The city introduced its new application platform for event organizers Thursday after streamlining the process and making improvements following community feedback.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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On Thursday the city announced a new festival and event application process designed to make planning and hosting new and returning events easier and more efficient for organizers.
The new process has been designed after receiving feedback from local event organizers who told city staff they often encountered a hard-to-navigate process with limited support and disorganized communication, as well as unclear next steps.
“Medicine Hat’s festivals and events are a cornerstone of community life, adding vibrancy and strengthening the local economy in the city,” said Scott Richter, manager of recreation. “They create shared experiences, attract visitors and help shape the memories that define our city.”
The city says its new application process includes three key improvements to provide organizers a more co-ordinated, transparent and support approach when planning events.
The first improvement is streamlining the application system to consolidate multiple steps into a single user-friendly process. This should help reduce duplications and minimize delays processing the application.
“The streamlined workflow ensures that applications move smoothly through review, approvals and permitting,” reads a release.
Better communication and transparency is the second key improvement and includes an updated process that will provide organizers “clearer” timelines, consistent updates and better visibility into how far along their application is within the review process.
The city hopes this improvement will help organizers plan events with confidence and reduce the number of uncertainties in the lead-up.
The city says the final improvement will be to provide organizers a dedicated event liaison to serve as the primary point of contact for organizers and provide help navigating requirements and provide guidance for each event.
At a recent committee meeting staffers told members that organizers used to deal with up to six different liaisons in the past.
The event liaisons will also help co-ordinate communication across all city departments in an effort to make the application process more cohesive and responsive.
“By modernizing the application process and strengthening support for organizers the city is investing in a future where events can continue to grow, innovate and bring people together,” said Richter.
Organizers are encouraged to visit the updated festival and event planning page that can be accessed through the Parks and Recreation tab on the city’s homepage.
