Case Study : Seasonal events campaign
To increase visitation to the small towns of their region , Coolamon Shire Council developed a seasonal events marketing campaign 19 to leverage the residents of , and visitors to , nearby Wagga Wagga .
Every three months Council implements a process to gather information on upcoming events , which they then promote on the destination ’ s website and social media channels , and in its email newsletter , and via brochures distributed through visitor information centres . The seasonal calendar of events also inspires residents to invite family and friends to visit for events .
Outcomes from this long-standing campaign include a significant increase in visitation on weekends , enabling new Main Street retail businesses . 20
Destination managers , such as Councils , have several strategies to work on ( and also should !) to leverage their region ’ s events :
• Reassign or add resources to enable a strategic focus on attracting and developing the best-fit events for the region for economic benefit .
• Be bold and support the region ’ s strongest events , focusing on quality over quantity in the region ’ s events portfolio . Taking the approach that everyone gets a prize may impede realising the potential of the events with the most potential .
Case study : Targeted event growth support
• Elevate events with potential to become signature destination events through partnerships , such as with a ‘ pathway to growth ’ support program ( see East Gippsland case study below ).
• Provide in-kind support such as grant writing support .
• Build the skills and efficacy of event organisers , such as by providing marketing and grant writing training .
• Empower local business owners to leverage events to maximise economic benefit for their businesses .
East Gippsland Shire Council has a program 21 to help four select homegrown events achieve their visitation potential . The program is a three-year commitment which provides each event with capacity building support and $ 20,000 per year for activities to support growth .
The program helps event organisers unlock their event ’ s potential , gain knowledge , and develop their thinking . Council ’ s Events Officer provides strategic planning mentoring , helps document the events ’ operations manuals to support efficiency and succession planning , and provides training , such as in event marketing , grant writing , and becoming accessible . The regional tourism organisation provides input into the marketing plans of the participating events .
Council ’ s Pathways to Growth program goes out for expressions of interest from organisers of local events who want to grow visitation to their event . The applications are assessed using the criteria in Council ’ s Events Strategy , 22 including off peak events that achieve visitor dispersal , and alignment with the destination ’ s tourism brand .
Outcomes have been encouraging . One of the supported events was considering finishing up , and Council was able to renew the committee ’ s motivation by providing support and helping them to understand the value of their event using visitation statistics . Attendance by overnight visitors to that event doubled within one year . With an average spend per attendee of $ 334 per trip , the return on investment of Council ’ s $ 20,000 for this event was 1 :$ 6.68 .
Lakes Lights in East Gippsland
Coolamon Shire Council ’ s winter events brochure
VOL 17 NO 3 2024 18 www . edaustralia . com . au