Poor Communication Plagued Gathering

[Oldhiker]

I was amazed when I went to the Gathering how few people in Scotland had heard of it. We got lots of information here in the States. It was like the planer did not want Scots to come... thats who we Yanks want to see and meet - our roots.

Great idea... poor execution. I had a good time but it could have been much better.

[Jock Scot]

I was amazed when I went to the Gathering how few people in Scotland had heard of it. We got lots of information here in the States. It was like the planer did not want Scots to come... thats who we Yanks want to see and meet - our roots.

Great idea... poor execution. I had a good time but it could have been much better.

You are so right, we locals did indeed feel as though we were not welcome and that was made abundantly clear right from the start.

[MacMillans son]

You are so right, we locals did indeed feel as though we were not welcome and that was made abundantly clear right from the start.

Can you elaborate for us Jock?

I can't imagine what they would have been thinking, unless maybe they feared clashes between natives and foreigners ?? What was your take on it?

[Downunder Kilt]

I have seen it happened time and time again, the head "organisers" charge massive "consultant fees", which are of course paid, then the workers who actually do the work and get the thing happening are hung out to dry, with many going under due to non payment of their invoices and the liquidation of the organising company.

[Jock Scot]

Can you elaborate for us Jock?

I can't imagine what they would have been thinking, unless maybe they feared clashes between natives and foreigners ?? What was your take on it?

The only information that I had about it was from this American website when it was at the planning stage, had I not been a member here I may have never known about it. In fairness I was out of action for the few months just before the event so I may have missed some of the local publicity, but from what I understand, local advertising was scant and appeared as a rather desperate afterthought. By then, most locals had decided to do something, anything actually, else on principle.

[MacMillans son]

How very unfortunate Jock. It sounds like a huge missed opportunity, and one that would have contributed considerably to the less than perfect financial outcome. Hopefully that kind of feedback will make it to those in charge of the next event!

Thanks for the local perspective.

[Jock Scot]

How very unfortunate Jock. It sounds like a huge missed opportunity, and one that would have contributed considerably to the less than perfect financial outcome. Hopefully that kind of feedback will make it to those in charge of the next event!

Thanks for the local perspective.

Perhaps I will be proved wrong, but the damage has been done as far as the locals are concerned and there seems to be no enthusiasm to repeat the exercise. Perhaps things may change, but if I were to invest in some sort of similar enterprise, then getting the locals involved this time around will be a major task and frankly I am not at all sure success will be achieved. "Once bitten, twice shy" is the thought that springs to mind.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

As I understand it, there was a great deal of concern that if The Gathering was widely advertised in Scotland locals might choose to attend the Edinburgh event over other, local events. Since most local events are on the ragged edge somewhere between success and failure, even a 10% drop in attendance could wipe some of them off the map. Sensitive to the political fall-out ff this was to happen, the organizers (wisely, in my opinion) puled back on local advertising.

Had The Gathering been heavily advertised in Scotland, and if this advertising had been to the detriment of one or two local games, I'm sure there would have been a much bigger row.

(My error-- I had originally written "Homecoming" when I meant "Gathering".

[Jock Scot]

As I understand it, there was a great deal of concern that if the Homecoming was widely advertised in Scotland locals might choose to attend the Edinburgh event over other, local events. Since most local events are on the ragged edge somewhere between success and failure, even a 10% drop in attendance could wipe some of them off the map. Sensitive to the political fall-out ff this was to happen, the organizers (wisely, in my opinion) puled back on local advertising.

Had the Homecoming been heavily advertised in Scotland, and if this advertising had been to the detriment of one or two local games, I'm sure there would have been a much bigger row.

An interesting point there MoR that does indeed hold water, except, until now I have never heard that point of view voiced before. It may have been for sure and I just have not heard it, but-------

[ThistleDown]

Keep in mind that The Year of Homecoming and The Gathering were two entirely different ventures. The first was a publicity effort by Visit Scotland and simply promoted national tourism. It was therefore no different than any other publicly-funded tourism campaign and was as successful as it could possibly be in such a world-wide disastrous economic year.

The Gathering was a private venture that used The Year of Homecoming to further its own ends. Jamie Semple's mission was not to benefit tourism or assist the locals in any way; it was to produce a personal profit. Scots were not generally informed about what was to take place because Semple wanted offshore visitors, not locals, to purchase his product. They did. For those who attended it was successful in that they enjoyed themselves. Semple's bad management of his venture has, unfortunately, included several dips into the public purse and financial damage to small and larger businesses and not-for-profit organisations alike.

Regardless, let's not confuse his failed and costly venture with the successful tourism campaigns of Visit Scotland, Historic Scotland, National Trust and others.