Day 26: But where's the Tapas?

Observation: When I go to a festival called Taste of Spain...I expect to be able to taste Spain. It may have been the unfortunate weather or I may have missed it... but with every sense...I did not taste Spain.

There was no paella, tapas or sangria, just two churros vans parked at either end. Local restaurants were getting into the spirit of festivities...but not offering more than a token Spanish dish, if that. The music may have been by Spanish people, but the songs I happened to hear were not.

A large proportion of the festival was given over to sporting displays of basketball, football and golf. Don't even get me started on the random display of tents from a retailer on the street.

It seemed like Spain was going for a re-brand as a sporting destination, but forgot why it is loved by people from the world over.

The horses however, were amazing. Sadly, I heard the whole festival was amazing the year before.

Opportunities:

- Firstly, when it is your brand (i.e. Spain), help participating partners understand the vision and experience you will be creating and how that will positively impact them, so you don't end up with bands in sloppy board shorts singing covers at your event. Instead, work with them to connect with the right people to do this.

- Create a research business for events companies - researching the concept and elements of it with target attendees right at the beginning of the event. The aim - test the brand experience you are creating is the one you want. Plus a great opportunity for co-creation too.

- People were barely buying at this event. Create a show-bag style system which would help subsidise the event where people could purchase different flavours of Spain to them take home and share with others. Taking taste in a broader sense it could be music, it could be travel vouchers, it could be famous perfumiers or candle makers from Spain.

- Create an evening event where the colours of Spain are literally projected on the walls of the buildings lining the street, with images denoting the many different facets of Spain projected around the street.