Mike McFarnell says he wants to unlock Dover's potential as the town's new events manager.

Hotelier Mr McFarnell, who has organised 10 Dover Pageants during the past 25 years, says not enough is being done to make the most of events taking place in the town in the short term.

"There are long-term plans for the next 30 years, but people want to know what's happening next week, and we need to maximise the potential of events that are planned," he said.

"It's not a case of what can I do for Dover, it's what can the 26,000 people who live here do for Dover. We all have a part to play."

Having announced that he is retiring as organiser of the pageant, Mr McFarnell decided he would like to channel his energies into helping the town attract more tourists and more events and activities.

"I just can't believe that we have such incredible potential in the town, and we don't seem to be able to make it work for us."

Mr McFarnell also runs a Civic Pride Campaign in Dover, asking people to identify derelict and eyesore sites and then trying to get something done about them.

~Full story in the Dover Mercury, out on Thursday.