Chapter 4 Stakeholder Management (Donald Getz)

Abstract

This chapter presents concepts and principles for stakeholder manage- ment in a time of crisis, and how stakeholder management is an essential part of recovery and resilience. Definitions, stakeholder theory, case studies and practical advice for event stakeholder management has been provided in the book Event Stakeholders by Mathilda van Niekerk and Donald Getz (2019). However, it was written before the 2020 pandemic and did not specifically address crisis management. A number of interviews and case studies have been incorporated in this book, reflecting the views of experts in a wide range of event settings and types. The interviewees were asked to comment on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the events sector, from their perspectives, on actions taken and plans for recovery, and on the key stakeholders for recovery and building resilience. A summary of the interviews and case studies is contained in the final chapter. While not all crises are as serious as the pandemic, 2020 generally being seen as a worst-case scenario, this material is valuable in shedding light on any form of crisis facing events, and in particular on the vital roles played by internal and external stakeholders. Who or what is a stakeholder? For a privately owned event, owners and direct investors are the shareholders, while stakeholders can broadly be defined as persons or organizations that have something to gain or lose by the actions of the event. They might have an investment in an event, or a perceived interest. An investment can be tangible or intangible. For example, tangible investments can be in the form of being a marketing or logistical partner, supplier, volunteer, paid employee, sponsor or other type of participant. Communities, cities and destinations invest in events and consider themselves to be important stakeholders, their investments being both tangible (e.g., money, venues, marketing, other services) or intangible (e.g., moral and political support, attendance, or – at a minimum – tolerance).