Oct 15 2010

They’re our Reno/Sparks Events – but are they appealing to us?

Events represent a culture

When I was invited to attend the most recent A2N2 meeting, “Marketing Reno/Sparks Special Events: Tackling New Challenges in a Tough Economy,” I got excited at the chance to hear first-hand about those events that make our community unique – especially considering I’d just blogged about the communities (and cultures) I experienced on my recent trip to Europe.

During my trip, I felt that unique traditions and events within those European locales tended to strengthen the overall sense of culture I felt for each. On top of that, the stronger that sense of culture, the more I desired to experience that culture (especially the aspects of their lives that were new to me) and the greater lasting effects those cultures had on my perception and in my memory.
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Oct 4 2010

A sense of community

The many cultures of Europe

Europe is different than the United States in that despite its size (Europe is only 3% larger geographically than the US), it has far more native languages and cultures than does the United States. While I’m not a sociologist (and I’m writing this on my first trip to Europe, while having only visited France and Belgium), I would guess that this amazing variety of cultures is due largely to the longer lengths of time for which these different communities have existed (and warred) prior to our current age of communication and globalization, such that they still maintain their strong cultural differences despite their close proximity. The US, on the other hand, is a single country and is only approaching two and a half centuries of cultural development, a large percentage of which occurred during and after the technological revolution – a force that pressures cultures to become more homogenized due to the economies of scale accompanying mass production and large-scale advertising.

That being said, there is much to appreciate in cultural differences that exist from place to place: specialties of cuisine, language, and custom that allow someone (especially a tourist such as myself) to feel as though they have really experienced a place and better understood its heart. Continue reading

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