Music x Media explored the economic opportunities of the night city with tips from Shain Shapiro
The Music x Media event brought together experts in the creative economy in Tampere from October 4 to 7. Canadian-born Shain Shapiro has written a book examining nightlife in cities titled This Must Be The Place – How Music Can Make Your City Better. Shapiro spoke at the event about the economic and social significance of music and nightlife for cities.
Shapiro reminded the audience in his speech that a city does not sleep outside of office hours; rather, evening and nighttime activities are essential for the city's experience economy. According to Shapiro, music and other creative sectors play a vital role in creating a city's attractiveness and sense of community.
Shapiro encourages cities to utilize data when developing nightlife strategies
Currently on a world tour, Shapiro consults cities, helps create nightlife strategies, and speaks at music industry events. He gave a private talk to stakeholders in Tampere's experience economy.
According to Shapiro, cities play a significant role as enablers of evening and nighttime economies. This includes the accessibility of event venues provided by public transportation, safety, and clear communication. Shapiro emphasized the importance of collecting and measuring data related to nightlife.
– Everything starts with data: cities can effectively plan the targeting of nightlife support measures when they have a clear understanding of where nightlife is concentrated, Shapiro stated in his speech.
In Tampere, data-driven solutions are being developed that also benefit the evening and nighttime economy. An example of this is the Pulssi application, which predicts the flow of people in the city center and is designed to meet the needs of entrepreneurs in the area.
Shapiro's speech highlighted the importance of understanding the music ecosystem at the city level. By the music ecosystem, Shapiro refers to the understanding of the background machinery surrounding music and the diverse utilization of its benefits.
Tampere is systematically developing the experience economy, taking evening events into account
The City of Tampere is systematically working on the experience economy. The development program for the experience economy, which operates during the council term 2022–2025, aims to enhance creative sectors as well as other industries. The main goal of the program is for Tampere to be recognized as an international hub for creative industries.
– Tampere has recognized the importance of nighttime activities for the experience economy. Speakers like Shapiro, who bring an international perspective, provide us with valuable insights for developing our actions, says Maiju Viiki, project manager of the Experience Economy Development Program.
Examples of the City of Tampere's efforts to support evening and nighttime activities include a trial of event tickets on public transport and the SURE project, which has supported the smooth operation of event traffic and event safety through data and lighting.
– Listening to Shapiro, it was delightful to note that we are already implementing many measures he referred to. We received valuable tips for building our nightlife strategy, and examining the data economy from the perspective of nightlife needs will surely be beneficial for the city. Shapiro's concept of the music ecosystem can be utilized in many ways to support creative sectors, Viiki states.
