Developing an International Strategy and Reaching Global Audiences
“Taking part in the DLP has strengthened the Tattoo’s relationship with Edinburgh Airport in particular and we can now exchange and feed knowledge and information for the benefit of both organisations and the wider destination of Edinburgh. As a partnership manager, actually realising some of the partnerships which hadn’t been so obvious prior to starting the course particularly at an international level, was incredibly useful”.
The student
Nancy Riach is Partnerships and Development Manager for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and works with a diverse range of stakeholders, from the Tattoo audience, viewers and supporters to the media, defence and tourism, as well as culture and the arts on a global level. Nancy’s remit is to work on a strategic level to help ensure a sustainable future for the Tattoo and to ensure it retains diverse audiences. Nancy worked in arts and stage management, events, and marketing and PR before joining the Tattoo in September 2011.
The organisation
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo began in 1950 as part of the Edinburgh International Festival as an event that was created, first and foremost, to support the Services and Arts charities. Today it plays a central role in the Edinburgh summer festivals and each year runs for 25 shows throughout August. 220,000 people see the Show live each year with a further 100 – 300 million seeing it on television across the world. The Tattoo is an iconic event on a Scottish, UK, European and Global level. The Tattoo is an institution, representing potential for partnership with specific interest from Tourism, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Business and Commerce and Culture, Heritage and the Arts. It brings around £77-100M in to the economy each year as a cornerstone of the Scottish and British tourism industry and is engaged in diverse business activities in order to ensure future sustainability.
Nancy’s story
In this case study Nancy shares her experience of the Destination Leaders programme and the impact that the course has had on her, both personally, in terms of her understanding of her own place within the tourism sector, and professionally, particularly with regard to how the DLP experience has led to developments in internationalisation and reaching global audiences for the Tattoo.
Read/download the full case study below.