Passport DC Post
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Nov 24, 2024
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docx
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Passport DC Post-Event Report:
Overview Report
Exclusively available on IvyPanda
Updated: Oct 1st, 2023
Table of Contents
Passport DC is a one-month cultural tourism program intended to showcase and
develop the thriving international community of Washington as well as its
‘melting-pot’ culture. Since May is International Cultural Awareness Month
celebrated in Washington, Passport DC provides multiple opportunities to hold
various meetings and programs by embassies as well as the best cultural
institutions in the city. This report focuses on the evaluation of the Saudi Arabian
Embassy in Washington participating in the Passport DC program.
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The aim of the Embassy’s engagement with the program was to provide the
visitors of the event with the ample knowledge about the culture and heritage of
Saudi Arabia, including the country’s vision of the future, language, its leaders, as
well as visionary projects that have been taking place in the Kingdom. The first
program goal was to engage in meaningful interactions with the visitors to ensure
that they get as much information as possible about the rich culture and diversity
of Saudi Arabia. The second program goal was to answer any questions visitors
had about the Kingdom to expand their knowledge. The third program goal was
to gain more experience interacting with different visitors and know which
questions concern them the most. The event was held on May 7, 2021, with the
Embassy team including the Media department, the IT and Engineering Crew,
and Public Diplomacy representatives, including King Abdullah Academy Staff
and Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) students and volunteers.
Important Event KPIs
To evaluate the success of the event, several key performance indicators (KPIs)
were introduced. They were the following:
1.
Visitor satisfaction
– the indicator measured the satisfaction of visitors
with the event to determine whether they liked the activities that were held.
The visitors commented positively on the activities, which included
interactive engagement with children, photoshoots in traditional Saudi
clothing, authentic food tasking, and getting designs from henna artists and
calligraphers.
2.
Comfort
– the indicator measured whether the event was held in a good
location that could meet the expectations of visitors. Regarding venue size,
the visitors reported that the space allowed everyone to move around
freely without any crowding. It could have been helpful to have a tent
installed outside to enable the visitors to disperse around the venue and
have more room for activities.
3.
Event venue preparedness
– the indicator measured whether everything
was considered when it comes to the event’s organization. The negative
indicator was that the lines were quite long at the main entrance due to the
lack of rope lines for sectioning the crowd. Besides, it was challenging for
several people to enter because the doors were too small. In addition, the
big auditorium backdrop was outdated.
4.
Staff performance
– the indicator measured whether the staff involved in
the event met all of the expectations. During the event, there were some
issues associated with performance; namely, there were no brochures
about tourism to Saudi Arabia, troubles with a video, and not all photos that
should have been.
5.
The number of staff
– the indicator measured whether there was enough
staff at the event to complete all tasks successfully. Notably, there were not
enough volunteers from SACM, which caused some underperformance.
6.
Information fullness and coverage
– the indicator measured whether the
information presented to the visitor was complete and covered everything
relevant to Saudi Arabia. The visitors were shown a video about Saudi
Arabia at the event, but it lacked some important information. Specifically,
there was a lack of focus on Makkah and Al-Madinah, no information on
female empowerment in Saudi Arabia, no mentioning of traditional foods,
no mentioning of the Kingdom’s 2030 strategic vision, and no mention of
the world heritage sites in the country.
Quantitative Data Findings
While the KPIs mentioned in the previous section tend to cover qualitative data,
several quantitative indicators should be mentioned. In contrast to qualitative
data, which requires more time to be analyzed and compared, quantitative
indicators are easier to note and report on a long-term basis. Recording
quantitative data from the event for several years can help compare them and
make conclusions regarding which event was the most successful. The
quantitative data for May 7, 2021, event is the following:
1.
More than 1,200 attendees at the event;
2.
More than 600 photos were taken in traditional costumes and candid
images for visitors to keep for memories;
3.
More than 700 cards with Thuluth handwriting were given as keepsakes;
4.
More than 600 cold beverages were served by Shotted Specialty Café
when entertaining guests.
Recommendations for Improvement in the
Future
Since there is no limit to perfection, it is essential to learn from mistakes or minor
missteps in order to organize better events in the future. Drawing from the event
assessment findings, recommendations for improvement can be made. The
following is the recommendations list:
1.
Improve venue preparation and organization
– during the next event, it
is necessary to eliminate long wait times at the entrance through improved
crowd sectioning and a bigger entrance door. In addition, several tents can
be placed outside so that visitors have more room to move around the
event.
2.
Improve the information organization efforts
– when preparing for the
next event, the presentation shown to visitors should have more detailed
information about Saudi Arabia, including its sociopolitical background, the
vision of the future, as well as abundant tourism-related information to
encourage more visitors to the country.
3.
Encourage participation of higher-standing diplomats so they can talk more
about the country, its culture, the opportunities for tourism, diplomatic
relationships, and other relevant information.
4.
Engage more consular efforts, such as having a table at the venue for
Consular Office to explain visitors how they can apply for a visa to visit
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Saudi Arabia. In addition, the consular representative can hand out
informational brochures containing full information about visiting the
country.
5.
Increase the number of volunteers at the event to ensure the meeting of
visitors’ demands. The more volunteers there will be, the easier it is to
distribute assignments and responsibilities between them. A larger number
of volunteers will ensure that all the recommendations mentioned above
are met.
6.
Expand the variety of activities at the event because the visitors reported
to like them. The majority of positive comments that the event attendees
gave were regarding different activities that they could do. Considering the
diversity of the Saudi Arabian culture, it is possible to come up with
different activities that are relevant to the country. These may include
masterclasses on making Arabian pita bread, quizzes on who knows the
most facts about Saudi Arabia, more entertainment for kids, and many
others.
Summary and Conclusion
The Passport DC event was overall a success, with a lot of visits getting to know
the diverse cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia and engaging in discussions about
what the future holds for collaborative efforts to exchange knowledge and
experience. The most important takeaway from the event was that more than one
thousand and two hundred people who participated developed an awareness
about the notable transformation occurring in the Kingdom aimed at becoming a
valuable player in the International Affairs arena. Due to the goal of promoting
Saudi Arabia and encouraging more tourists to the country, in the future, it could
be helpful to include the representatives of Saudi Arabia’s Consular Office. They
can show how easy it is to apply for a visa and fly to the country.
Unfortunately, there were some mistakes that the tea