Item - 2016.ED12.4

The Mayor's Advisory Panel on International Hosting Opportunities identified two types of major special events – "Mega Events", referring to the Olympics (Winter and Summer), World Expos, and the FIFA World Cup, and "Global Community Events", a second tier of significant special events that will not capture the same market share or exposure as an Olympics, but that generate considerable benefits for Toronto in terms of economic and cultural impact, media exposure, community engagement, and trade opportunities.

This Strategy is put forward to guide future bidding and hosting of Global Community Events. This report defines a Global Community Event as a "significant special event" falling under Category A or B of the City of Toronto Standard Definitions for Special Events. These definitions, included in full in Appendix B, are summarized below.

­           Category A events are significant special events hosted in rotating jurisdictions on a cyclical basis, generating considerable economic benefits for the host region, and requiring substantial coordinating efforts from the host government. Recent examples include WorldPride (2014), the 100th Grey Cup Festival (2012), and the International Indian Film Academy Awards (2011).

­           Category B events include non-recurring special events of a slightly smaller scale, such as the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, as well as existing high-profile annual festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

The Mayor's Advisory Panel rightly noted that separate bidding and hosting strategies must be put in place for Mega Events and for Category A and B events. Mega Events differ significantly from Category A and B events on a range of factors, including scale, cost, capital requirements, and the City's role in the very extensive bidding process. Accordingly, this Strategy complements a separate report outlining considerations for bidding on and hosting Mega Events that will be considered by Executive Committee in May 2016, and City Council in June 2016.

The City of Toronto has a strong track record of hosting very successful Category A and B events that have generated significant economic impact, enhanced the City's global media profile, and left lasting, meaningful legacies for Toronto. Despite this track record of success, the City has no formal policies or procedures for bidding on or hosting Category A or B special events. Requests for support from event organizers are dealt with on an ad hoc basis, and the coordination of municipal services for events is negotiated informally by staff as needed. In addition, the City lacks a long-term strategy to fund bidding and hosting expenses for significant special events.

The City of Toronto Bidding and Hosting Strategy for Significant Special Events will address these gaps by proposing a new framework to manage and evaluate event hosting opportunities, and by identifying dedicated resources to bring high-value, high-impact events to Toronto. The Strategy will build on the successful legacy of the Pan Am Games by implementing a proactive approach to developing and promoting special event bids, and by positioning Toronto as a preferred host city for significant events and conventions.

This report also lists the notable number of requests for support that have recently been submitted to the City by Category A and B special events, and for which no source of funding currently exists.