‘Liverpool Calling – And the Results Are In’, was a special one-day event at ACC Liverpool that revisited the city’s Eurovision journey and celebrated all that was achieved.
On the day, the official impact figures were unveiled for the first time and the team that helped deliver the biggest global music event in Liverpool, including funders, stakeholders and partners, were brought back together to discuss just how this acclaimed, complex event made it in to the history books.
The days event was split between a morning session and afternoon session. People were welcome to stay all day or opt for any of the sessions they were particularly interested in.
MORNING SESSION
Thursday 26 October
9.30am – 12.00pm: The Sypmosium
The Symposium saw hosts Daniel Rosney (Broadcaster & Journalist) and Ngunan Adamu (Presenter) welcome keynote speakers to the stage including Liam Robinson – Leader of Liverpool City Council, Claire McColgan CBE – Director of Culture Liverpool, Phil Harrold – Company Secretary and Chief of Staff at BBC, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram – Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Jean Philip De Tender – Deputy Director General and Director of Media EBU.
Speeches were followed by a panel discussion, comprising members of the working group, about the evaluation of the Eurovision in Liverpool, the methods and areas of research, the purpose behind it and what has been revealed so far. The panel addressed ‘what is the importance of evaluation and the implications of the results?’ as well as ‘how the evaluation was conducted and what are the results so far?’
Panellists:
Professor Matthew Ashton – Director of Public Health, Liverpool City Council
Professor Iain Buchan – Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Public Health, Policy and Systems, University of Liverpool
Professor Mark Bellis – Director of Research and Innovation, Liverpool John Moores University
Amy Coleman – Head of Media Analysis at Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Amy Finch – Head of Policy and Impact, Spirit of 2012
Graham Russel – Chief Executive of AMION Consulting
12.00pm – 1.15pm: Break
AFTERNOON SESSION
The afternoon saw multiple sessions discussing the biggest host city programme of its kind; sessions included Operational Delivery, Public Health & Wellbeing, Cultural Programming & Diplomacy, Education & Community Impact, Funding, PR & Communications, Visitor Economy and The Impact of Major Events on Cities. Key speakers included Martin Green CBE – Managing Director, Eurovision 2023, Patricia Yates – CEO, Visit Britain, Shanaz Gulzar – Creative Director of Bradford 2025, Caroline Clift – Editor in Chief at StandOut Magazine, Masha Vynogradova – Ukrainian Radio & TV Presenter, Maria Panayi – Music Marketing Lead at TikTok Europe, Africa and Middle East, Shanaz Gulzar – Creative Director of Bradford 2025, Francesca Hegyi OBE – Executive Director of The Edinburgh International Festival, Hayley James – Board Director at Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Jane, Lady Gibson OBE – Chair, Spirit of 2012, Christine Wilson – Director of Research & Insight, British Council and many more.
1.15pm – 5.00pm: Learning Hub Sessions
1.15pm – 2.05pm: Sessions 1 and 2
Session 1: Operational Delivery
Session 2: Public Health & Wellbeing Impact
2.05pm – 2.20pm: Break
2.20pm – 3.10pm: Sessions 3, 4 and 5
Session 3: Cultural Programming & Diplomacy
Session 4: Education & Community Impact
Session 5: PR & Communication
3.10pm – 3.20pm: Break
3.25pm – 4.15pm: Sessions 6, 7 and 8
Session 6: Funding
Session 7: Visitor Economy
Session 8: The Impact of Major Events on Cities
4.30pm: Event close
