CELEBRATION OF LIGHT VANCOUVER
HISTORY
The Honda Celebration of Light (formerly known as Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire) is an annual musical fireworks competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The first “Symphony of Fire” was held from July 25 to August 5, 1990. The celebration is one of Vancouver’s largest and most well-known festivals, and is recognized as the longest running off-shore fireworks competitions in the world. The multiple-day event has an estimated annual attendance of 1.4 million people.
The event had been previously sponsored by British American Tobacco (with the branding Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire), but once tobacco advertising restrictions were legislated by the Canadian federal government in 2000, there were fears that the event would fail to receive sufficient funding to continue operations.
The Vancouver event, with various sponsors, has been re-branded as the Celebration of Light.
British American Tobacco informed Ontario Place Corporation, the hosts of the Toronto exhibition, that they could continue holding the annual event, but under a different name, as the Symphony of Fire trademark vested with Benson and Hedges. The Toronto event has since been renamed the Canada Dry Festival of Fire.
In South Africa, the event is still marketed under the name Symphony of Fire and is sponsored by a local radio station.
The Cape Town events took place in 2000 and March 2006. Spain, Canada and South Africa took part in the 2006 event with South Africa winning on the 8 April.
SYMPHONY OF FIRE
The Symphony of Fire is an annual multi-day fireworks exhibition and friendly international competition held around the world. The fireworks are choreographed to music. They continue to be presented at Victoria & Alfred waterfront in Cape Town.
It was presented at English Bay in Vancouver, British Columbia, and at the Lake Ontario waterfront of the Ontario Place theme park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada until 2000, when these presentations were forced to seek new sponsors and, thus, the exhibition changed names.
AIMS:
· TO CELEBRATE LIGHT
· TO CELEBRATE MUSIC
· TO CELEBRATE FOOD
creating a festival to match the fireworks
Originally named the “Symphony of Fire”, the Honda Celebration of Light has come a long way in 27 years. Recognized as the longest running off-shore fireworks festival in the world, they have hosted a healthy number of countries in a friendly competition of breath taking firework display.
HEART OF THE EVENT
The event’s core purpose is to spark togetherness as they welcome almost 1.5 million people every year to enjoy and show their love for food, to meet the music beat and to of course have a sparky time by celebrating and participating in the firework display. This year marks a special change in programming as each fireworks team will design their performance to incorporate 1 of 3 Canadian songs voted in by our followers on social media. The three songs will commemorate classic Canadian music content including the Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, and Leonard Cohen.
THE VANCOUVERFIREWORKS FESTIVAL SOCIETY
It is the not-for-profit society that oversees the Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival, the largest offshore fireworks competition in the world. Established in 2001 and run by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors, the primary aim of the Society is to bring the community together for a free family fun event and to ensure the long lasting sustainability of the event in Vancouver.
board of the society
1. Co-Chair Paul Tilbury
2. Co-Chair Heather Owen
3. Peter Jackman
4. Michael McDaniel
5. Ryan Black
6. Michael McKnight
7. Matthew Cross
8. Yuri Fulmer
9. Rick Cluff
10. City Liaison: Wendy Au
11. Park Board Liaison: Malcolm Bromley
Partners
Media Partners
2017 PROGRAM
The 2017 Honda Celebration of Light will take place July 29, August 2, and August 5, featuring competitors from Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada.2 The competitor for Japan, Akariya, previously won the 2014 Honda Celebration of Light. Widely regarded as the premiere pyrotechnic company in the UK, the multi-award winning Jubilee Fireworks Ltd became the holders of the first “Champions of Champions” title after winning both national competitions: The British Fireworks Championships and The British Musical Fireworks Championships. Royal Pyrotechnie, recognized as the most decorated fireworks firm in Canada, is the only group to win three Gold Jupiter awards during the annual L’International des FeuxLoto-Québec competition.
To celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary, each of the competitors will be required to include one iconic Canadian song into their display, extending the traditional length of the shows (25 minutes) for an additional 3 minutes (for a total of 28 minutes)3. The songs were voted by the public on Honda’s Celebration of Light Facebook page4; the three chosen were “Ahead by a Century” by The Tragically Hip, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, and “Summer of ’69” by Bryan Adams5. The winner of the competition was Japan.
Saturday, July 29
Country:
Japan
Team:
Akariya Fireworks
Theme:
Land of the Rising Sun6
Canada 150 song selection:
“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen7
Wednesday, August 2
Country:
United Kingdom
Team:
Jubilee Fireworks
Theme:
Kiss The Sky8
Canada 150 song selection:
“Ahead by a Century” by The Tragically Hip7
Website:
Jubilee Fireworks
Saturday, August 5
Country:
Canada
Team:
Royal Pyrotechnie
Theme:
Legends of Fire9
Canada 150 song selection:
“Summer of ’69” by Bryan Adams7
Website:
Royal Pyrotechnie
2016 PROGRAM
The 2016 Honda Celebration of Light took place on July 23, July 27, and July 30. The event featured the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States in competition. Notably, 2016 was be the first time that the Netherlands has competed in the event.10 The Walt Disney Company, the world’s largest consumer of fireworks,11 was the competitor for the United States, while Australia was represented by Howard & Sons, whose displays have included the opening and closing ceremonies for 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney12 and opening and closing ceremonies for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.13 Team USA won the competition.14 Vancouver Police had to shut down English Bay Beach for the Team USA show, due to capacity concerns.15
Saturday, July 23
Country:
Netherlands
Team:
Royal Fireworks
Theme:
Journey in Time16
Website:
Royal Fireworks
Wednesday, July 27
Country:
Australia
Team:
Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics
Theme:
Live and Loud17
Website:
Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics
Saturday, July 30
Country:
United States
Team:
Walt Disney Company
Theme:
Disney Music Extravaganza1819
Website:
Walt Disney Company
2015 PROGRAM
The 2015 Honda Celebration of Light was scheduled for July 25, July 29, and August 1. For the 25th anniversary of the event, three returning competitors from China, Brazil, and Canada participated. The 2015 competition winner was Canada.
Saturday, July 25
Country:
China
Company:
Jiangxi Province Lidu Fireworks Corporation Ltd.
Team:
Team Lidu
Website:
www.lidufireworks.com
Wednesday, July 29
Country:
Brazil
Team:
Group Vision Show
Saturday, August 1
Country:
Canada
Team:
Archangel Fireworks
Website:
www.archangelfireworks.com
2014 PROGRAM
The 2014 Honda Celebration of Light was scheduled for July 26, July 30, and August 2, featuring performances by the United States, France, and Japan respectively. The competitors were newcomers to Vancouver, though their respective countries have previously participated before.20 The 2014 competition winner was Japan.21
Saturday, July 26
Country:
United States
Team:
Pyrotecnico
Website:
www.pyrotecnico.com
Wednesday, July 30
Country:
France
Team:
F.C. Pyro
Saturday, August 2
Country:
Japan
Team:
Akariya Fireworks
Theme:
“The Art of Survival”22
2013 PROGRAM
The 2013 Honda Celebration of Light was scheduled for July 27, July 31, and August 3, with performances by the United Kingdom, Canada, and Thailand respectively. 2013 was the first year that Thailand participated in the event as part of the organizers’ ongoing efforts to introduce a new nation to the program each year. The 2013 competition winner was Canada.
Saturday, July 27
Country:
United Kingdom
Team:
Pyro 2000
Theme:
“Licence to Thrill” (James Bond)23
Website:
www.pyro2000.co.uk
Wednesday, July 31
Country:
Canada
Team:
Calgary-Based Fireworks Spectaculars
Theme:
“A Wonderful World/Into a Raging River”
Website:
www.fireworksspectaculars.com
Saturday, August 3
Country:
Thailand
Team:
Thailand Fireworks
Theme:
Classical Thai music
Website:
thailandfirework.net
2012 PROGRAM
The 2012 Brazil show
The 2012 Honda Celebration of Light was saw teams from Vietnam and Brazil as newcomers, while the Italian team of PirotecnicaSoldi was more established.24 Canada did not participate for the first time in six years as producers of the event had been looking for new countries to compete from each continent for the next three years.25 The 2012 competition winner was Italy.
Saturday, July 28
Country:
Vietnam
Team:
Team Da Nang
Wednesday, August 1
Country:
Brazil
Team:
Group Vision Show
Saturday, August 4
Country:
Italy
Team:
PirotecnicaSoldi
Website:
www.pirotecnicasoldi.it
2011 PROGRAM
The 2011 HSBC Celebration of Light presented a “Battle of Champions” by featuring three previous competition winners: China (represented by 2009 winner Red Eagle Industrial and Trade Co. Ltd), Spain (represented by 2010 winner PirotecniaIgual), and Canada (represented by 2007 and 2008 winner Archangel Fireworks Inc). The winner for the 2011 competition was China.
Saturday, July 30
Country:
China
Team:
Red Eagle Manufacturing Industrial and Trade Co. Ltd
Theme:
China Storm
Wednesday, August 3
Country:
Spain
Team:
PirotecniaIgual
Theme:
Odyssey
Website:
www.pirotecniaigual.com
Saturday, August 6
Country:
Canada
Team:
Archangel Fireworks
Theme:
Then and Now
Website:
www.archangelfireworks.com
2010 PROGRAM
Fireworks by China on July 31, 2010.
The 2010 HSBC Celebration of Light winner was Spain (PirotecniaIgual).26
Wednesday, July 21
Country:
United States
Company:
Rozzi Inc.
Theme:
In the Mood
Saturday, July 24
Country:
Spain
Team:
PirotecniaIgual
Theme:
Heaven and Hell
Website:
www.pirotecniaigual.com
Wednesday, July 28
Country:
Mexico
Team:
Lux Pirotecnia
Theme:
Journey
Website:
www.luxpirotecnia.com
Saturday, July 31
Country:
Canada, China
Team:
GroupeFiatlux-Ampleman
Theme:
Tribute to China/The Butterfly Lovers
Objectives
Following were the objectives of the Celebration of Light
· Analyzing the complexities of Celebration of Light
· Analyzing the size, nature and structure of Celebration of Light
· Analyzing the service quality management of Celebration of Light
· Analyzing the risk management of Celebration of Light
· Analyzing the planning process of Celebration of Light
· Analyzing the operations management with the help of theory of constraint and bottleneck theory of Winnipeg Folk Festival, 2015
Complexities of Celebration of Light Vancouver
The given are different complexities which can be present at the Celebration of Light Vancouver causing operational issues.
Safety Arrangements
One of the main concerns at the festival is safety of people for which volunteers have been assigned specifically, from whom information regarding any matter can be taken. Personal conflicts can lead to some bad behavior or unhealthy choices. Therefore, volunteers can be contacted to get solution of the expected issue. Managing such matters, even after designating the staff at the Celebration of Light Vancouver can be complex, turns into some serious outcome.
Leaving Time & Crowd
It is one of the difficult thing to handle the crowd or make it move faster when the Celebration of Light Vancouver attendees are leaving., as expectedly there are around 1.3 million , which have arrived. The management does not provide surety about the matter that, how long it will take the people to move out from the venue area as all have to move with the pace with different speeds, thus, the management assures the people to guide through a way, but it can take an hour to move out easily. Therefore, it can be a complex matter for the team to handle.
Nature and Structure of the Celebration of Light Vancouver
Nature of Event
Celebration of Light Vancouver Recognized as the longest running off-shore fireworks festival in the world, we have hosted dozens of countries to compete each year in a spectacular fireworks display.
Mission
Leading event production and creative agency, based in Vancouver, Canada delivering award-winning work for a diverse portfolio of local, national, and international clients. They know the best solutions often come from the most unlikely places, so they bring together a diverse team and an extensive list of in-house services, with a curatorial approach to each event they produce.
Committees Involved
The Celebration of Light Vancouver has been organized with the support of different directors and staff members. There were, executives and directors. Whereas, there were different staff members with different designations.
Target Audience
The Celebration of Light Vancouver has been expanded to international audiencesas, it has seen growth and development. The festival management believes in diversity and equality, which ensures respect and participation of all. Thus, the festival audience will be people from everywhere as, it does not belong to any boundary. Event’s core purpose is to spark togetherness, as we welcome over 1.3 million regional and international visitors every summer to sample local food, experience live music performances, and finally soak in the wonder of the fireworks. This year marks a special change in programming as each fireworks team will design their performance to incorporate 1 of 3 Canadian songs voted in by our followers on social media. The three songs will commemorate classic Canadian music content including the Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, and Leonard Cohen.
Service Quality Management in Case of Celebration of Light Vancouver
Tangibility
The tangibles of the festival included, tickets, passes, and many other things. The festival was not possible without the possible support of these things and the management have arranged monetary support to make it possible.
Responsiveness
The responsiveness of the festival was higher. It can be seen as the volunteers have been present at the festival to provide greater support. The work of the volunteers have been appreacietd by the management as well. Things and roles were well defined. The festival management have arranged volunteers for different tasks, a complete support has been created for security and safety arrangements as well as in the form of complain of lost items being registered. Further, the management have arranged, health services and inquiry ways for the people to get to know about their queries. This, shows that the responsiveness of the festival was higher too.
Reliability
The reliability of the festival is greater too. The number of attendees have increased and international recognition has been given to it. The festival was supported by grants and sponsors. The support has been greater in the form of attendees too. Thus, the reliability of the festival was high.
Risk Management of Celebration of Light Vancouver
Risk management is about identifying the risks and handling them, which can belongs to any part of the organization. There have been different kind of risks expected during the festival which are identified below,
Internal Risks
Internal risks for the festival in 2015 can be operational failures, technical problems and absence of any artist.
External Risks
There can be different kind of external risks expected like fight, and health issues etc. Jul 25, 2014 – Vancouver police are worried camera-mounted drones flying between firework blasts at the Celebration of Light this weekend could put onlookers’ safety at risk. Video from just such a stunt went viral earlier this month, and has already been viewed more than 9.5 million times on YouTube.
Mitigation Strategies
The Celebration of Light Vancouver management have involved a great and trained team of volunteers during the festival which were trained to handle the matters like, lost things, health related matters, dealing with fight related matters and many others. The internal issues can also be handled by the support of team and by helping people to understand the present issue in a better way communicated.
Planning Process of the Celebration of Light Vancouver
In order to organize a successful festival a lot of things are needed to be taken into consideration. There have been different things which were important to organize the Celebration of Light Vancouver, some of the basic steps of the planning of the festival are discussed below.
Idea
Originally named the “Symphony of Fire”, the Honda Celebration of Light has come a long way in 27 years. Provide display, consulting, production and design services to major events and corporations worldwide. They produce and compete globally at major fireworks festivals and are constantly improving their skills and designing new effects for the fireworks industry.
Aim
Is the not-for-profit society that oversees the Celebration of Light Fireworks Festival, the largest offshore fireworks competition in the world. Established in 2001 and run by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors, the primary aim of the Society is to bring the community together for a free family fun event and to ensure the long lasting sustainability of the event in Vancouver.
Requirements
There were different requirements for the festival to be conducted, which included operations related, financial support related including grants etc years, food vendors, sponsors and man power support years. All of these basic requirements have helped the festival to execute successfully.
Location
The festival has been conducted in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Budget
The festival’s annual budget is approximately $2 million. Its biggest costs are fireworks, transportation and hotel expenses for the competing teams.
About 85% of the festival’s budget comes from sponsorship and in-kind donations, said festival co-chairman Paul Tilbury, who has been involved with the event since 2000.
The rest of the budget comes primarily from ticket sales for three viewing areas and beer sales at an non-ticketed, 750-seat Sunset Beach beer garden.
Prices have risen for the two smallest paid-viewing areas. Tickets for the 450-person Keg Lounge atop the Stanley Park bathhouse are $179 this year, up from $169 last year; a 350-person area near the Inukshuk will cost $169 this year, up from $139 last year.
The largest paid viewing area remains the YVR Observation Deck at English Bay, where bleachers can accommodate 1,200 people. Tickets are $49 apiece, which is the same as last year.
(Image: The Honda Celebration of LIght was known as the Symphony of Fire when the first Vancouver fireworks competition was held in 1990 from a barge at English Bay | Brandlive)
Tilbury estimated that 1.2 million people will watch the fireworks over the festival’s three nights. That would be up slightly from the 1.1 million the VFFS estimated watched the three shows last year.
The City of Vancouver is likely the event’s largest sponsor given that it covers the cost of policing, portable toilets and beach cleanup. In past years, those costs were estimated to be more than $350,000.
Tilbury would not say exactly how much Honda is contributing but he said it was more than six figures. It’s the second year of Honda’s three-year title sponsorship.
“It’s significant support from Honda and, proportionally, it is about double the support of second-tier sponsors such as Concord Pacific,” he said.
The VFFS subcontracts the organization of the festival to BrandLive, which then hires people such as Guille to manage specific areas.
West End businesses thrive on fireworks nights, and some are having special ticketed fireworks parties.
The Boathouse Restaurant on Beach Avenue has a roof patio that, for the past few years, has been open to customers on a first-come, first-served basis. This year 2016, however, the restaurant is hosting patio parties on fireworks nights.
General manager Darrick Wan told BIV that his restaurant is selling 90 tickets per night for rooftop viewing and hors d’oeuvres at $149 apiece.
