2022 by the numbers

What a year!

• 29 clients

• in 4 states

• 2 national tourism associations

• 1 state tourism organisation

• 6 regional tourism organisations

• 9 Councils

• 7 businesses + 20 business mentees

• 6 events

Here’s what we did this year!

Regional event strategies

• Tweed Shire Council, Northern Rivers, NSW

• Light Regional Council (neighbouring the Barossa Valley), SA

• City of Canterbury Bankstown, NSW

• City of Campbelltown, NSW (also streamlined their event approval process, and developed an event management guide with templates for local event organisers)

Destination management governance review

For destination management organisation Echuca Moama and District Tourism Development Association Inc, NSW/VIC, we recommended a new governance model (project undertaken with JJ Strategic Consulting). In 2023 we will develop a Destination Management Plan for Echuca Moama.

Visitor servicing review

South Burnett Regional Council, Kingaroy, QLD

Business development mentoring

• For Tourism & Events Queensland, we mentored 14 tourism businesses through their Transformational Experience Mentoring Program

• For Brisbane Economic Development Agency, QLD, we developed the Best of Brisbane Region Experiences Support Program (with JJ Strategic Consulting) and mentored 6 tourism businesses

• For Paroo Shire Council, Cunnamulla, QLD, we mentored Council staff to support the realisation of a new state-significant Outback event (we developed the concept for the event in 2021)

Event management training

We delivered an in-person event management training short course for local event organisers for Bass Coast Shire Council, VIC.

Event revitalisation plans

Kingaroy BaconFest, QLD (also a marketing plan)

Destination Phillip Island, VIC

• 1 concept for a new off-peak event

• 3 event revitalisation plans

• 3 x event brand development, graphic design, and marketing plan by Embarketing

• Event management training for the committees

• 3 grant applications

• An event development assessment project for event management students at University of Technology Sydney

Post event review

For Thirlmere Festival of Steam, NSW, we reviewed the outcomes of a recent change in governance and of the implementation of the event revitalisation plan we developed in 2020.

Maximising outcomes from events

For East Gippsland Shire Council, VIC, and for Events Gippsland, VIC, we developed toolkits to help businesses and community groups to leverage events, and to help event organisers maximise community benefits from events

Event marketing plans

• Warwick CelticFest, QLD

• Swim Around Keppel, Great Keppel Island, QLD

Tourism product development plan

• Lumburra Bimbi, Emerald, QLD

Tourism award submissions and reviews

• Darwin Festival, NT (Gold)

• Spirits of the Red Sand, QLD (Gold)

• Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, QLD (Bronze)

• Mirage Whitsundays, QLD (Bronze)

• Food I Am, NSW (review) (Silver)

• Destination Gold Coast, QLD (review of 3 submissions)

• Townsville Enterprise, QLD (award-writing webinar)

Conference presentations

• Toowoomba Regional Council, QLD (for committees of community halls)

• Australian Regional Tourism Convention (on the symbiotic relationship between tourism and events) and a webinar on maximising social and economic outcomes from events

• Australian Festival Industry Conference (managing revenue streams, and applying for grants)

• Association of Agricultural Field Days Australasia Conference (presentation on event revitalisation, and facilitation of a strategic priorities workshop)

Grant writing

• Tinkersfield retreat, Snowy Mountains region, NSW - secured $150,000 from the Destination NSW Product Development Fund to develop an eco-wellness experience

• Australian Agricultural Centre, NSW - Building Better Regions Fund (funding was cancelled by the new federal government) and Regional Events Acceleration Fund (not yet announced)