ABSTRACT
Gaining the support of the community during the event planning process is critical to success. Visitors want to interact with the community as this is part of the event experience. Creating a strategy for the development and marketing of a tourism event should involve the entire community as they are part of the event product. After analyzing the community, the internal resources and the external environment, the organization will have a large quantity of interesting information. The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to understand the organization’s internal strengths and then match the strength with an external opportunity. The people required to complete a SWOT include a moderator and the involvement of enthusiastic staff and community members. Positive comments about community amenities can destroy exactly what makes the city attractive. Comments on social media can turn what were community amenities, such as riverfront parks, into tourism products.
