Barossa Vintage Festival Report

Transcription

1 Prepared By Sally Johnson Laura Helbig Katherine Katalinic Charles Edwards 1 P a g e

2 Contents Executive Summary... 3 The History of the Barossa Vintage Festival... 4 Our Vision... 5 Strategic Analysis of the Barossa Vintage Festival... 6 SWOT Analysis.6 Pestel.7 Methodology... 8 The Objective of this Report... 9 Recommendations and Implementation Strategies Event Strategy Governance Financial Community Engagement & Volunteers Bibliography Appendices P a g e

3 Executive Summary The Barossa Vintage Festival (BVF) has a long standing history as a celebration of vintage, dating back to It has over the years grown in the number and type of events held throughout the duration of the BVF. The event strategy has the potential to restructure and realign the BVF as a celebration of vintage. With a clear vision of incorporating the BVF into themes of wine, food, arts and community it has the potential to re-engage with the community. Suggestions have also been put forward into the duration of the event and the benefits that a 5 day festival may have, whilst also scheduling a set date will have great impact on re-visitation numbers and planning. The current governance of the BVF, where it is owned and managed by only one of its key stakeholders is not sustainable for the long term future. It is recommended that all stakeholders have an increased ownership of the BVF and that a separate body that is made up of all key stakeholders be put in place to take over the management of the BVF. It has been widely recognised that the BVF is under sever pressures to be financially sustainable. Assessing the financial reports it is clear that the BVF has been cycling between profit and loss. The report assesses the major financial challenges the BVF faces and identifies strategies that aim to overcome its financial problems. It is vital to communicate the vision of the BVF to reengage the community and ensure key stakeholders have representation on the committee so they can gain greater ownership and allow access to larger pools of volunteers within those sectors. An open day could be used as a tool of transparency with the community and explain that the BVF may be lost without their support. We can re-engage school students as they are a large part of the community and a great volunteer resource. 3 P a g e

4 The History of the Barossa Vintage Festival The Barossa Vintage Festival (BVF) is acknowledged as the largest and longest running wine tourism event in Australia. The BVF dates back to 1947 when the Barossa community got together to celebrate the end of grape harvest and vintage. The first BVF consisted of a Ball and a Parade. In the beginning the committee was made up of local families including the Seppelts, Gramps and the Johns families. During the fifties the BVF started to gain increased tourist visitation. The BVF has always been a celebration by Barossans for Barossans to which we have now invited the rest of the world to come and celebrate. The BVF aims at showcasing the best of the Barossa in wine, food and people. 4 P a g e

5 Our Vision To embrace the Barossa s rich heritage and culture, and provide a sustainable world class event where people can celebrate the unique blend of wine, food, arts and community spirit the region has to offer. 5 P a g e

6 Strategic Analysis of the Barossa Vintage Festival A. SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Long standing emotional ties to the event. Appeals to all generations. Unique and has been running since It is community-driven. Aims to showcase the diversity of the Barossa in terms of wine, food and heritage. It appeals to local, intrastate and interstate visitors. OPPORTUNITIES Clear vision for the event to give it future direction. Clear story which can be sold to the target market. New leadership and committee members representing all stakeholders with fresh ideas, energy and access to more volunteer pools. New governance away from the BGWA. Changing the date and locking in set dates for each event year. Changing the duration. Re-organising the events and screen nonconvened events to ensure they are relevant to the festival. Have a hallmark event to compete on the world stage. Weave in the 7 Chapters to each event to bring it back to Barossa core values. Increase the diversity of the event to include wine, food, heritage, arts and culture. WEAKNESSES Lacking clear vision and direction. Ownership by the BGWA. The Festival starts with a $0 budget. In some years the Festival makes a financial loss. Overall coordination of the program of events and advertising. The schedule of events experiences a mid-week slump. There is a decline in number of volunteers and community engagement. The timing of the event sees it competing with vintage, Easter, Mad March and SA school holidays. Long standing emotional ties hinder hard business decisions. THREATS If the Festival continues to make a financial loss, the event may cease to exist. The decline in sponsorship money. Community and volunteer disengagement. Changes in licensing, legislation and council regulations, i.e. liquor licensing, road closures and traffic control laws. Barossa locals leaving the area to go on Easter & SA school holidays. Decisions are made on emotions as opposed to facts and figures which could lead to the complete demise of the festival. 6 P a g e

7 B. PESTEL Political The BVF is competing against so many events for S.A. government funding The SA Tourism Commission (set up by the South Australian Government) is currently running a Barossa tourism campaign.. SATC has been discussing the possibility of a Vintage Festival based in Adelaide. Economic Due to the economic climate and an intensified wine market Wineries are reducing their sponsorship budgets. Consumers have so many choices when it comes to which events they want to attend and spend their money so competition with festivals is high. Social Tourists want to have an experience and connect with the people and the place. The BVF occurs during school holidays Decline in volunteer & community support Technological The trend is to use Facebook, Twitter and mobile apps more as a means of communication and engagement which reduces the need for printed programs and decreases the costs associated with running the event. Expensive expertise required to compete in the social media world. Environmental Growing expectation that events need to be sustainable and have low environmental impact. Legal Traffic control laws impinge on this event. Tightening Liquor licensing laws impacting events Public liability is huge as there are so many events involving the public. 7 P a g e

8 Methodology The following issues were considered in conducting this review: The current financial status of the event The long-standing emotional ties to the community The current governing body of the event The current program of events, timing and duration of the event. As the review of the BVF is quite broad and a lot of time could be spent analysing, researching and providing recommendations and strategies for its future, we were required to limit our scope of investigations to focusing on management structure, governance, finances and volunteering as per our project guidelines. Due to time constraints and the long historical nature of the BVF, only the last two BVF reports have been taken into account. We conducted interviews and consulted with key people currently and previously involved with the BVF, including Linda Parbs, Bill Biscoe, Samantha Foreman and James March. We reviewed reports such as the Barossa Regional Events Strategy and the Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015 report. A brief survey using Survey Monkey was used to obtain some information from the community. All of the above were used to highlight key areas of focus for the review, including: Current and future governance opportunities for the event; Where current financial losses are being made; How the date, duration and the list of events is decided for each BVF. How are volunteers currently engaged; How decisions are made. 8 P a g e

9 The Objective of this Report The objective of this report is to give recommendations and strategies for the future of the BVF that will ensure a greater return to the community. After collecting relevant reports, consulting with key people currently and previously involved with the BVF, and conducting Strategic Analysis of the event, key areas of focus for this report have been identified. They are: 1. Event Strategy 2.Governance 3.Financial 4.Community & Volunteer Engagement The report aims to deliver a future path for the BVF, with recommendations on structuring a world class event that competes with South Australia s competitive events market, new governance, the future financial requirements of the BVF to make it financially viable and sustainable, and opportunities to increase community and volunteer engagement. 9 P a g e

10 Recommendations and Strategies 1. Event Strategy Events Organised By or Convened Under Supervision of the Barossa Vintage Festival Committee. The Barossa Vintage Festival dates back to 1947 where it all started with a Festival Ball and Festival Parade to celebrate the end of grape harvest and vintage. It is traditionally an event where the locals have the opportunity to invite visitors to experience the region at vintage. Over the years the event has grown and has seen a number of events added to the BVF program. In last year s program 120 events were featured over the 9 day period, 13 of these events were run or convened under the direction of the BVF Committee. Currently the overall event program is attempting to please too many people and has no specific target audience. This aligns with our findings that the BVF needs a clear vision and target audience. In the Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015 report it suggests that there is a lack of relevance of events for locals and programming organization was for the tourist market. This supports the recommendation for a new strategy and approach to the BVF s event makeup. Recommendations Currently the overall event make-up is attempting to please too many interested parties. Current Event Make Up Friday Night Live Comedy In The Vines Barossa Grounds Festival Ball Festival Carnivale Festival Parade Friends of The Festival Festival Jazz Legends Behind The Barrel Young Ambassa dors Rare Wine Auction Meet You In The Park Under A Tin Roof 10 P a g e

11 Recommended Event Strategy It is recommended that current event portfolio is reviewed with a themed and targeted approach. To create a successful and authentic BVF for the future we recommend that all convened events be focused on at least one of the following themes: wine, food, arts/culture or community. This will allow clear classification in regards to intended target audience as well intended outcomes. Currently events and the BVF are trying to cater for too many interested parties. Wine Rare & Distinguished Wine Auction Barossa Grounds Legends Behind The Barrel Food Opportunity? Hallmark Event (combining all themes) Community Ziegenmarket The Parade Culture/Arts Opportunity? Providing structure to the event makeup will allow for greater control and direction of the BVF as a whole. Using this approach will ensure events are targeted and achieve their intended objectives. It also refocusses and re-aligns the BVF s events with its vision and philosophies. 11 P a g e

12 We also recommend that the BVF Committee reduces the number of events it runs and focuses on building on current and new events. Benefits Stronger increased engagement with community and customers. Focussed objectives and reasoning for individual events. Creates a platform for themed events. Creates excitement and interest from potential partners and sponsors. Hallmark Event Strategy A further recommendation is to develop a Hallmark event within the BVF incorporating all themes. It aims to achieve greater interest from a tourism perspective and ultimately deliver greater support and partnerships from interested stakeholders. It is intended to drive increased support from local and state governments. This strategy aims to Drive increased visitation from interstate, intrastate and international visitors Add to South Australia s strong festivals Spark interest in partnerships and sponsorships i.e. SATC and State Government Re-engage with community and build interest within the region Proposed elements of the Hallmark event. Arts/Culture Community Food Wine Music 12 P a g e

13 Further research projects into the BVF Hallmark event needs to be undertaken. It is suggested community surveys and research goes into the elements and themes of the Hallmark event. Use the Barossa Chapters as Selection Criteria for Events To further the event strategy it is recommended that events utilise the Barossa Chapters to help shape and mould its events into unique experiences tourists are seeking. This concept can be applied to both convened and non-convened events of the BVF. Mould the concepts and focus of events around the Barossa Chapters (Appendix A). The Barossa Chapters is the story behind the Barossa Wine that can be told in 7 Chapters: 1. The Barossa: Rare and Distinguished 2. The Barossa: Generations 3. The Barossa: Old Vines 4. The Barossa: Shiraz as our Hero 5. The Barossa: Discovery 6. The Barossa: Barossa Grounds 7. The Barossa: Flavours These chapters not only sum up the life of the Barossa wine industry but also could potentially be the key to linking each Festival Event back to the earthy relevant ties of the Barossa Valley. What I found on that afternoon was a whole community not so much united in fruits of the wine, but defined by a profound sense of place and belonging It is not just what they drink, but it is also the bread that they eat, the foods that they enjoy, the company they keep and still, for some, the dialect that they speak. It is less a question of who they are, but where they are, that sets them apart. - Paul Henry During the screening process of each event the Festival Manager is recommended to encourage the event to be influenced by one of these chapters. 13 P a g e

14 Consolidation and Screening of Non Convened Events Held During the Barossa Vintage Festival. After analysing the 2011 and 2013 BVF programs and the website used during the 2013 BVF, it is evident that there is large range of events which advertise under the BVF banner. Feedback provided in both years showed that there is a degree of repetition of events, such as 3 quilting events being held over the 9 day period. There are also numerous advertisements for unique cellar door tastings with platters of food however these are just everyday experiences you would have if you visited those cellar doors. The program and website should be advertising unique events and those that are relevant to the vision and philosophies of the BVF. Recommendations It is therefore recommended that an event screening process is to be conducted by the BVF Committee prior the event programing. Some criteria as suggested by the Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015 report: Target Market: who does the event appeal to? Authenticity: what does the event say about the region? Uniqueness: what sets the event aside from other events? Experience: what does the event offer? Engagement: how does the event connect people to the region? Conducting a screening process will also provide an opportunity for the committee to encourage events to work together, for example the quilting events combining into one event. If the committee does not feel that an event is significant to meaning of Barossa Vintage it is suggested that it would not be advertised in the program. The business can still hold their event however they will be required to advertise separately from the official program. It is also recommended that an example event strategy booklet is built to provide wineries and others wanting to host an event during BVF some insight into what is expected. An example by Taste Australia is seen in Appendix B. Town days and community events have been an area of concern over the recent years. A recommendation is remove the town days altogether as their meaning and point of difference has been lost; alternatively another suggestion has been to combine the town days into one event 14 P a g e

15 The Official Barossa Vintage Festival Event Duration The BVF currently runs over a 9 day period and the program of events experiences a mid-week slump. Official Vintage Festival Event Duration Recommendations Our recommendation is to scale the event back to a 5 day festival. Our feedback from a recent survey shows that 56% of people agree that the BVF would benefit from being held over a 5 day period. This would also encourage interstate guests to extend their stay over the full BVF period rather that visiting for two nights. An example of the calendar of events taken from the Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015 report starting on a Thursday would run as follows: Thursday: Friday: Legends Behind the Barrel Rare & Distinguished Barossa Wine Auction Saturday: Festival Parade Festival Ball Sunday: Carnival or a large scale community event Monday: Ziegenmarket Another benefit in scaling the BVF to a 5-day event is the potential to coordinate public transport for the duration of the event as in the past they were not willing to operate over the entire period. Creating a busy schedule over the 5-day period will provide greater choices for visitors and locals while also creating healthy competition between events. 15 P a g e

16 Barossa Vintage Festival Date In 2011 the BVF was held from Saturday 23 rd April to Sunday 1 st of May. The BVF was held during the April school holidays and commenced on Easter Saturday. Visitation numbers were approximately 65,000. In 2011 the financial result of the BVF was positive. In 2013 the BVF commenced on Saturday 30 th March and concluded on Sunday 7 th April. The 2013 BVF was not held during school holidays, this is believed to be the reasoning behind the reduction of visitation numbers to approximately 55,000. The 2013 BVF also commenced shortly after the Mad March festivities in Adelaide such as Fringe Festival, WOMADelaide and Adelaide Cup. This highlighted a marketing struggle, although the marketing was strong for the BVF it competed with the marketing of the larger events in Adelaide city. There is no historical link to Easter so the date can be changed to be more relevant and sustainable. Vintage Festival Date Recommendation It is recommended that future BVFs are to be scheduled during school holidays. This will increase visitation of families while the local families will be more likely to participate. It has been reported that Easter weekend is the busiest weekend for Cellar Doors regardless of whether it is a BVF year. This has then resulted in many of the Cellar Doors not participating in the BVF. Another recommendation for the committee is to consider locking in set dates for the BVF each year, for example the 3 rd week of April. An annual set date would allow for more visitors to plan for repeat visits even before the dates are published and promoted. 16 P a g e

17 2. Governance Previously the BVF has had several forms of governance. Historically the BVF was a community run festival from inception in the 1940 s up until the 1980s. During the 80s Barossa Wine and Tourism Association was formed and they managed the BVF up until 2007 when the BGWA commenced ownership of the BVF. Although the BVF is owned by the BGWA, many within the Barossa community perceive it to still be a community owned event. With the commitment of the community to the BVF on the decline this has serious implications on the future of the BVF. There is a need to investigate whether the BVF should remain part of the BGWA, where it does not fulfil the organisational aims or objectives of the BGWA but provides stability and financial security, or for the BVF to be owned by all the stakeholders and for any profits to be reinvested back into the BVF. A third option would be for a Third Party to take on management of the BVF through licensing. One of the major issues the BVF currently faces is that as the owner, BGWA, does not receive an equal level of support from the other key stakeholders in the management of this event. It is difficult to receive in-kind and financial support from these stakeholders whilst all the financial gains benefit only one of the stakeholders. There has been a decline in representation on the BVF committee from other stake-holders and public representation has declined completely. There is a serious need to re-engage with all the stakeholders and the community to regenerate a committee that not only represents the community interests but also a wider skill set and network of volunteers that will enable the BVF to move forward in the direction required. From the Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015 report: The formation of an independent association provides the opportunity to gain increased support from stakeholder organisations, and creates the opportunity to explore not for profit and charitable status. The establishment of a charitable Foundation could benefit arts based initiatives within the festival program and provide funds for the Barossa Young Ambassadors Program. The management of financial risk under this model must be explored. The model would only work with financial and in kind support from the key stakeholders and other sponsors. For example the BGWA could retain its commitment to convening the Rare and Distinguished Barossa Wine Auction with all the proceeds going towards the festival. Similarly, Barossa council could commit to financial and in-kind support for the Festival Parade preparation of traffic management plans, road closure requirements, marshalling and directional signage. 17 P a g e

18 Key stakeholders Barossa Grape Wine Association BGWA Barossa Tourism Inc. Barossa Food Regional Development Australia, Barossa Barossa Council Light Regional Council Barons of the Barossa South Australian Tourism Commission Recommendations Our recommendation is that the governance of the BVF needs to be independent of the BGWA with representation from all the key stakeholders in the BVF. Further to this we recommend that the BVF needs to be an organisation in its own right. This will help with community re-engagement and ownership of the BVF. It is also recommended that an investigation into the requirements for setting up the BVF as a Not for Profit organisation, this doesn t restrict the event from making money; all profits are to be reinvested in the organisation. This will enable the BVF to weather the ups and downs financially and will also enable the BVF to apply to a broader range of funding options in several fields, such as the arts. It is acknowledged that the establishment of an association will take time, and there are also legal costs to be looked into. We also strongly recommend that the BVF Committee should have members from each of the stakeholders as well as community representation. This will enable a wider skill set to be bought to the BVF and utilise a larger network and volunteer base. It is hoped that this will help the community re-engage with the BVF and enable an increased engagement with all facets of the community. 18 P a g e

19 3. Financial Assessing the 2011 and 2013 financials taken from the Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015 report, it clearly identifies some concerns with the financial sustainability. It is clear the BVF cannot be financially dependent on the success of one event - the Rare & Distinguished Wine Auction. It is seemingly understood from most interested stakeholders that the biggest challenge the BVF faces is to be financially sustainable. History suggests that the BVF cycles between profit and loss. This is due to a number of uncontrollable and controllable factors such as timing of event, weather, and event advertising, etc... This section of the report looks at assessing and summarising the financial data from the review of the previous two BVFs as well as alluding to recommendations in regards to new possible financial models with a focus of realigning its event structure as proposed in section 1 to include strategies that will attract support from the BVFs key stakeholders, with the intention of manufacturing the BVF into a financially sustainable festival. Key Financials Channel Variance Revenue $533,489 $418,698 ($114,791) Employment Expenses $20,750 $22,221 $1,471 Overhead Expenses $186,249 $213,370 $27,121 Event Expenses $229,490 $220,964 ($8,526) Profit/Loss $97,060 ($37,857) ($134,917) Summary of Findings Significant lower revenue was made in 2013 which is majorly influenced by the success of the Rare & Distinguished Wine Auction. Revenue sponsorship continues to dry up. Local wineries that once were very generous in their support for the BVF are now relinquishing their cash support due to tighter budgets. Consistent increases in overhead expenses in advertising, website development and vignettes. Event Expenses actually decreased in 2013 suggesting increased efficiency and effectiveness in the running of events. The final profit/loss figure indicates an alarming $134,917 turnaround from 2011 & P a g e

20 Individual Event Analysis Profit/Loss Analysis of Events Event Friday Night Live - $78 Comedy in the Vines $1,048 $2807 Barossa Grounds $895 $3821 Festival Ball $9,269 $4119 Festival Carnival $694 $1587 Festival Parade $1493 $309 Friends of the Festival $709 - Festival Jazz $1,260 $1474 Legends behind the Barrel $3,310 $847 Lottery ticket Sales $605 - Meet you in the park - - Program advertising $12,610 $24,183 Rare wine Auction $199,634 $104,838 Scarecrows - - Under a Tin Roof $2,794 - Young Ambassadors $6,045 $2,775 Other Events $312 $10,541 Overall Profit/Loss $97,060 ($37,857) *Profit *Loss -Not Supported Summary of Findings Figures indicate only two consecutive profitable events; Barossa Grounds and Rare & Distinguished. The table highlights the Rare & Distinguished Wine Auctions significance in regards to the BVFs revenue. It is clear some events are proven to be un-profitable, which poses the question in regards to the future of Comedy in the Vines, Friday Night Live, and Meet You in the Park. These events have either not gone ahead due to lack of support, or have made consecutive losses in 2011 and Some events failed to breakeven and others not going ahead due to lack of support. All contributing and impacting to the final financial result of the BVF. This supports the argument in that some events are not aligned with the BVF s philosophy and vision. The BVF cannot continue to sustain events that do not breakeven with the acceptance of community based events. 20 P a g e

21 The Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015 report provides further insight into where revenue fell short and/or expenditure exceeded budget. However based on the current circumstances the BVF needs to execute a clear approach and strategy in regards to convened events. The following recommendations are based on delivering and aligning the BVF with the Barossa Regional Events Strategy and the BVF s proposed strategy in section one. Aligning its focus with its intended key stakeholders is intended to ignite interest and support from a number of organisations. Implementing a strategy in regards to financial support for the BVF aims at delivering a financially sustainable festival for future generations to enjoy. Recommendations Sponsorship Successful sponsorship is about partnerships. To facilitate and build these partnerships it is crucial to align the BVFs strategy and intentions with its key stakeholders. This will promote interest and a sense of ownership. The BGWA have direct access to grape growers and wineries and should consider becoming a major sponsor as the purpose of the BVF is aligned with the BGWA in building and promoting the Barossa brand and region to the world. The BVF provides an exciting platform to deliver Barossa promotion Partners need to be excited to want to be a part of the regions great festival. Understanding what it is they want for sponsorship is crucial. There is no great shortage of wineries supporting festivals outside the Barossa. Why no interest in the BVF? Develop a research project that will provide insight into what wineries seek in sponsorship. SATC and State Government- Look to build support from these two bodies by delivering excitement in the BVF. Adding to the strong list of SA s renowned festivals. Further market research into elite festivals i.e. Adelaide s Fringe Festival, Adelaide s Cabaret Festival, etc. Governance The proposed new governance structure will deliver greater financial control. Formerly the BGWA has either benefitted or suffered depending on the final financial result of the BVF. This is a major concern as profits are not being reinvested into future BVFs. An independent body either profit or non-profit organisation will allow for profits to be reinvested into the future of the BVF. 21 P a g e

22 Events As a result, stronger profitable years will withstand unprofitable years. Combatting the cycles of profit and loss. Realistic budgets Budgets need to consider an average of at least the past 5 BVFs. o 2013 budget was delivered considering only the 2011 BVF financials. It is clear only 1-2 events continue to be financially successful and others cycle between profit and loss. It is recommended under the new proposed events strategy that events need to be targeted and categorised. o Ensuring clear objectives and purpose of individual events. There needs to be 2-3 major profitable events such as the Rare & Distinguished. Grouping events allows for independent financial models to be executed. Proposed Financial Model All events should endeavour to make a profit. Wine & Food Events A stronger endeavour to be profitable i.e. Rare & Distinguished Must be aligned with the BVF vision and philosophies. Must provide an exceptional culinary and or wine experience. Community & Culture Events Less important to be profitable however need to endeavour to breakeven Look to build and sustain partnerships in regards to sponsoring these events. Must deliver some culture or community benefit i.e. Young Ambassadors 22 P a g e

23 4. Community Engagement & Volunteers The future success of the BVF is reliant on community engagement and volunteers. The results from surveys conducted as part of the Barossa Regional Events Strategy found that community engagement is one key area which would most help improve the success of current events held in the Barossa. The BVF is seeing a decline in community engagement and the number of volunteers due to the instability of governance of the event and that volunteers do not have ownership so they don t feel valued and empowered. As a society people are becoming increasingly busy and time poor and find it harder to volunteer, especially when they don t feel engaged with the event. Recommendations We recommend that communicating the vision for the BVF and having transparency with the community will help re-engage them. It has already been published in The Leader that the 2013 BVF made a financial loss and that its future is uncertain. The next step would be to hold an Open Day where the community could come along and have explained to them the long running history of the event, what it is all about, where it stands now, what we see is the vision and future direction for the BVF, that it could become the Hallmark event of the Barossa and that community engagement is necessary to keep the BVF running. We recommend that we communicate the advantages of new governance away from the BGWA explaining that the BVF currently starts at $0 and if it moved to being its own entity it would be financially better off. This would be a great opportunity to explain the help that is required from volunteers and would give community members the chance to volunteer in areas where they feel they can really make a difference while they have been re-energised. We recommend that the next committee be formed with representation from key stakeholders such as Barossa Food, Barossa Tourism, the BGWA, RDA, Barossa Council and Light Regional Council which will give those stakeholders greater ownership of the BVF and give greater access to volunteers. This will also bring in greater support from the two councils within the region and offer more opportunity to reach out to the community. The committee can be responsible for communicating the vision and future direction of the BVF in as many ways a possible printed media, online media, Facebook, Twitter and even create a mobile app. This will bring the BVF into the 21 st Century and can be used to keep the community updated so they remain connected and up to date with the Festival happenings. We recommend conducting a widespread community survey to gather information from people and business owners on what events they feel truly represent the BVF, their thoughts on changing the programming, timing and duration of the event, what new ideas they can suggest and if they are a business owner what sort of benefits they get from the event. This can really get the community feeling engaged again as they feel they have a say. This can be started at the Open Day and continued on afterwards. 23 P a g e

24 We recommend approaching schools with information packages so the younger generations can be taught all about the history of the BVF and why it is unique to the region. This will also open up opportunities for students to volunteer and support the BVF as they can participate in the parade, help with stewarding at events, etc and this in turn will re-engage their whole family. 24 P a g e

25 Bibliography and References Samantha Foreman - Barossa Vintage Festival Towards 2015, May Better Ways Found Pty Ltd & HR Consulting Barossa Regional Events Strategy V2, July The Leader Newspaper Barossa Vintage Festival Review, October barossavintagefestival.com.au, , 2011 and 2013 Barossa Vintage Festival Printed Programs. Meeting with Linda Parbs 11 th September 2013 Meeting with Bill Biscoe 19 th September 2013 Meeting with Samantha Foreman 8 th October 2013 Meeting with James March and Annabel Mugford 22 nd October P a g e

26 Appendices Appendix A: The Barossa Chapters Appendix B: Wine Australia book of guidelines for how to organise an event. Appendix C: Survey Monkey Online Survey Information 26 P a g e