Cradle Coast Regional Festivals, Events and Arts Strategy and Implementation Plan

Transcription

1 Cradle Coast Regional Festivals, Events and Arts Strategy and Implementation Plan 1

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Part A: Insights 4 - Situational Analysis Geographic Spread of Events Industry Consultation National Best Practice Part B: Strategy - Disparate Ownership Model Lack of Strategic Planning Lack of Coordinated Positioning Capability Shortcomings Part C: Council Processes- Recommendations - Council Approvals and Support Part D: Implementing Change 75 Part E: Toolkit 83 2

3 Background / The Brief The Cradle Coast Tourism Marketing Plan (August 2017) has been developed based on three strategic priority areas, which include: Priority Area 1: Driving Demand - To increase the desirability of the Region as a travel destination, inspiring more people to visit, stay longer and spend more. Priority Area 2: Building Capability, Capacity + Community To strengthen the industry from the inside out and effectively collaborate with the Region s stakeholders to grow tourism in the region. Priority Area 3: Activate Events To make visiting the Region a year-round proposition for travellers. Promote existing events to drive demand Leverage Business events Advocate for the region as a destination for sporting events Leverage major state events Events Strategy This project came around as a result of destination action plans, the tourism marketing plan identifying events that could drive visitation. The project will support the Cradle Coast Authority (CCA) to build a strategic approach towards developing a calendar of high-quality,innovative, diverse events and festivals for the Cradle Coast region of Tasmania, with an emphasis on securing events for the region during the low season (Winter). The Project will establish a robust structure to support growth and development of the region s events and festival sector,with a focus on the arts community. This strategic framework aims to improve the sustainability of regional events by identifying and supporting professional development opportunities for event managers and coordinators. The project will also increase opportunities for the broader Tasmanian regional community to participate in arts and cultural events and festivals in the Cradle Coast region. 3

4 Executive Summary Tourism is on the rise in Tasmania, with the state attracting an increasing number of both interstate and international visitors (up by 6% and 17%, respectively). With amazing natural environments, access and accommodation options, recreational infrastructure and a passionate and engaged volunteer base, the regions represented by the Cradle Coast Authority are well placed to attract more of these visitors through a strong event strategy. Whilst there has been an overall increase in visitation to the region and whilst research shows that events can be a driver to visitation there is no overarching strategy or framework to unify the program of events on offer and therefore leverage off the increase visitation. The following provides a comprehensive strategy for events in this region that: can capitalise on the strength of Tasmania s tourism industry builds a calendar of high-quality events, particularly during winter helps secure diverse and innovative events and festivals for the region develops the capacity of professional event coordinators, managers and volunteers drives economic activity in the region and support the arts community The following strategy is broken up in four key areas: Part A - Insights - a detailed picture of the current situation through analysis of industry trends; an audit of events in region and across Australia, council activities, accommodation, accessibility and infrastructure; as well as rigorous industry consultation through workshops, one-on-one interviews and surveys. Part B - Strategy - a distillation of the key challenges as well as impacts and risks around these challenges. We provide recommendations to address these challenges. Part C - Recommendations around council processes to supplement the strategy set by Cradle Coast Authority. Part D - The approach to implementation. This will be supported by a detailed one year implementation plan, industry education workshops and an event toolkit. * Appendix 1- resource list 4

5 PART A INSIGHTS 5

6 Industry Trends In the year ending December 2017, 1.26 million people visited Tasmania. 83% were from other states in Australia¹. The Cradle Coast region had a 1% increase in tourist numbers (up to 507,300 in December 2017)¹. An increase in Australians travelling has grown significantly with 89.4 million overnight trips in September 2016, which represents a 5% increase. Caravan and camping has continued to grow as an accommodation option for Australian travellers, with a 24% increase in free camping and 20% increase in caravanning being reported (year ending September 2016)². When travelling, the most popular activities among Australian travellers include arts, crafts and culture, exercise, indigenous sites and beach visits². The highest value events that can drive overnight visitation include music, food & wine, cultural and sporting events³. Sporting events for visitors to participate and compete in are likely to drive overnight trips³. * Appendix 1- resource list 6

7 Opportunity beckons A thorough situational analysis, along with industry consultation and national best practice provided a strong baseline to inform and understand the challenges faced by the Cradle Coast region in relation to events, festivals and the arts. These insights are an important element in providing quantifiable solutions that will enable long-term, sustainable growth. The key themes include: Events There are a significant number of events currently held in this region that showcase a good cross-section of experiences across the year except for the winter period. Accessibility and accommodation Whilst there is air-accessibility into the Cradle Coast s regional towns, a majority of passengers fly into Launceston with little marketing to capture movement around the region. Accomodation supply is stressed during key event periods. Council Council event processes require review to be in line with national best practice. Industry Cradle Coast has a very engaged industry and community. One of the highest response rates and attendances ever seen for a specific regional tourism initiative provided a strong baseline for engagement in the strategy roll out. 7

8 Situational Analysis 8

9 Event Audit 125 events were identified in the Cradle Coast region. 27 hold an ATDW listing.* These events provide good year-round coverage except for the winter period (identified as a key focus of this strategy). Within this, Sparrowly Group created key five pillars to provide focus. The pillars drew together common themes found in the event audit which was then stress tested in the stakeholder workshops: Agriculture Food & Beverage Arts, Music & Culture, Community, Nature and Sport Most of the events in the region take place in January, March, April and October, with minimal/no events held between May and September (due to the winter/low season period). Previous work completed by Cradle Coast Authority, which utilised a tier system has been acknowledged. However, based on previous experience in this sector, it was felt that pillars provided less ambiguity. The most popular event pillar is Arts, Music and Culture with a total of 35 events taking place across the region. * Appendix 2- detailed event audit 9

10 Geographic Spread of Events 10

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16 Accessibility Review of the Region There are three different accessibility points (air, sea and road) for visitors that travel into the Cradle Coast region.* By air Visitors can arrive in the Cradle Coast region via three different airports: Devonport, Burnie (Wynyard) and King Island. The airports can only take smaller-capacity planes, which means that tourists often fly into Launceston or Hobart to access the region. Regional flights into Devonport and Burnie (Wynyard) are cost prohibitive compared to Launceston. This indicates that the Cradle Coast Authority need to capitalise on the inbound tourists coming into Launceston in order to attract them to the region. Deloitte are currently conducting a feasibility study to build an airport in Strahan. By sea Visitors can arrive into Devonport from Melbourne by the Spirit of Tasmania ferry. In addition, visitors are able to arrive into the region via cruise ships at Burnie. By road Within Tasmania, the easiest way for visitors to travel is by car. Recently, a West Coast tourist drive has been announced by the Tasmanian government to boost driving visitors to the region. The Western Wilds drive will be ready to launch in the final quarter of * Appendix 3- accessibility review 16

17 Accommodation Audit Before developing a strategy for events, it is important to understand what supply of accommodation is available. Both traditional accommodation (hotels, cabins, b&bs and campsite) and Airbnb (entire homes) was reviewed, with a particular note on capacity. In the case of King Island and West Coast Councils, data provided by CCA was incomplete, making it difficult to gain final numbers.* Council Capacity of Traditional Accomodation (number of beds) Traditional Accommodation Airbnb (Entire Homes) Total Number of Accommodation Burnie City Council Central Coast Council Circular Head Council Kentish Council King Island Council Devonport City Council Latrobe Council Waratah Wynyard Council West Coast Council * Appendix 4- accommodation audit ** Source- Cradle Coast Authority accommodation spreadsheet for Australian Masters Games 2017 & Inside Airbnb- ***Disclaimer- This data may include traditional accommodation providers who use Airbnb as a distribution platform for their property 17

18 Council Involvement in Events Sparrowly Group undertook a review of the nine councils within the Cradle Coast region to understand the application process and user experience for each council.* The key themes of the councils were: Across the board, council and council tourism board websites have poor user experiences. There is often poor visual display of events and/or the minimal information describing each event. There is no central access point for event organisers who want to obtain information about holding events. In many cases, information can only be found indirectly by searching through multiple pages of the website. Councils provide limited information outlining the event approval process. In some cases, council application processes are too complicated with overly-long lead times. In many cases, information from the council websites was not also available on the council tourism websites. * Appendix 5- council review 18

19 Current Infrastructure Development in the Region Within the Cradle Coast region, there are several infrastructure projects in development or newly completed (either in progress or proposed) to assist in growing the visitor economy. The projects are: The Cradle Coast Tasting Trail is currently implementing a brand and signage upgrade. Upgrading the Tarkine road. This project will commence in the financial year of The development of Penguin Sports Complex Cradle Mountain Master Plan The Western Wilds project (a driving route through the West Coast region of Tasmania) to be completed by the final quarter of 2018 Table Cape proposed hotel development Coastal Pathways Project Development of mountain bike trails in Wild Mersey and Warrawee, West Coast Devonport s Living City Project Strahan Airport feasibility study Extension of the Penguin Mountain Bike Trail This is current at the time of the audit. Sources include interviews with council, information provided by Cradle Coast Authority, desktop research and social listening. 19

20 Industry Consultation 20

21 Industry Consultation To qualify the desktop research, Sparrowly Group undertook a rigorous industry consultation program including: 34 participants across two days of workshops in Burnie and Sheffield with representation from council, event organisers, venue owners and education. 10 one-on-one industry stakeholder interviews 8 in-depth interviews with key events identified in the workshops including 16th Australian Masters Games Chocolate Winterfest The Unconformity Bloomin Tulip Festival Devonport Food and Wine Festival International Mural Fest King Island Long Table Firelight 10 days in the Island 34 people in attendance at stakeholder workshops in Burnie (Thursday 12 April) and Sheffield (Friday 13 April), representing councils, event organisers, venue owners and tertiary education providers 109 responses in the industry survey across the region. Respondents self-identified as event organisers (42.2%), volunteers (36.7%), local businesses (26.6%), council employees (21.1%), event operations (13.76%) and event owners (9.17%).* This was one of the strongest industry responses seen in a regional area which demonstrates a highly engaged audience advocating for the area and open to positive change.** Detailed outputs are included in the appendices. * Appendix 6- Survey Outputs ** Appendix 7- Workshop Outputs 21

22 Deep Dive of Events in the Region A cross section of events in the region were selected in order to gain further insights. These events were nominated in the facilitated workshops as key events within the Cradle Coast region that would attract visitation from outside the region. These included: 16th Australian Masters Games (a one-off event) The Unconformity (a biannual event) Chocolate Winterfest (annual) Bloomin Tulip Festival (annual) Devonport Food and Wine Festival (annual) Mural Fest (annual) King Island Long Table (annual) Firelight (sporadically occurring) A potential new Winter event - Fire and Ice Festival was also case studied. Sparrowly Group felt that this or an event that celebrated the elements to drive the winter period had strong conceptual relevance and with the right support could build into a strong winter driver. It reflects the brand, addresses low period visitation and enables a number of experience pillars to be showcased. Key findings include: Most of the events have been running for more than five years which can cause event fatigue if not evolved. There is a lack of an efficient and accurate data collection system making it difficult to ascertain the opportunity for growth and funding. Event organisers have a collaborative mindset. 22

23 16th Australian Masters Games Where: Cradle Coast Region, Tasmania When: Monday, 21 to Saturday, 28 October 2017 The 16th Australian Masters Games were held in the Cradle Coast region in 2017, with 47 different sporting organisations participating The economic contribution of 16th AMG was $8.4 million The week long sporting festival attracted an estimated total of 5,677 attendees with 39.5% from Tasmania, 57.5% from mainland Australian and 3% from overseas*. Among the participants, some outlined they would not return to the games located in a region such as this due to the costs of attendance and the location. This will need to be considered for future major event acquisitions with potential incentives offered to offset costs Learnings sighted included a reduction in registration fees and a more streamlined transport system to move participants between games and entertainment This event enabled a collaboration with UTas aimed at building the capability of volunteers in the region. This left a significant legacy as volunteers formed an important part of the event delivery. The games brought more awareness to the region 74% of visitors claimed they were either extremely likely or likely to return to Cradle Coast The Cradle Coast region has a strong sporting culture among the community. However, this region has not hosted many sporting events. The Australian Masters Games provided the opportunity for councils and community to work together to demonstrate interest in such events. *Source Australian Masters Games Research: economic impact and attendee experience 23

24 Chocolate Winterfest Where: Latrobe- Latrobe Council When: Sunday, 12 August 2018 Chocolate Winterfest is a one day event which incorporates multiple events around chocolate. All events sit under the Chocolate Winterfest umbrella, which has set criteria. The event attracts between 5,000 and 10,000 attendees depending on the weather. Attendees come from all over Tasmania and from mainland Australia, but there is no concrete data. Chocolate Winterfest works with Tourism Tasmania and are promoted as part of a winter campaign, which enables national exposure. The main promotion of Chocolate Winterfest is through visitor information centres. One of the major challenges associated with this event is that locals tend to leave town when the event takes place to avoid tourists. It is difficult to get businesses to open on the Sunday in support of the event. 24

25 The Unconformity Where: Queenstown- West Coast Council When: Friday, 19- to Sunday. 21 October 2018 The Unconformity is a biannual event, which continues to grow Their budget has increased significantly from an initial budget of $50,000 in 2010 to $450,000 in In 2016, the event attracted 1,500 people with around 60% coming from Hobart and surrounds and a small percentage from the mainland. This event has won multiple awards and has helped change the perception of Queenstown. The Unconformity is one of the only events in the Cradle Coast region receiving funding from Events Tasmania and Arts Tasmania. The event is investigating how to grow sustainably across the region, which may mean it can contribute more widely to the economic development of the region. 25

26 Bloomin Tulip Festival Where: Wynyard- Waratah-Wynyard Council When: Saturday, 13 October 2018 Bloomin Tulip Festival begun 28 years ago when the Tulip Farm opened. The festival promotes the local region by focussing on the uniqueness of the region s tulips, the local producers of food and beverage and by providing a platform for local art and craft producers to sell their wares. In 2017, the event attracted 18,000 and University of Tasmania (UTas) assisted in the collection of attendance data. In 2015, UTas put together a report with Waratah Wynyard Council showcasing the visitor numbers. Within this, 40% of attendees were from Wynyard, 44% from the Cradle Coast region, 13% from the rest of Tasmania and 3% from interstate. Within the event, a 5km colour run takes place. The overall economic contribution of Bloomin Tulips Festival is estimated at between $1.37 million and $2.2 million. The event organisers have a clear, strong vision for growth in the future. 26

27 Devonport Food and Wine Festival Where: Devonport- Devonport City Council When: Monday, 1st to Wednesday 31st October 2018 Devonport Food and Wine began with Taste of the Harvest. Through this they developed a month long dedicated event celebrating local produce, alongside Taste the Harvest. This festival has been organised and financially supported by Devonport City Council Originally, the festival was high-end diners, but this has now changed for 2018 with a strong focus on community connections and partnering with producers. There are events throughout the month which are organised by both council and independent event organisers. There is set criteria for event organisers to have an event that sits under the Devonport Food and Wine brand. Currently, the festival collects data but their systems could be more efficient. In 2016, the patronage was approximately 7,000, but this included 5,000 at Taste the Harvest. In 2017, the patronage was approximately 3,500. This reduced number was due to the absence of a Taste of the Harvest event. 27

28 International Mural Fest Where: Sheffield- Kentish Council When: Sunday, 1 to Saturday 7 April 2018 Mural Fest has been running for 16 years. In the last six years, Kentish Arts, Commerce and Tourism has assisted the growth of the event. In 2018, there were a total of 4,499 people attending the event with 69% from Tasmania, 16% from other states of Australia and 15% from overseas. There were 30 mural artist entries in 2018 with some international artists competing. Big media platforms want to promote the festival. For example, Mural Fest was featured in the Jetstar Magazine (April 2018) as a great event to attend in Tasmania. The festival organisers want this competition to be regarded as an elite mural competition attracting a wide range of international artists. 28

29 King Island Long Table Where: Currie- King Island Council When: Friday, 6-to Sunday, 8 April 2018 The first King Island Long Table was held in 2009 The event has now grown to a three day festival featuring long lunches and farm tours. In 2018, there were a total of 88 attendees, 70 of which were interstate visitors. Those attendees came from Victoria and New South Wales, and helped to boost the King Island economy. Five events took place in 2018, with guests attending 2-3 events on average. The growth of the event is dependent on the venues the event organisers can utilise on the island. The biggest event they have had is 120 guests. Throughout the event, King Island Long Table has been provided hospitality training opportunities for the youth of the island which has a positive social impact. 29

30 Firelight Where: Mount Roland- Kentish Council When: Dates to be confirmed for 2019 & 2020 Firelight is a thirty minute animation, projected onto the cliff-face of Mount Roland showcasing the story of Tasmania. From , Firelight progressed from a concept to light up mountain to a ticketed festival event screening the largest laser animation. In 2017, approximately 1,100 tickets were sold (1 ticket per car) over the three nights. There was approximately 3.8 people per car, which indicates an upward of 4,200 officially attended. This event however, is not sustainable financially on its own without funding support therefore the viability of this event is in question. And as such inability to receive funding from Events Tasmania, Firelight is not taking place in Learnings from the past has led the events organisers to set out a vision for 2020 and look to consolidate the event as a sustainable annual festival in North West Tasmania, and develop a significant intrastate and interstate patronage. Barriers Lack of commercial approach to the event and reliance on grant funding. Difficulty obtaining funding from Events Tasmania due to timing/length of process. 30

31 10 Days on the Island Where: Statewide When: Friday, 8 to Monday, 11 March (long weekend), Friday, 15 to Sunday, 17 March & Friday, 22 to Sunday 24 March 2019 Ten Days on the Island was established by the Tasmanian Government in 2001 to develop and deliver a biennial statewide cultural and arts festival. The idea of this festival begun with a group of people who had long promoted this style of festival. The premier Jim Bacon instigated this, bringing renowned Australian festival director Anthony Steele to provide advice and ideas on its scope and scale. It was the first festival of this kind in Tasmania and is funded through Arts Tasmania. This event takes place across various cities, towns and other locations within the state in order to promote the diverse characteristics of the island s arts and to provide opportunities for Tasmanians and visitors to participate in an international arts program wherever they are. Since the beginning, Ten Days on the Island has entertained 1.3 million people and provided opportunities for hundreds of Tasmanian artists, art organisations and support staff to create ambitious new works. The festival has helped assist Tasmania s reputation as state renowned not only for its natural beauty, rich history and pure produce but as a creative and cultural trailblazer. The program incorporates a variety of activities including, performing arts, exhibitions and installations. In 2019, Ten Days on the Island will be presenting a new event model which will promote the festival as an epic 10 Day Adventure over three weekends. The program is currently in development and will be released in January Day 1-4 (long weekend in March): Cradle Coast region Day 5-7 (15-17 March): Launceston and North East Coast day 8-10 (22-24 March): Hobart and South The program will be packaged up with different activities in each region to encourage locals to travel around the state for short stays. The event is not focussed on targeting interstate visitation, rather they seek to encourage Tasmanian residents to enjoy the event. 31

32 Fire and Ice Where: Cradle Coast Region When: Dates to be confirmed- June- August The Festival of Fire and Ice (FaICE)is an event that is currently being discussed within the event community. Unfortunately, due to no clear owner (as the event is proposed to go across a number of council regions) progress has been insufficient. FaICE would incorporate a suite of up to 10 events running at different time and concurrently over the 6 weeks of winter. Solstice suite of festivals was conceived in response to the seasonal tourism and the negative social and economic impact on the business and community. It is intended that FaICE will bring together the district assets to capitalise on the competitive advantage by hosting a combined calendar of festivals and events during winter. An application wasn t submitted following feedback from Events Tasmania that it required more information and as such it was left with no follow up by the event owners. Barriers There is a lack of understanding around the value and role of CCA and therefore a perception that there is a lack support given to assist this event to take place despite support in cash ($5, 000 from council) and time, expertise and networks provided by CCA around applications and grants. Events such as this lack base funding of their own in order to attract match funding. Currently, there is a lack of direction in order to get this event off the ground. Event owners need 32 to take ownership and make a commercial contribution.

33 National Best Practice 33

34 Council Best Practice Review In order to understand ways in which Cradle Coast Authority and its member councils could improve their event practices, desktop research was conducted to uncover councils with strong event processes. These councils include: Penrith City Council, NSW Wollongong City Council, NSW Parkes Shire Council, NSW City of Hobart, TAS City of Ballarat, VIC These councils were discovered to have the robust and timely application processes, good support for event organisers and strong event promotion. 34

35 Penrith City Council- NSW Key learnings considered in creating the CCA strategy: Penrith City Council supports events within their region by providing an easy access portal for all information for event organisers. The council offers event sponsorship for community and major events Applications to be completed prior to eight weeks for community events and 12 weeks for major events. The council offers an events prospectus showing event organisers which venues they can use to host events in Penrith. Examples of events in this council: Defqon Colourfun Festival of Colours 35

36 Wollongong City Council, NSW Key learnings considered in creating the CCA strategy: Wollongong City Council has a dedicated Destination Wollongong arm, with a clear customer-centric emphasis. Their website is user friendly for both the event organiser and visitor. Wollongong Council offers an event toolkit, which provides event organisers with an easy-to-use guide. This offers eight pre-approved event locations, which are all easily accessible by public transport and provides recommendations for event styles that would be suitable for each venue. There is positive promotion for hosting an event in Wollongong. The council supports the promotion of events within the region by providing free advertising on their event calendar and educates organisers on how to register on ATDW. Event applications need to be submitted 6-8 weeks prior for smaller events and 16 weeks prior for major events. Examples of events in this region: NSW Surf Life Saving Championships Lakemac Heritage Festival 36

37 Parkes Shire Council, NSW Key learnings considered in creating the CCA strategy: Parkes Shire Council have an easy portal for event organisers to access all information regarding organising an event within the region. This creates a good user experience for potential event organisers. Parkes Shire Council provides event organisers with an easy form to submit for event applications, which includes all information in one organised document. The council provide an Events and Conference Guide which provides a list of venues, accommodation, dining options and photographers to help assist event organisers holding an event in the region. Examples of events in this region: Parkes Elvis Festival 37

38 City of Hobart, TAS Key learnings considered in creating the CCA strategy: The City of Hobart provides event organisers with an easy access platform containing all information regarding events. The council provides a guideline for funding and grant programs, with assessment criteria to outline what needs to be met. A comprehensive guide is provided which contains necessary information for event organisers including contact details, information on grants and locations to hold a large event. The council provides an event marketing guide for organisers as a key resource to assist the event process. Examples of events in the region: Dark Mofo Festival of Voices 38

39 City of Ballarat, VIC Key learnings considered in creating the CCA strategy: The City of Ballarat offers a Tourism Events Grant Program for major events and a Community Impact Grants Program for smaller community events. Both grant programs require certain criteria be met (for example, the event must contribute to the marketing of the destination). An Event Application Guide is provided, which includes necessary information for event organisers such as permits and a reservation venue directory. The event application form is very comprehensive and visually appealing with all forms provided in one document. Examples of events in the region: Plate Up Ballarat Ballarat Beer Festival 39

40 Events Best Practice Case Studies Sparrowly Group has provided case studies of a portfolio of events from around Australia to showcase examples of styles of events that the Cradle Coast region could incorporate into their calendar. Feedback from the tourism and events industry nationally, as well as industry consultation in region provided insight into the type of events that would best fit. These include: Ecofest (QLD) Naturefest (NSW) Winter Magic Festival (NSW) Parkes Elvis Festival (NSW) A Weekend in the Gardens (VIC) Ballarat Beer Festival (VIC) Dark Mofo (TAS) Melbourne Food and Wine (VIC) WOMADelaide (SA) Bendigo Art Gallery (VIC) Across each event we have noted relevance and for consideration as part of this strategy. 40

41 Ecofest Location: Gladstone, QLD Date: Sunday, 3rd June 2018 Ecofest is an annual festival established to celebrate World Environment Day. This festival aims to promote positive environmental actions in the Gladstone Region and improve environmental awareness within the community. This is done through educational displays and interactive activities. In addition, entertainment, food and drink stalls and hands-on demonstrations are present on the day. Considerations for CCA: Ecofest is an example of an event which capitalises on its region s natural environment which the Cradle Coast region is in a much stronger position to claim as a USP. Gladstone is traditionally a port town and not often known as an ecological strong area. This event showcases Gladstone in a different light and has been a strong driver to challenging perceptions and driving positive positioning. 41

42 Naturefest Location: Port Stephens, NSW Date: Thursday, 1st June- Saturday, 15th July 2017 Naturefest celebrates and promotes Port Stephens as home to populations of dolphins, kangaroos, birds and passing whales, as well as large tracts of national and marine park. The activities offered through the month long festival include guided bush walks and photography tours of the area. In addition, a calendar of events and activities are offered under one umbrella, to bring the region together for longer driving more reasons to visit Port Stephens. Considerations for CCA: Similarly to Ecofest, the introduction of Naturefest has enabled Port Stephens to promote its beautiful landscapes in a region-wide event by encouraging outdoor activities and educating both locals and visitors on the natural environment around them. 42

43 Winter Magic Festival Location: Katoomba, NSW Date: June 2019 Winter Magic Festival is a vibrant celebration of the Winter Solstice where the main street of Katoomba is transformed into a carnival style environment. The strength and diversity of its local arts community is showcased in an exhibition as part of the event. Considerations for CCA: Winter Magic Festival is a good example of a winter event which showcases the quirky arts of the region in order to attract visitation. In doing so it broadens perceptions of this area that is traditionally known for The Three Sisters. Although this landmark is visited regularly, it does not drive as much dispersal into the town of Katoomba and visitor spending. The same could be said of Cradle Mountain. The timeliness of this event drives an urgency or reason to visit. 43

44 Parkes Elvis Festival Location: Parkes, NSW Date: Wednesday, 9 January- Sunday, 13 January 2018 The Parkes Elvis Festival is held every year coinciding with Elvis Presley s birthday This event attracts over 25,000, both nationally and internationally. Incorporated into the festival experience are two special train trips into Parkes. This encourages visitors to start their experience before the event begins.. Considerations for CCA: This event was a bold move for Parkes - but at the time of creation, Parkes was not a destination that roadtrippers would stop as the perception was that there was nothing to see or do in Parkes. It is now incorporated on a number of Outback NSW itineraries. Parkes Elvis Festival is a great example of an event which incorporates an entire experience for visitors through including Elvis themed transport options to and from Parkes. This in turn allows visitors to enjoy the festival from the beginning of their trip until the end and is a good example of packaging. Parkes has built this event into its city identity off the success it has attracted. This in turn has built solid advocacy from those who have attended as well as those who wish to. 44

45 A Weekend in the Gardens Location: Melbourne, VIC Date: Friday, 17- Sunday, 19 November 2017 A Weekend in the Gardens is a concert event which takes place over three days in Melbourne s iconic Royal Botanic Gardens. This event is one of the city s favourite outdoor concerts. Alongside great music, a range of food trucks are available around the gardens to cater for the crowds. Considerations for CCA: This event demonstrates a great use of space. Melbourne has emerged from it s winter which can be perceived as too cold - and this event acts as a reminder of how Melbourne can be enjoyed into the warmer months. It activates Melbourne s positioning of arts and culture in an event that locals and visitors can enjoy. 45

46 Ballarat Beer Festival Location: Ballarat, VIC Date: Saturday, 20 January 2018 Ballarat Beer Festival showcases over 150 of the worlds finest craft beers that attendees can sample under the summer sky The event also incorporates bands, food stalls, wine tastings, educational classes and games like beer yoga and beer trivia. Considerations for CCA: Ballarat is moreso known for its rich heritage and culture and traditionally drives an older demographic. Over the years Ballarat has transformed and its proximity to Melbourne means it is attracting young families to live in the region where their interests and that of their visiting friends and relatives extend past heritage and culture. This event provides a good platform to showcase Ballarat s emerging craft beer industry and showcases the modern Ballarat. 46

47 Dark Mofo Location: Hobart, TAS Date: Friday, 8 June- Sunday, 24 June Dark Mofo, MONA s winter festival, delves into centuries-old winter solstice rituals, exploring the links between ancient and contemporary mythology, humans and nature, religious and secular traditions, darkness and light, and birth, death and renewal. Dark Mofo is an annual pilgrimage south celebrating the dark through large scale art, food, film, music, light and noise. The festival runs for 10 days across Hobart and has a range of events that run through it. Considerations for CCA: Dark Mofo is a great example of a winter festival, which captures attendees through its quirky activities and events. MONA and Dark Mofo provide the bragability and talkability factor for visitors. Regardless of attendance, it provides talkability around MONA, the Hobart region but also Tasmania as a whole. 47

48 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Location: Melbourne, VIC Date: Friday, 16 March- Sunday, 25 March 2018 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is an annual statewide celebration of Victoria s food and wine industry. An overall theme connects otherwise geographically dispersed content allowing the state to elevate the collective voice of food and wine at one point each year. The festival attracts more than 246,000 attendees to a diverse program of 200+ events. All the events sit under the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival umbrella with many organised by independent organisers. The marketing approach for the festival is done through the collective marketing power generated by over 250 businesses participating. An increase in length of stay has been a result of the depth and breadth of the month long Considerations for CCA: Melbourne Food and Wine Festival showcases the diversity of food and wine of the state. 200 events under one umbrella event, drives dispersal around the state and into some of the lesser known towns. This is an event that has grown over the last 12+years, it is not an overnight success, rather one that was built upon and started in Melbourne. It forms an umbrella brand and hence 48 support for smaller food and wine events that would not have normally survived.

49 WOMADelaide Festival Location: Adelaide, SA Date: Friday, 8 March- Monday, 11 March 2019 WOMADelaide runs over four days in the spectacular Botanic Park of inner-city Adelaide on the March long weekend. The festival program features performances and workshops by the world s best contemporary and traditional musicians, dancers, DJS, street theatre and visual artists. The event, traditionally known as a folk style arts festival, has, over the years grown up into a sophisticated showcase of the artistic talent in South Australia. Considerations for CCA: The global nature of WOMADelaide gives substance to this event - amongst many arts events. This is less about local talent but Adelaide s ability to attract this level of talent. It is part of Adelaide s signature event calendar and is an important tactical driver for Adelaide and South Australia s tourism marketing message. While it is part of the Adelaide Festival, it has established a strong brand of its own. It attracts a sense of curiosity and provides another reason to visit Adelaide. 49

50 Bendigo Art Gallery Location: Bendigo, VIC Date: Always Bendigo Art Gallery is the largest regional art museum in Australia. It hosts significant international exhibitions as well as touring national exhibitions which attract visitors from across Victoria and Australia. The gallery also has several spaces which present a changing program dedicated to Bendigo s social history. Considerations for CCA: Bendigo Art Gallery is a successful gallery which acts as a key attraction, bringing a diverse range of visitors to the region. It has positioned Bendigo as an arts hub for Victoria and across Australia. Through the offering of unique and credible exhibitions it attracts, it is a significant driver to the visitor economy and regional tourism in Victoria. 50

51 Part B STRATEGY 51

52 Challenges Identified Disparate Ownership Model Capability Shortcomings LEADING TO: MISPERCEPTION Lack of Strategic Planning Lack of Coordinated Positioning 52

53 Disparate Ownership Model 53

54 Disparate Ownership Model Challenge Why? Lack of trust and autonomy (of CCA) to make CCA structure: decisions give the perception that there a lack The current CCA relationship model doesn t lend of leadership to drive the visitor economy and itself to an autonomous and leadership position. therefore limited understanding of the region A lack of respect and understanding for the role as a whole. A disparate ownership model leads CCA plays and as such are not given autonomy to to limited regional profile, and from a visitor make decisions by its members. perspective misperception of what the region The role of committees lead to the too many offers. chiefs mentality, over consultation and CCA duplicating work to please everyone. Appears to be a lack of trust in CCA ability which impacts productivity and therefore a perception that there is a lack of support from CCA. This leads to a lack of: collective voice clear brand identity clear, defined and adequate resourcing within CCA to drive events agenda buy-in by business community and local community 54

55 Disparate Ownership Model Impacts Increase confidence/engagement in community to want to be involved. Support longer term infrastructure programsrail, accommodation. Increased revenue. Increase community/civic pride. Increased visitation. Decrease stress. Support new business and innovation. Legacy of new event industry. Increased working money. Increase in jobs. Risks Nothing changes. Lose knowledge because current event organisers are aging. Lose against competitor regions for event funding. 55

56 Disparate Ownership Model Challenge: Lack of trust and autonomy (of CCA) to make decisions give the perception that there a lack of leadership to drive the visitor economy and therefore limited understanding of the region as a whole. This leads to limited regional profile, and from a visitor perspective misperception of what the region offers. Solution: Cradle Coast Authority to establish a clear leadership position and voice for the region. Be the leader to bring people, tools and resources (government agencies, schools, universities) together. Achieved through: Event scheduling and support focus: Address calendar high and low periods. Given the reasonable spread across the calendar. prioritise support for winter based events that will deliver results in a quieter period. Develop umbrella combinations that might leverage timing enabling the opportunity to package tickets, co-promote and coordinate timing of day activity into evening to compliment each events programming for example. Offer incentives (e.g. marketing campaigns) for some of the smaller events to fold into a broader umbrella event that will encourage regional dispersion. ie Orange Wine Festival (NSW) 80 events that encourages regional dispersion through open days for all cellar doors, Victoria s High Country Harvest 53 events across a large geographic region with one central larger activity to tie the experience together. Clear proactive long term vision around events to be developed and events to be incubated Establish key criteria for visitor ready events. Announcing a year round calendar for the visitor market and highlighting 6-8 events that meet visitor criteria across the pillars. Keeping this focused to 6-8 events will also encourage bundling of events under a core umbrella event. 56

57 Disparate Ownership Model Take the lead in uniting the industry: Appoint and resource a central, dedicated resource within Cradle Coast to drive the region s agreed agenda, by giving guidance and providing support across the region to ensure success against overarching success measures. Take learnings from industry engagement of this project process to regularly and formally engage the events industry. Re-establish a working committee to maximise opportunities for one-off events like the Masters Games and incoming Sailing event to build on the learnings each time a large scale event appears in the master calendar. Provide clarity on roles and responsibilities across the groups, noting what is expected by which party, by when, etc Lead education platforms: Create event execution tools and templates that can be personalised by each region/event and complement council event materials including: Event selection criteria Event marketing plan Budget template Sponsorship planning tool Content marketing checklist and best practice Data collection Sustainable events best practice Event checklist brief Post-event reporting framework 57

58 Lack of Strategic Planning and Coordination 58

59 Lack of Strategic Planning and Coordination Challenge LGAs working independently and lacking a region wide approach. This leads to narrow vision and duplication which is impacting each others success and ability to attract and retain visitors in the region. Why? Duplication of events (in terms of cross-over in target audience and event themes). With 125 events it is not clear to the visitor which ones to travel for no weighting/sense of quality of the events Lack of region brand for events to leverage off but also build upon. Lack of region brand means the visitor is not clear what the unique selling proposition is of the region. Working in silos- e.g. products/experiences/events working separately leading to inefficient marketing spend. There is no collaboration outside the region, therefore, missing opportunity to capture interest of visitors (e.g. Launceston) resulting in loss in share of wallet and most visitors heading towards Hobart. 59

60 Lack of Strategic Planning and Coordination Impacts Starts to be taken seriously as a key player. Higher chance of significant funding- state. Creates a unified purpose. Reason to travel year round. New audience, repeat audience, increased length of stay economic impact. Allow bigger thinking outside events collaboration across events, products & appearances. All collaboration across jurisdiction. Risks Left behind against other regions share of wallet. Loss of faith community and potential event organisers and tourists. Difficult to compete against other regional areas infrastructure capital benefit works Remain off the grid. 60

61 Lack of Strategic Planning and Coordination Challenge: LGAs working independently and lacking a region wide approach. This leads to narrow vision and duplication which is impacting each others success and ability to attract and retain visitors in the region. Solution: Cradle Coast Authority to facilitate and provide leadership and strategic support region wide to enable a single, stronger voice across issues that impact the success and growth of events and visitor attraction. Achieved through: Define a clear brand identity for the region: Undertake a full brand strategy, to determine what the region wants to be known for. Collaboration: Annual region-wide collaboration planning - a facilitated workshop or conference to coordinate event timings, marketing and visitor experience planning. Formalise a cooperative marketing agreement with all councils to promote the year round calendar to both consumers and local businesses who may be able to leverage the opportunity and value add the experience. ie cafes, restaurants, accommodation and attractions. Create a marketing asset register across all councils to determine the value of combined marketing force. ie web, social, brochures, newsletters, visitor information, signage and banner opportunities. 61

62 Lack of Strategic Planning and Coordination Collaboration: Working more integratively with statewide initiatives to enable leveraging for region e.g. Western Journeys project and use of tools such as Alpaca journey planner to enable drives content and integration of events to increase dispersal. Take a commercial lead: Be the voice for region in defining what it needs from government and the private sector to drive events and hence the visitor economy. Develop a business investment attraction program to build stronger ties between tourism and events and business. Provide clarity on how less, more coordinated events will contribute to exponential growth, drive revenues and reduce costs. A facilitated ongoing education process. 62

63 Lack of Coordinated Positioning 63

64 Lack of Coordinated Positioning Challenge Why? The industry are able to articulate the regions strengths for visitors however, there is no consolidated approach and regional brand to communicate this to potential visitors. This causes misperception of the region and loss of market share. Lack of: clear regional brand strategy to lead communication and campaign direction therefore it s unclear where the importance should lie clear and consistent key messaging. triggers and hooks for the particular region to position unique selling position. events leading with their own brand positioning, causing a lack of understanding in the audience about the region. Lack of funding to progress fundamental projects. 64

65 Lack of Coordinated Positioning Impacts Showcasing key strengths collectively enable the region to speak in one voice and differentiate against competitor regions. A clear positioning for the region that is long lasting which programs can be built upon. Give the region a voice in the state and a step to working more effectively with Tourism Tasmania in building programs to disperse visitors. Stronger voice when seeking support and funding from higher levels of Government. Risks Will continue to be difficult to articulate where support should be provided. Lack of consolidated and consistent marketing messaging. Continue to lose market share of visitation Focus will continue in Hobart region. 65