The economic impact of these initiatives can not be underestimated. The Tulloch Inverness Highland Games, for example, is estimated to bring £1.1 million in to the local economy.

Realising the economic benefits that events can bring, the Scottish Executive created EventScotland with the ambition of turning Scotland in to one of the world's foremost events destinations by 2015. EventScotland is one of the major partners of Highland 2007.

What kind of a legacy do such events leave? The investment made to create a spectacle can be used to 'pump prime' the local economy and spark future growth. This is why the public sector has good reason to invest in such events.

In a competitive events marketplace, Inverness needs to keep on delivering the goods so expenses will increase over time. This is fine as long as the returns continue to increase too. When a new event is mooted, two questions should be asked: "will it bring lasting economic benefits" and "will it inspire people to make sure it happens again?"

When Highland 2007 ends we will have enjoyed a huge range of events — all of which should be carefully assessed for their potential to grow, to be staged again and bring long term benefits to our city.

Our own Highland Games does just this. Once a small occasion, the games have grown every year and deliver over £1 million to our economy.

This year our games are the first in Scotland for over a decade to host the World Highland Games Heavy Championships. The marquees at Bught Park will then be used for a number of events over the following week, and then later used for the European Pipe Band Championships. This maximises benefits and minimises costs. All event organisers need good planning to ensure that when the fat lady has sung, the legacy left after an event is more than just invoices.

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