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Aviation expansion
they are very excited to bring the 326-room Crowne Plaza back to Adelaide , after a brief hiatus .
“ As the city comes alive around us with the Fringe Festival , it demonstrates the need for a contemporary , upscale hotel that embraces both business and leisure travel , with a focus on events ,” he says . “ We are confident that Crowne Plaza Adelaide will capitalise on strong corporate , conference and leisure demand .”
That confidence is not misplaced if this year ’ s Adelaide Fringe Festival is anything to go by .
The 2018 Adelaide Fringe has reaffirmed its status as one of Australia ’ s and South Australia ’ s major public events delivering a 19.3 per cent increase in visitor expenditure to $ 29.5 million and a record $ 90.6 million in gross economic expenditure for the State .
This year ’ s Fringe set a new record for visitor spending thanks to more interstate and international festivalgoers ( up 8 per cent to 20,244 ) staying longer in Adelaide ( visitor bed nights up 21.1 per cent to 97,941 ), according to figures from the 2018 Adelaide Fringe Annual Review . This year ’ s festival became the first Fringe in the world to abolish inside charges on ticket sales thanks to a $ 1 million funding injection from the State Government .
Adelaide Fringe director and CEO Heather Croall says removing the inside charges for tickets under $ 35 and halving them for all others meant artists and venues received larger box office settlements .
“ We ’ ve had fantastic feedback from artists about how this had a huge impact on their Fringe season ,” she says . “ It allowed them to invest more money in production quality , and it made them feel more respected and recognised for the hard work they put into their shows .
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Aviation expansion
Work has begun this on a $ 165 million expansion of Adelaide Airport ’ s main terminal . The expansion will significantly improve the arrivals and departures experience for international passengers and create more retail and dining options for domestic and international travellers .
Due for completion in 2021 , the project is the largest upgrade at the airport since the existing terminal was opened in 2005 .
Carriers offering international services in and out of Adelaide include China Southern Airlines , Emirates , Qatar Airways , Singapore Airlines , Cathay Pacific and Air New Zealand .
Adelaide Airport managing director Mark Young says while they still have sufficient gate capacity to meet future forecast growth in the number of flights , they are reaching capacity within the terminal .
“ Our aim is to provide a seamless , connected experience from the time you drive into the airport until you board your aircraft , and vice versa ,” he says .
A $ 50 million , 165-room Atura hotel with direct links to the existing terminal is expected to open in the December 2018 Quarter .
“ It ’ s also helped keep ticket prices at the affordable rates our festival is known for . Fringe-goers can do more than just see a show – they can make a whole day or night of it by having a meal and a drink beforehand . And as our Review results show , this brings in extra spending for our local economy .”
The 2018 Fringe is estimated to have attracted 2.7 million attendances across free and ticketed events , including
Adelaide-based All Occasions Group ( AOG ) has won the rights to manage the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education ( WIPCE ) to be held in Adelaide in 2020 with an expected 3000 delegates from across the globe .
WIPCE is the largest and most diverse Indigenous education event , which leads the world on discussion on contemporary movements in education that support Indigenous world views .
“ The sensitivities of managing this event will be significant in many ways , other than just the challenge and excitement around managing such a large scale international conference ,” says AOG managing director Anne-Marie Quinn .
“ We will be working with the WIPCE team on their website to sell the conference and promote South Australia as a destination , in this we must learn , respect and understand the numerous cultural sensitivities for the various groups , for instance involving the imagery or voices of the deceased . Undoubtedly this will be one of the most challenging and rewarding events we ’ ve undertaken . We will also be having an intern from Tauondi Aboriginal College to assist with the planning process .”
100,000 for the Opening Night Street Party and 505,000 for the Parade of Light digital projections along North Terrace on every night of the 31 day festival .
Box office revenue reached $ 16.6 million from 705,761 tickets sold ( up 7 per cent ) to further cement Adelaide Fringe ’ s position as the highest ticket selling arts festival in Australia and the secondlargest Fringe in the world .
Adelaide Fringe chair David Minear says the festival had maintained consistent annual growth by pushing creative boundaries , challenging artists to be brave and inspiring audiences to take risks .
“ The Adelaide Fringe is a major contributor to the cultural vibrancy of our city and our state ,” he says . “ And as shown in our Annual Review , its economic impact just keeps getting bigger and bigger .”
Premier Steven Marshall acknowledges the major economic and tourism boost that the event gives South Australia .
“ It ’ s great to see such a huge vote of confidence from interstate and international visitors , and we hope all the newcomers return each year now that they ’ ve seen first-hand how fantastic the Adelaide Fringe really is ,” he says .
12 Convention & Incentive Marketing , Issue 3 , 2018 www . cimmagazine . com