This free one day event is the start up to Calgary's vibrant festival season, and encourages citizens to shake off their winter blues and reintroduce themselves to the thriving creative community in our city. Each spring, thousands of attendees come out to enjoy the unique and pedestrian friendly 4th Street venue, offering an array of musical talent, artisan vendors, quality entertainment and some perfect people watching. At the Lilac Festival, there is an activity made for all ages. This could mean a jump in the bouncer for the kids, discovering a great new band, choosing a perfect summer patio or searching for a trendy fashion; there is no shortage of things happening. The 4th Street Festival Society works diligently to provide an ideal environment for new and emerging local musicians to showcase their talents. There are six stages hosting over 70 performances throughout the day, offering artists exposure to an often brand new audience. 4th Street is host to over 500 vendors that vary from artisan crafts, to imported wares, to community organizations and more!

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:

A. Provide a summary of all six dimensions of event planning (the six A's) discussed in class in your evaluation of the event. Below are some questions to get you thinking about the six dimensions.

1. Anticipation: How and when was the event marketed? How did the organization build excitement for the event?  

2. Arrival: What did guests see when they arrived at the event? How did they get there? What was their first impression?

 3. Atmosphere: What was the "feel" of the event? How did the organizer create the atmosphere? (Decorations, theme, etc.)

4. Activity: What happened at the event? Was there a program/agenda? Describe the activities that took place.

5. Appetite: What food/beverages were served and how was it presented?

6. Amenities: What were guests given to take home ("take aways" or "swag") to help them remember the event? Were volunteers given anything to express appreciation for their assistance?

B. Based on your experience with the event, what is your assessment of how well or poorly the six dimensions were planned? What worked well and what didn't? If some of the dimensions were not applicable to your event, please explain why.  

C. Provide two recommendations for improvement for similar events in the future and state why you feel these recommendations would make the event better. You can focus on the planning process, the actual execution of the event or both. Provide as much detail as possible in putting forward your recommendations. Ensure they are reasonable and workable within the existing resources of the event.

D. Make a conclusion about your overall learnings related to event management as a result of this evaluation. What did you learn? What learnings will you take away from this event and apply in practicum and beyond? Would you consider planning events in the future? Why or why not?