Report, this publication will provide new insights into the workings and function of the ECOC.
Regular updates will be produced which will keep a finger on the pulse of the ECOC and its stakeholders, providing timely and relevant information. Each edition of the ECOC Report will concentrate on different themes related to the ECOC, as well as featuring case studies of different cities or different aspects of management and organisation. This first issue concentrates on profiling the host cities in general and identifying trends in economic issues. In forthcoming issues, the spotlight will be turned on other issues, such as organisational issues, marketing, economic impact studies and tourism flows.
This publication should be of interest to all those involved in the planning, organisation, analysis and assessment of the ECOC, as well as cultural events in general.
European Cultural Capital Report, number 1
ContentsPage
1Introduction4
2Methods8
3Programme trends9
Seasonal programmes
Multi-annual programmes
The European Dimension
4Selection Procedures13
5The Host and Candidate Cities15
Regional partnerships
6Economic Impacts20
Operating costs
Capital costs
7Case Study - Impact of Lille 200430
The budget
The cultural programme
Marketing
Infrastructure
Cultural spending
Tourism impacts
Business and employment impacts
Legacy of the ECOC
Critical success factors
Shortcomings
Overall assessment
How does Lille 2004 compare with other ECOCs?
Sources
8Building for the future: the Legacy of the ECOC59
9Bibliography63
The authors
Robert Palmer is an independent cultural adviser who works regularly on international projects and assignments. He has worked in the cultural sector for more than 20 years, and has advised the European Commission, Council of Europe and 10 different European Cultural Institutes on cultural matters. In 2004 he directed the evaluation team which produced the Palmer Report on the European Capitals of Culture for the European Commission. His experience as the Director of two Capitals of Culture – Glasgow in 1990 and Brussels in 2000 – made him uniquely qualified for the job.
Greg Richardsis a consultant with Tourism Research and Marketing (Barcelona) and a Reader at the Centre for Tourism, Leisure and Society in Bristol. He has been involved in researching and evaluating the ECOC programme for the past eight years. He has conducted surveys during a number of ECOC events, including Rotterdam (2001), Porto (2001), Salamanca (2002) and Sibiu (2007). He also organised an international cultural event as a project in the Sibiu ECOC. He has also published widely on the impacts of the ECOC and was a member of the Palmer Report team in 2004. In 2005 he was appointed to the international jury for the selection of the 2010 ECOC in Hungary and he is currently undertaking ECOC evaluation studies for Sibiu and Luxemburg.
Publication details
The European Cultural Capital Report is published and distributed by the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS), and can be ordered from them via the ATLAS website ( ordirectly from the ATLAS bookshop:
European Cultural Capital Report
Price € 60 (ATLAS member discount price € 45)
Credit card payment via Pay Pal available.
Subscribers to the first edition of the European Cultural Capital Report will be entitled to purchase subsequent editions for € 40 each.
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