Esperance Events Discussion Paper 2022-2027

Esperance Events Discussion Paper

2022-2027

Prepared

for

Shire

of

Esperance by AHOY Management

Acknowledgement of Country

The Shire of Esperance and AHOY Management acknowledge the Kepa Kurl Wudjari people of the Nyungar nation and Ngadju people who are the traditional custodians of this land and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and we extend that respect to other Aboriginal Australians today.

Cover Photo: Kyza Presents & Sarsby Martin

INTRODUCTION

Esperance is, without a doubt, home to one of the most visually alluring stretches of coastline in Australia, if not the world. The pristine natural environment and enviable beachside locale provides Esperance with a unique opportunity to attract visitors and new residents to the seaside town. Esperance delivers a diverse annual event calendar that fosters community relationships, celebrates the regional identity and promotes the town’s attractions, however it is recognised that there are opportunities to bolster the event program and introduce new experiences that amplify the benefits for the town and its community. Events form an important part of any tourism strategy as they give people a time-critical reason to visit a destination, as well as encouraging locals to travel around their State. They also add vibrancy, in particular to regional areas, attract valuable media coverage, and provide a significant boost to the local economy.

The Esperance Events Discussion Paper outlines a path forward for the Shire of Esperance, its community and key stakeholders to utilise events as a driver of visitation, a means for economic development and building of capability for the region over the next 5-10 years. The Discussion Paper has been developed by AHOY Management, with input from Australia’s Golden Outback (AGO), the Shire of Esperance and multiple members of the tourism, arts, hospitality and entertainment sectors from Esperance. This document incorporates feedback from industry, a situational analysis around the current state of the events sector, with key action steps and goals for the region over the next decade. AHOY Management would like to thank those who have contributed to the report and wish the region success in the rollout of the strategy in the years to come.

Photo: Aquabumps

WHY NOW?

Prior to the arrival of COVID-19 in February 2020, Esperance was already experiencing consistent year-on-year overnight visitor number growth at a rate of approximately 10% per annum in the three years up to the end of December 2019. Like most areas of Western Australia, this growth has swelled since 2020 due to intrastate visitor movement. The Shire, AGO and local tourism industry are eager to harness and maximise the growth potential, while preserving the natural environment and ensuring a strategic, collaborative approach in shaping the future of tourism in Esperance.

In 2020 the Shire of Esperance undertook work to develop a tourism strategy for Esperance. The strategy aims to solidify tourism as a key economic driver for the Shire through a sustainable, whole-of-community approach. The plan outlined eight strategic priorities, one of them being the development of products, attractions and events.

The plan stated that ‘a regional event strategy aligned to this tourism strategy should be completed and aimed at creating smaller niched events and potentially one signature event that showcases Esperance’s strengths. The showcase event would ideally be held in a shoulder season to help utilise existing accommodation and infrastructure. Current events including Edge of the Bay should continue to operate while there is community support for them.’ The event strategy was considered very high priority, to be completed within 1-2 years.

WHY EVENTS?

Events are used across the world as a critical element in the destination marketing tool kit. If positioned and produced correctly, they provide participants with an authentic, positive experience of the host destination, and encourage positive word of mouth and repeat visitation. They also provide a time-sensitive hook for converting consumers from the ‘dreaming’ phase of travel to ‘booking’ their visit.

Tourism Research Australia found that after a satisfactory experience participating in regional events, 65% of all attendees reported that they intended to visit the destination again in the next 12 months, and 42% recommended the destination to other travellers.

AHOY’s own research has uncovered similar results, with 73% of survey respondents from the Fine Vines Post Event Survey stating the event was their main reason for travelling to the Margaret River region, and 90% planned to return in the following year to experience the event again (52% of all festival attendees were from outside the region). And when asked on a scale of 1-10 how likely were they to recommend the festival to friends and family, the weighted average answer was 9/10.

When authentically positioned to represent the host region, events promote attractions and offerings of the area, giving consumers an understanding of the region, and encouraging extended length of stay and increased spend on attractions and offerings. 70% of survey respondents in AHOY’s Fine Vines post event report stated the event encouraged them to explore new attractions and experiences in the region, with 46% of respondents spending upwards of $200 on ancillary products and experiences while in the region.

For locals, a considered, sustainable and well-executed annual calendar of events adds to the vibrancy of the community. Happy residents and increased liveability result in many flow-on benefits, like increased appeal, population retention (and growth), increased health and wellbeing of locals, engaged workforce and deepened community pride.

“Tourism Research Australia found that after a satisfactory experience participating in regional events, 65% of all attendees reported that they intended to visit the destination again in the next 12 months, and 42% recommended the destination to other travellers.”

METHODOLOGY

AHOY Management has been contracted to research and develop an events strategy and events feasibility study for Esperance. AHOY has extensive experience in the conceptualisation and delivery of large-scale ‘hero’ festivals and events across regional Western Australia with the aim of driving visitation and expanding the reach of a town’s destination brand story. AHOY has worked with multiple local governments across WA in the development of event feasibility studies and large-scale event plans. This strategy has been developed using the following approach:

• Gain an understanding of the tourism landscape and visitor economy through interviews with Australia’s Golden Outback, Shire of Esperance and local tourism industry

• Desktop research on the current event landscape in Esperance and situational analysis of event calendar and tourism offering

• Site visit to Esperance to experience the landscape and attractions first-hand

• Face to face community consultation with key stakeholders from across hospitality, tourism, government and the arts sectors to ascertain sentiment around events in the region, proposed time of year for new events and any obstacles to currently running events in the region

• Follow up phone meetings with key stakeholders to round out information collection

• Compilation and delivery of the Esperance Events Strategy

Photo: Aquabumps

KEY THEMES FROM COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

Before commencing work on this report, AHOY Management undertook community and industry consultation with a cross-section of Esperance stakeholders. AHOY surveyed 14 businesses in total from across the region.

Feedback from this consultation process has been incorporated throughout this report and recommendations provided are given with consideration to the survey feedback. Key themes from the survey are outlined below and then referenced throughout the report. For a full list of businesses surveyed and a transcript, refer to the Survey Transcripts (provided separately).

Themes

• Participants cited a broad range of events they enjoyed attending, however almost all referenced Edge of the Bay and Festival of the Wind, with many noting they thought it was a shame Festival of the Wind was no longer running and would support its return in some format.

• Most participants feel that events in the region cater mostly to locals, and only a handful of events encourage participation from visitors from outside the region.

• Almost all participants referenced the strong desire for events to attract visitors who would spend money within the town and with regional businesses.

• When asked about obstacles to running events currently, survey participants stated reliance on volunteers, human resources, marketing, process for running events with applications and permits, accommodation limitations, lack of disabled portable toilets and lack of products in the food and beverage category for events.

• Opportunities for the town, as seen by survey participants, included the wellness sector, food, a broadening of the genres of music currently offered, events that cater to a broader demographic, to include families and empty nesters, and expansion of indigenous content throughout events.

• Education is needed about the importance of events, and why it is important to support events. For example, there are not a great number of local businesses who are willing to pay to be involved in collaborative events, such as market stall fees or marketing fees. From discussions, it sounds like not all community members understand the value of events and why tourism is important to the region.

• Time of the year – all participants wanted to avoid introducing new events in Summer, as the business owners are already at full capacity.

• Weather is a strong factor for consideration in the planning and timing of events, and all-weather contingencies were limited.

• Most businesses were supportive of an umbrella event structure, where one lead agency managed the programming, marketing and ticketing, while individual business hosted the events. However, there may be limitations around who would be willing to pay for involvement.

• Grant writing and marketing were two of the key areas that stood out for individual support, however almost all participants were eager to see overall event management outsourced to a professional, or to have support from a paid resource.

• Many participants referenced their own desires for upskilling in the event space or noted the town’s need for capacity building in events or the event visitor experience.

“Almost all participants referenced the strong desire for events to attract visitors who would spend money within the town and with regional businesses.”

VISION

In 5 years: Esperance annually holds a diverse range of events that reflect the experiences and products synonymous with the region and supports a calendar of events that engage the local community as well as large-scale festivals that act as drivers for overnight visitation, social cohesion and economic growth.

OBJECTIVES

The recommendations within this discussion paper approach the development and expansion of events from all angles. The paper aims to remove barriers, upskill inhabitants and amplify the regional identity.

• Support the Esperance Tourism Strategy by curating an events calendar that highlights Esperance’s brand identity and drives increased overnight visitation Use event marketing campaigns to amplify destination marketing activity through showcasing a vibrant events calendar which promotes the region’s experiences and attractions authentically

• Improve the ease of hosting events in the Esperance region for pre-existing event holders and local businesses through improved communication and reduction of barriers

• Provide upskilling opportunities and capacity building for local leaders and businesses in the event space

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

The events landscape across the Australia’s Golden Outback region

Each year, the Australia’s Golden Outback region (covering 54% of WA) hosts a range of events (there are 24 tourism events in the AGO Holiday Planner Events Listing). AGO’s events mostly fall into one of the below categories:

• Sporting events

• Agricultural shows and farm-related events like field days

• Community markets

• Venue-specific activations like live music

• Horse Race rounds

• Wildflower celebrations

• Car events

Just 10 AGO events (or 12% of WA’s total State sponsored events) are supported under Tourism WA’s event funding categories, all of which are in the lowest funding level, the Regional Events Scheme (RES), which has a maximum funding allocation of $40,000 per event. These are:

• Koorda Starry Weekend, April

• Leonora Golden Gift, June Goldfields Cyclassic & Community Fondo, June

• Coolgardie Rodeo & Ute Muster, August

• Mt Magnet Astro Rocks Fest, September

• Ravensthorpe and Hopetown Wildflower Show and Spring Festival, September

• Laverfest, Laverton, September

• Yalgoo Emy Festival, October

• Kalgoorlie Desert Race, October

• St Barbara’s Festival Kalgoorlie, December

Currently, there are no large-scale destination events that are funded under the Regional Events Program (REP), making it the only tourism region within WA to not be funded through REP.

The current events landscape in Esperance Esperance has an annual calendar of events that showcases some of the town’s key activities and offerings. These events predominantly cater to a local audience through a range of community activations such as markets, live music, summer events such as outdoor movies and twilight markets, annual holiday celebrations and seasonal competitions.

Outside of repeat events such as growers markets, twilight markets and race rounds, Esperance hosts upwards of 15 events for the community, including:

1. Australia Day in the Park

2. Moving Movies

3. Esperance Deep Sea Angling Classic

4. Grass Patch Yabbie Classic

5. ANZAC Day Ceremony

6. Winter and Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

7. NAIDOC Week

8. French Weekend

9. Esperance Music Festival

10. Esperance Wildflower Festival

11. Esperance Agricultural Show

12. Garage Sale Trail

13. Edge of the Bay Festival

14. Boxing Day Races

15. New Years Eve on the Foreshore

From discussions with the industry, it’s evident that the live music scene in Esperance is a key strength of the event line-up in Esperance, with a host of local acoustic musicians gaining a strong following, and artfully curated live music events providing experiences for locals and visitors. Missing from the line-up are large-scale destination events that drive overnight visitation from outside of Esperance and help to showcase the region’s offering.

EVENT SIZE / SCALE

Large scale / major Esperance Deep Sea Angling Classic

Balmy Nights Festival

Boxing Day Races

Growers Markets

New Years Eve on the Foreshore

Edge of the Bay Festival

Grass Patch Yabbie Classic

Australia Day in the Park

Garage Sale Trail

Esperance Wildflower Festival

Esperance Agricultural Show

Twilight Markets

Intimate events

Strengths and opportunities

Esperance’s natural beauty is its key strength. With arguably some of the most pristine beaches in Australia, Esperance has an enviable location among stunning natural landscapes. Strengths and opportunities include:

• The captive audience of West Australians who’ve been travelling their home state over COVID has allowed more people to experience the region, with positive word-ofmouth growing the reach of the Esperance’s tourism/ experience offering.

• The ‘shareability’ of Esperance’s natural beauty through imagery means it receives above-average engagement and reach through digital platforms and influencer content.

• Promotion and tie in of primary industries, such as barley.

• The changing nature of traveller’s needs to incorporate slow travel, off-grid experiences and getting back to basics, all experiences that lean into Esperance’s natural assets.

• Harnessing the high-yield self-drive market travelling the Nullarbor

The under-representation of AGO’s events within the line-up of Tourism WA’s sponsored events provides a big opportunity for Esperance, especially in RES in the first few years.

• Indigenous content

Weaknesses and threats

While there is an eager and passionate volunteer base of event holders, as well as a dedicated team within the Shire and business community who run a host of community events, there are some challenges to be faced.

• The distance from key markets, such as Perth, and limited flight availability present several barriers to travel for consumers considering to attend events in Esperance.

• The competition from numerous events closer to Perth

• South Regional TAFE doesn’t currently offer tourism, events or hospitality courses out of their Esperance campus. This creates a big gap in skills development in these industries, all of which are important to the future growth of Esperance.

• Marketing – there are some great events on the annual calendar, they just need to be shared further, even if this is just through free/low cost marketing methods.

• Accommodation was mentioned as an issue from all survey participants. In particular, there is limited accommodation that matches the high-yield target visitor that survey participants wanted to attract through events.

• There is a weakness that the current consumer understanding of Esperance is that it’s ‘just a beach’

• There is a threat of guests coming to a well-curated event, and the rest of the consumer experience not meeting expectations outside of event period, for example beach front coffee shops not being open on weekends, or only having 1-2 restaurant options on a Monday night.

Services, facilities and products to support events (marquees, on-trend furniture hire, portable toilets) not being available in town may drive up the cost of event production and limit the types of events that Esperance can hold.

Weather poses a large risk for outdoor events that showcase Esperance’s greatest asset, its pristine natural environment.

• WIFI connection and cellular service limit visitor’s ability to share their experiences in real time and could deter digital nomads and location independent workers from extending their stay. It may also be a barrier for business events.

• Infrastructure, such as electricity, can limit the type of shows or events wanting to present in Esperance.

WHO WE SHOULD BE TARGETING

The Esperance Tourism Strategy outlined the town’s strong alignment with four out of six of Tourism Western Australia’s domestic market profiles, being Escape & Connect, Off the Beaten Track, Relax & Unwind, and Family Fun. During stakeholder engagement undertaken by AHOY, the local industry was unanimous in its desire to create events that attract visitors with a high disposable income who spend money. There was a sentiment between locals that while tourism numbers were growing, there needed to be a growing percentage of those new visitors who contributed economically to the town.

Statistics show that visitors entering a region to experience an event have a higher daily spend than the average visitor. For example, Tourism WA puts a value of $123 (vs Esperance’s overnight visitor spend of $144 per day {Tourism Research Australia Local Government Area Profiles, 2019, Esperance (S), WA }) on an intrastate overnight visitor. This appears undervalued when compared to specific research undertaken by the South West Development Commission on overnight visitors attending ticketed events in regional WA, which puts a value of $235 on each visitor, almost double that of a regular overnight visitor.

This events strategy will reflect that desire through its recommendations. Some achievable areas which Esperance can target to encourage event visitation include:

• Members of sporting or special interest groups, like skateboarders, anglers, kite surfers, turf club members. Members of these groups are active in their respective communities and will to travel to other towns for events and competition rounds. Finding ways to increase their spend and length of stay will contribute economically to the town, especially if events are curated to encourage family members to attend with competitors.

How to reach them: through targeted social media campaigns, special interest groups on the web, fostering relationships with ambassadors in each special interest group who will be a trusted source of information for that audience.

• Kalgoorlie and Albany. With a combined target audience of 67,000 within a 5-hour radius of Esperance, these are two critical source markets for the town’s events. Ensuring some annual events appeal to these audiences is critical to the overnight visitation objective for events.

How to reach them: Traditional media (like local newspapers and radio) is strongly followed in regional communities and is a cheap and effective way to communicate with the target audience, geo-located social media campaigns, collaborations with talent in source markets (chefs, local personalities).

• Interstate visitors arriving across the Nullarbor, or WA road trip visitors – Australia’s closed borders as a result of COVID-19 have spiked interest in all forms of off road adventure, particularly caravans and motorhomes. Less than one year into the pandemic in November 2020, Avida Motorhomes and Caravans reported a 100% growth in sales year on year, while Gumtree searches for ‘Camper’ were up 52% and ‘Caravan’ up 39% from Q1 to Q3 2020 (Coronavirus pandemic drives Australian camper trailer, caravan and motorhome sales boom, carsguide.com.au). This trend is expected to continue upwards for a few years yet, as consumer confidence lags behind the easing of border restrictions (Only a quarter of Australians feel confident making travel plans, choice.com.au)

How to reach them: Information points on the entrance to town, truck stop banners, visitor centres, promotions in towns on either side of Esperance, through the local and regional tourism associations, through targeted ‘in town’ Facebook campaigns.

• Perth special interest groups

For events that have a niche industry or interest attached to them, marketing becomes more targeted and streamlined. For example, four wheel drive clubs, yachting enthusiasts, sporting associations, anglers or a genre of musicians.

How to reach them: Through digital platforms like Facebook groups, targeted Facebook advertising campaigns, themed magazines or newspaper lift outs, by contacting industry associations and collaborating with clubs and associations in the planning and development of events so they become advocates.

“Statistics show that visitors entering a region to experience an event have a higher daily spend than the average visitor.”

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

Live music

The live music scene in Esperance is already bustling, however it has been noted that live music does tend to fall into one genre/style, namely acoustic sets playing indi, folk or soft rock. There is a desire from some members of the community to see the music offering expand to other genres that appeal to different audiences, such as electronic dance music or 70s-80s rock, for example. Investing in large scale music events with big bands and bigger overheads is not recommended.

Timing of community vs tourism events

It was evident through industry consultation that Esperance is at capacity over the summer months, and those businesses who normally take part in events are too stretched to consider participating in large-scale events during the summer months. There is an opportunity, however, to create or support pre-existing community-based events that encourage tourists into town to spend money with local businesses, as often travellers at this time of the year are based out in the national parks or in caravan parks. Some of the events currently taking place in Summer include:

Live music events

• Esperance Markets

• Family friendly activities

• Town Tunes

Festive holiday celebrations, such as New Years Event

These types of events aren’t overly labour intensive, are single day set ups and have a straightforward format which can be repeated easily. These events add vibrancy to the community during its busiest period and allow both locals and visitors to enjoy the buzz and energy of the town at its peak.

In contrast, a new icon event should be positioned to drive visitation outside of the peak period and a time that is considerate of other elements around Esperance at the time, such as accommodation availability, farming schedules, school holidays, and other events around WA which may attract a similar demographic.

The guest experience in Esperance is just as important as the event experience

A tourist’s level of enjoyment and positive engagement with a destination is grounded in both emotional factors (values, attitudes, feelings, experiences, connection, stories) and rational factors (pricing, attractions, advertising, experience design, ease of visit) (Folgado-Fernandez et al, 2021). It is critical to the guest’s experience that both elements are taken into consideration when planning events, especially large-scale events with big investment. That is, guests travelling to experience an event want to have confidence in their ability to not just enjoy the event, but also the experiences of the town. Experiences as simple as being able to get a morning coffee on the weekend or having options for dinner every night of the week, to ensuring touring times match times that guests arrive in the town. All of these elements add up to the guest experience when in region, and their likelihood of becoming a positive advocate for the region on their return home. There is some curation of the tourism offering that needs to take place before a large-scale festival can be considered for Esperance, hence this being considered a long-term goal rather than a short-term gain.

“…a new icon event should be positioned to drive visitation outside of the peak period and a time that is considerate of other elements around Esperance at the time, such as accommodation availability, farming schedules, school holidays, and other events around WA which may attract a similar demographic.”

RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION OPPORTUNITIES

The recommendations from this report are broken down into some easy wins for the region, which bolster the preexisting events program and make the job easier for those hosting events currently, as well as some short-term gains and a longer-term strategy once the region has developed its capabilities to support a large-scale event.

Easy wins

By positioning Esperance as ‘pro-event’ through making Esperance an easy destination to host events, and by ensuring critical information and services are available for event managers, the town has a better chance of attracting events and event managers who can alleviate the burden of all events being run by local volunteers, community groups or the Shire itself.

1. Develop a suite of event support documentation which is helpful for event holders in the region

a. Create streamlined ways for food vendors to pop up at events, and for established/registered food businesses from outside the region to visit and temporarily trade/ offer services. Feedback from several vendors showed there were some barriers to food stalls being able to temporarily trade in Esperance, which is a deterrent for visiting chefs and caterers.

b. Create an inventory list or directory of service providers and hire products that support the event industry, such as toilet hire, fencing, printers and photographers. By creating this list, it may also show the gaps in offering which local businesses may be able to fill. Alternatively, it shows the Shire where investment may need to be made to support events.

c. Create a list of venues and event spaces currently available for use, including contacts, capacities and restrictions/limitations. This aids event managers and MICE organisers with understanding the town’s capacity to host. Like with the inventory list above, this will uncover any gaps and can guide future investment.

3. Provide a support mechanism and toolkit for Shire-supported events

There is a suite of useful information that can be provided to event managers which will assist in spreading the messaging and critical information about events and help promote Esperance as ‘pro-event’. For example:

j. Ways for event holders to incorporate indigenous content into festivals, including contacts for traditional owners, how to make an acknowledgement of country, who to employ to undertake a welcome to country, and ways to tie in important information from the indigenous community, such as animals to look out for depending on which season the event takes place in, as well as critical information for guests on the threat of dieback.

k. Create a simple ‘How to Work With Us’ document from the Shire which outlines requirements of event holders, key contacts in the health, planning and parks teams, social media handles, the ways the Shire can help with planning, etc.

l. Create an events marketing checklist, which is distributed to all event holders with free and low-cost marketing opportunities to help spread information about each event. During interviews, it became evident that there were a lot of community events being held, but they were unknown outside of the town (and sometimes even the locals didn’t know about them, which was evidenced by each survey participant sharing different events to those previously mentioned).

2. Shire to

consider concessions and support packages for event holders

There are several ways the Esperance Shire can support shirefunded events, which are used in other Local Governments across WA. For example:

d. Free bins for events

e. Cleaners to support pack down of events, or extra cleans during events

f. Parks teams ready to help with lawn mowing or extra maintenance before events proceed

g. Waiving application fees and permit fees

h. Support with traffic management

i. Providing access to event products like fencing, toilets and other products that the Shire already has

4. Audit and expand the Shire’s marketing channels to support event marketing opportunities

The Shire can become a one stop shop for marketing of the region’s events and opportunities. The Shire’s Instagram and Facebook accounts, for example, have plenty of useful information for locals, but could also be expanded to include events that would be of interest to the community. Other ways the Shire can support the promotion of events include:

m. Ensure Event Organisers know how to get their event loaded into the Visit Esperance What’s On calendar and how to get listed in the Community e-Newsletter

n. Airport Signage - Create an advertising opportunities flyer for spaces available at the Esperance Airport. Promote via Shire website and social media.

Short-term opportunities

Opportunities to be investigated within 12-18 months, provided resources are available.

2. Start proactive outreach or build on relationships with industry organisations in Western Australia

1.

Explore ways to fund dedicated human resource/s who manage multiple events across the community

The biggest piece of feedback to come out of the stakeholder surveys was that volunteer fatigue is a serious issue for the continuation of events in the community. There’s a handful of passionate community members who run events alongside their regular jobs and income streams. These events often don’t make money, yet add vibrancy and economic prosperity to the community, as well as making the township more appealing for visitors. Events have significant flow on effects for regional towns, from economic development and job growth to capacity building and liveability. Each person that visits a town for an event spends upwards of $234 per day (for ticketed events, as estimate by South West Development Commission). Having a dedicated resource who not only works to secure mass participation events and secure grant funding, but also builds capacity within the local community has many benefits for Esperance.

If the Shire is willing to fund the first year of this project contract, the event manager can start to develop events and secure additional event funding that will then pay for part of their contract, making the position more sustainable as time goes on. There are many examples of government-funded organisations paying for contractors to roll out projects, such as the South West Development Commission contracting project managers to roll out their jobs website, or Great Southern Development Commission and Australia’s South West co-funding a Tourism and Trade Start Export Advisor who works across both organisations.

AHOY recommends this resource sits outside of the Shire, so they have some autonomy and agility when it comes to spending event funds, managing projects, making quick decisions when opportunities arise, and have their own say over which events they support. This resource should also work across community events too, so they can upskill community groups and be able to spark new ideas, methodology and processes etc for smaller events and community organisations.

It was commented on that support like this is important for the likes of Rotary, who run fantastic events in the region but are an aging demographic with a thinning volunteer base. If support isn’t provided to them in the production of their events in the near future, those key community events may well end up in the lap of the Shire to manage in the future, adding greater workload to Shire staff.

Opening up a dialogue and forming positive relationships (or reinvigorating pre-existing relationships) with industry bodies and not-for-profit organisations will continue to position Esperance as ‘pro event’ and show outsiders that the town is open for business, which in the long run will lighten the load for events personnel in the region. Industry bodies in areas of the arts, sports, conferencing, music and tourism can all be powerful allies for local governments. Associations and industry organisations include:

• Sports Marketing Australia – works with local governments to attract sporting events, national titles and race rounds, as well as pairing LGAs up with potential event managers

• Surfing WA

• Australian Windsurfing Association

• West Australian Music

• Regional Arts WA

• Tourism Council WA

• Perth Festival

• FORM

• Buy West Eat Best

• Screenwest

• Business Events Perth

• Tourism WA Events Team

Building of relationships with artists and arts industry bodies will aid with long term plans of introducing a large-scale, multi-site exhibition, or will foster the exchange of ideas and see opportunities for the town.

3. Road test intimate, one-off food and beverage experiences

There is a desire to have food events in Esperance, however a food and beverage event comes with its limitations when there is a limited number of hospitality venues in the town. A large-scale food and wine/drink event needs some strategic planning to undertake, after capacity building has taken place, so there are some ways that food and beverage can be highlighted through smaller activations/experiences that start building the capacity of the region and highlight key produce. Read further in the Event Concepts for Consideration section of this report.

4. Advocate for training and education opportunities for locals

Currently South Regional TAFE’s Esperance campus doesn’t offer tourism, hospitality or events courses, which means opportunities are lacking for training and upskilling town inhabitants in one of the biggest industries in the region: tourism and hospitality. There is an opportunity to link up with training and education institutions to provide upskilling opportunities for local business owners and ‘doers’ in town. Alternatively, the Shire of Esperance, Chamber of Commerce or AGO can specifically look at training providers in these industries to run day workshops or short courses for individuals or businesses in the community.

5. Advocate with telecom providers for better cell service and internet coverage

Currently, guests to town will have limited opportunities to become advocates of the town, because posting to social media and sharing their experiences with friends and loved ones in real time via digital channels remains difficult. Solid internet access and mobile phone coverage will also be a key consideration for any conferences or meetings looking at the region for hosting their next event. The location independent workforce will also be deterred from extending their stay in Esperance, as it is difficult to get reliable WIFI to work without interruptions.

6. Utilise cruise ship arrivals as incubators for event capacity building

Cruise ships are returning to Esperance and their arrival offers an opportunity for capacity building of industry (hospitality, tourism, peripheral services) using cruise ship arrival days as incubators for event mobilisation. The collaboration and coordination of key stakeholders and resources will be key to use this platform as a building block for welcoming major events. The industry can utilise these cruise ship arrivals as ‘mini events’ where Esperance has its best foot forward for guest arrivals to ensure maximum economic impact and flow on tourism benefits from friend and family referrals. Mobilising volunteers, paid human resources and services along with capacity building of local businesses will be something Esperance can continue to build on with each cruise ship arrival, and will only strengthen the town’s event readiness.

7. Investigate access to and booking

Shire owned billboard signage (e.g. digital sign outside of the Civic Centre)

8. Investigate signage at truck stop/ information bay/ roundabout banner spaces and how these can be utilised as low cost event signage

Photo: Kyza Presents & Sarsby Martin

Long term opportunities

1. Work to secure a large-scale, multisite art exhibition that takes in multiple of Esperance’s pristine landscapes

Think Sculpture by the Sea, Antony Gormley’s statues at Lake Ballard or the recent Field of Light in Albany. All artworks showcase the host location as much as the artwork itself and provide significant visitation for the destination. Field of Light was installed for six months and attracted approximately 100,000 visitors to Albany over that event period. Through building relationships with the likes of FORM, Perth Festival and Regional Arts WA and through positioning Esperance as ‘pro event’ in the short term, the Event Manager can uncover opportunities for collaborative arts projects that provide significant reach and visitation to Esperance.

2. Continue to refresh and grow Edge of the Bay

Edge of the Bay has the potential to be a major drawcard for family and youth across the Great Southern and Golden Outback. By expanding the event to include broader interests such as water sports, music, BMX, art and wellness, the event will engage a greater number of community members and will have a critical mass of activities over the weekend to warrant overnight/weekend visitation. Read further in the Event Concepts for Consideration section of this report.

3. Develop a large-scale umbrella-style icon event that encourages buy-in and support from multiple facets of the community

After consultation with the industry, it is clear there is desire for a new icon event for Esperance. Stakeholders are excited by the prospect of external support in the events space and what’s possible with this support, so industry buy-in is likely, given the positioning is right. A festival that is positioned to be an expression of regional identity, rather than focussing on a specific industry or theme, is suggested. This will ensure maximum involvement from various sectors of the community and has the broadest appeal to aid in driving visitation. An example for developing a large-scale event, including budgets, funding opportunities, partnerships and positioning is outlined later in this document.

4. Investigate industry events that are part consumer driven, part symposium Esperance has a number of industries that are sustainable, clean and sourced within the region. These include beer, gin and seafood.

For example, Lucky Bay Brewing is currently the only brewery in WA that sources raw barley direct from nearby growers for their beer. This unique selling proposition has event potential, along with providing an opportunity to promote the region’s primary industries side by side with a popular consumable like beer. A hybrid beer festival tied to a conference or symposium for the beer industry could attract attention from other breweries and primary producers. Read further in the Event Concepts for Consideration section of this report.

Photo: Shire of Esperance

EVENT CONCEPTS FOR CONSIDERATION

Expansion of Edge of the Bay

From community interviews, it was clear that Edge of the Bay is a hero event for the community, and one that stakeholders are eager to see grow and flourish in future years.

Edge of the Bay has the potential to be a major drawcard for family and youth across the Great Southern and Golden Outback. By expanding the event to include broader interests such water sports, music, art and wellness, the event will engage more facets of the community, and will have a critical mass of activities over the weekend to warrant overnight/weekend visitation.

A similar event in Perth, called Groundswell Festival has grown in recent years from a surf/skate focus to incorporate more art and wellness activities such as breathwork, yoga, ice baths and meditation, and now takes over a large part of the Scarborough foreshore each Spring. The Masters surf and skate competitions ensure that both young and mature community members are included.

The event is supported by Healthway through their Drug Aware brand, and a similar ‘healthy lifestyle’ message could be a tie in for future iterations of Edge of the Bay, which may help secure additional funding.

Survey participants were supportive of expanding this event to have broader appeal. It’s worth noting however, there were some concerns from stakeholders in the region about time of the year. December is a busy month, with end of year parties, school graduation, the annual senior’s dinner and Christmas parties. It is also a busy time for farmers, and as a result not all families can take part. Limitations around moving the event exist due to the set timetable for Battle of the Bay.

Re-imagining of Festival of the Wind

From all interviews with locals, the former Festival of the Wind was a well-loved event on the annual program. Locals especially loved the kites and flying installations, as this was a key way that community groups and schools were included in the festival. (It is noted that some elements of kite flying has been incorporated into Edge of the Bay).

In 2018, the event dissolved due to committee burnout and financial stress. Feedback from organisers said that the event was a testing ground for other event concepts, such as the Taste of Esperance and Art to Wear, as is often the case with umbrella style events such as this. Collaborative festivals provide regional businesses and community groups an opportunity to expand their capacity in a safe, collaborative way, as has been demonstrated by festivals like Gourmet Escape, which brought in event management teams to the Margaret River region. Locals were able to learn from and expand their realm of what was possible for their in-house events going forward.

Organisers of the Festival of the Wind said the decision to cancel the event was made based on the viability of the current model. (Reference: Festival of the Wind calls it quits, Kalgoorlie Miner, 28 June 2018, F Delalande)

“What we realised is that we have a model that requires a massive amount of volunteer time, with limited resources and the need for the community, in partnership with local government and stakeholders, to reassess what an iconic event for Esperance looks like.

“Esperance is very fortunate to have numerous arts groups. The strength in these organisations is exceptional and we hope that a new event is born from the creative people residing in them.”

It is imperative that a new event be positioned correctly to ensure community support and buy in, and it’s clear that Festival of the Wind had that. AHOY suggests revisiting this idea with a new brand proposition, better support, seed funding and a sustainable model for its continued success. View the Icon Event Development Example for information on developing a new icon event.

A food & beverage event with a side of conference

With some of the most sustainable and clean production environments, there is an opportunity to celebrate a range of products such as beer, gin, seafood etc.

For example Lucky Bay Brewing is currently the only brewery in WA that sources raw barley direct from nearby growers for their beer, yet as consumers become more mindful of where their produce comes from, this will likely expand to other breweries across the State. This unique selling proposition has event potential, along with providing an opportunity to promote the region’s primary industries side by side with a popular consumable like beer. A hybrid beer festival tied to a conference or symposium for the beer industry could attract attention from other breweries and primary producers, with sustainability, local produce and circular economies a big focus of many craft breweries. A large contingent of people living in target towns like Albany and Kalgoorlie would be willing to travel for beer.

The agri-food industry can be tied into the conference side of this event. Australia’s Global Business and Talent Attraction taskforce outlines the country’s reputation for having clean, green and safe produce makes Australia a compelling destination to develop, commercialise, scale and source the next generation of agriculture and food technologies. Conference guests to Esperance could see first-hand how clean, green and safe the produce is, with a pristine backdrop.

Highly curated food experiences with beauty as a backdrop

In order to run a food and wine festival, there needs to be a critical number of hospitality businesses that have the capacity to take part. To create a complete program of events, AHOY estimates that at least 10-15 food and beverage businesses would need to be involved, which is not yet achievable for Esperance. While the hospitality industry is still in its infancy, AHOY suggests starting small with highly curated, one-off food and beverage experiences and events that showcase the broader tourism landscape and can act as PR opportunities to gain media traction. For example, setting up dinner parties or long table lunches in extreme or stunning locations like Woody Island or Twilight Beach, collaborations with visiting chefs and local talent like Taylor Street Quarters, high profile media visits where you can tie in content creation for produce such as seafood, bushfoods, beer or gin at the same time, or collaborating with a product such as Yeti or Mountain Designs to use the experience as a brand activation with Esperance as the backdrop.

Wellness experiences in pristine locations

There was interest from the industry to incorporate wellness into an event strategy, given the pristine environment right on Esperance’s doorstep which is conducive to unplugging, unwinding and reconnecting. For example, a mindfulness weekend on Woody Island, multi-day hiking trips with Indigenous traditional owners, and touring-style experiences that take in multiple natural sites around the region. Each of these event ideas has the secondary benefit of promoting the natural environment, and marketing collateral can position the destination well as wellness hotspot.

Attracting conventions and symposiums

There is potential in future years for Esperance to pitch to industry bodies and not for profits to host annual conventions and events, once some of the immediate wins and short-term gains listed in this document have been achieved. Potential themes and conferences for consideration, that are authentic to the region, include:

• Australian Clean Energy Summit

• WA Tourism Conference

• Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference

• Future of Food Conference

• International Oat Conference

Several areas need improvement before considering the pitching process for conferences and corporate events, including:

• Additional high quality bed nights

• An audit of conference-style facilities, as well as service providers to support conference organisers

• Improved connectivity – WIFI and mobile phone coverage

• Adaptable caterers and hospitality fit outs able to supply food and beverage to conference-goers

Icon event development example

Positioning

After consultation with the industry, it is clear there is desire for a new icon event for Esperance. Stakeholders are excited by the prospect of external support in the events space and what’s possible with this support, so industry buy-in is likely, given the positioning is right.

When choosing how to position this event, consideration must be given to ensuring the festival is an authentic representation of the regional identity, to provide maximum benefit back to the host location.

Research by Jiang and Chen (Event attendance motives, host city evaluation, and behavioural intentions: an empirical study of Rio 2016”, 2019) found tourism events based on local culture, traditions and resources have an additional appeal and value because of their authenticity, as they can provide attendees with a unique and memorable experience, so positioning of a new icon event must align with regional identity to have maximum appeal.

The region speaks highly of the Festival of the Wind and was sad to see its discontinuation. And industry and local buy-in is critical in the development of the new event, so with that in mind, AHOY recommends Esperance reimagines this festival and brings it back in the next 5 years, once the short-term recommendations of this strategy have been considered and/ or implemented, and the seed funding and resources are set up and in place to ensure the event’s continuation.

A stronger name and brand proposition of Festival of the Wind should be created to effectively engage the target audience (i.e. overnight visitors). The tightly packaged theme and brand allows for broad industry engagement and involvement, all while playing into an element of Esperance’s offering (wind) which can be repositioned into a positive. The theming of the festival is broad enough to engage all members of the community, from music and arts groups to food vendors and local businesses, while if the brand and positioning is done correctly, can have a strong enough united proposition to cut-through and engage both locals and overnight visitors. (Note: we will still refer to this reimagination of the event as Festival of the Wind throughout this document, however still recommend a renaming and rebranding of this event).

Survey participants all spoke highly of the kite flying elements of Festival of the Wind for example, and the potential to attract kinetic wind or sound sculptors to display their works as part of the festival will add a level of interest and prestige that is likely to attract additional funding from Tourism WA. Pieces like Theo Jansen’s strandbeests along Esperance’s beaches, or Luke Jerram’s Aeolus wind sound sculpture would be world-class pieces of art that would attract visitation from far and wide to experience, while offering incredible content that would reach much further than event attendees. Events that fit into an umbrella theme such as Festival of the Wind need not necessarily be solely wind-specific, but simply an expression of regional identity that ties strongly to the event brand. This could include:

• Key wind-related experiences such as:

- kite flying

- kite making

- World class art installations/exhibitions in iconic locations (such as kinetic sculptures)

- Wind Music (either and both a woodwind instruments orchestra, or music produced using the wind)

- Indigenous storytelling with relevant thread

- Wind-based water sports such as kite boarding and kite surfing

- School/community group participatory art pieces

- Children’s hands on activities and experiments with wind, like collaborations with Scitech

• Supported by other experiences that bring vibrancy to the town, like:

- Live music events

- Movie nights or projections

- Pop-up food hubs

Collectively, and when curated properly with the guest in mind, these events provide an enticing selection of events for both locals and visitors over the festival period.

Funding opportunities

It is recommended that a pool of seed funding be sourced as a first step in the development and rollout of a new icon event. To effectively set up any event which can drive visitation, significant investment needs to be made into branding, website, photography, videography and marketing from the outset, as well as the human resources needed for stakeholder engagement and capacity building around events.

After evaluating the achievements of successful umbrella events around Western Australia, it is clear seed funding is crucial to these events’ immediate success. It allows for investment in quality assets to effectively market the event, as well as a dedicated event management team. The marketing approach can be sophisticated from the outset, giving the event great cut through into key markets and offering an enticing proposition to the target audience, meaning reach of the festival can stretch beyond just the in-person attendance figures. A festival budget will likely be made up from various income streams, for example:

• Event marketing fees – businesses paying a participation fee

• Local government investment

• Tourism organisation support Corporate Sponsorship and event partners

• Grant Funding

• Other festival income opportunities like accommodation partners, program advertising, merchandise etc.

“Survey participants all spoke highly of the kite flying elements of Festival of the Wind for example, and the potential to attract kinetic wind or sound sculptors to display their works as part of the festival will add a level of interest and prestige that is likely to attract additional funding from Tourism WA.”

A list of potential partners is outlined in the next section, and below is an introductory list of agencies that regularly offer grant rounds for events and arts projects.

Agency Grant Eligibility

Tourism WA RES

Supports community events that bring vibrancy to the regions, bring additional tourism income to regional communities, attract media coverage and extend the length of the traditional tourist season.

Tourism WA REP

DLGSC Arts 15-plus and Arts Under 15k

Supports events that drive overnight visitation, attract media coverage and extend the length of the traditional tourist season.

Amount

Up to $40k

$50k to $200k

Collaborations to produce/ present new work, community workshops 15K & UNDER 15K & $60K

DLGSC Various arts grants Grants like the Regional and Remote Festivals Fund and Playing WA are regularly offered and support arts and cultural activities in regional WA. Check back with DLGSC regularly for grant opportunities.

Lottery West Community Grants Supports community groups and NFPs with funding that supports their framework pillars of inclusive thriving communities, connected cultural experiences, protected sustainable ecosystems and smart innovative society.

The Australia Council Contemporary Music Touring Program and Playing Australia: Regional Performing Arts Touring Fund

Healthway Healthy Partnership Program, Healthy Communities Program, Healthy Spaces Program

Regional Arts Fund Various, Quick Response, Cultural Tourism Accelerator, Youth Grants

The Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP) supports national touring activity undertaken by Australian musicians performing original contemporary music. The Regional Performing Arts Touring program (Playing Australia) supports performing arts to reach regional and remote communities across Australia.

Healthway offers a number of different grants for health promotion projects in Western Australia. Health Promotion Project Grants support a range of activities and campaigns designed to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles.

Regional Arts WA is the leading peak arts body entrusted with the governance and delivery of arts and cultural funding throughout regional and remote Western Australia, and has managed devolved funding on behalf of the State and Federal Governments since 1996. There are a range of funds and grants available throughout the year for projects of varying size and scope.

Up to $50k

$3k to $15k

Various limits

Up to and over $5k for Partnerships, Up to $5k for Spaces, Up to and over $5k for Communities

$3-5k for individuals, up to $30k for projects, $75k over three years for events.

A top line minimum budget breakdown for Year 1 of a new event is outlined below, including the proposed seed funding amounts required from regional stakeholders. This budget would scale-up based on desired outcomes (target audience, number of unique overnight visitors, number of days of event etc.).

Businesses paying a marketing fee for involvement in the program and associated marketing benefits

Planning, budgeting, stakeholder engagement, concept creation, program curation, ticket sales and registrations, overseeing marketing rollout, on-the-day management, ensuring that on the day logistics are running smoothly (catering, venue, equipment), post-event communication, reporting & analysis, managing postevent marketing/communications.

$20,000 Planning of marketing schedule, procurement of contractors and advertising, influencer relations, sales evaluation, channel management, manage online listings, event ticketing, email database management, newsletters, organic social media marketing

activations, media releases, talent management and interviews

Admin staff time, additional contractors, accounting, printing, postage, meetings, application fees, incidentals.

branding, programs, posters, printed postcards, banner advertising,

advertising, newspapers, radio, leverage small spend to secure partnerships with media outlets

Partnerships

A collaborative approach to a new icon tourism event is key. In regional areas where funding is generally limited, partnerships and collaborative activities amplify outcomes. AHOY Management believe partnerships and strong stakeholder relationships are crucial to the success of a new icon event for the region. Any new event should encourage participation and collaboration from a wide group of businesses and industry bodies.

Feedback from industry surveys confirmed that businesses want to see a collaborative approach. They know their own businesses well, but need help with marketing, ticketing and positioning, and support a coordinated approach. A collaborative effort means pooling of resources that will maximise exposure of the event and enhance the prospect for all businesses in the region to benefit, whether they be directly involved in the event or not. It also relieves pressure on those members of the community who consistently volunteer their time.

A list of potential partners (both monetary and in-kind) is outlined below. Cash contributions from sponsorship directly benefit the bottom line of the event budget, whereas in-kind partnerships are important for spreading event messaging, offsetting work for festival management and ensure strong stakeholder engagement from different community and industry sectors.

Partnership Type

Community, Government and Industry Partners

Business/Organisations to Target

• Shire of Esperance

• Shire assets, such as sporting fields, Civic Centre etc

• South Regional TAFE

• Esperance Chamber of Commerce and Industry

• FORM

• Regional Development Australia

• Goldfields Esperance Development Commission

• Development WA

Tourism Partners

• Esperance tourism industry

• Shire of Esperance’s tourism staff

• Australia’s Golden Outback

• Tourism Western Australia’s digital and PR teams

• RAC

Media Partners

• Southern Cross Austereo

• GWN7

• Local newspapers

Social websites such as Urban List Perth and Broadsheet

• Digital influencers

Examples of Sponsorship Opportunities

• Local Machinery & Equipment Providers

• Southern Ports Horizon Power

• Elders Insurance

• Real Estate Agencies

• Local Business CBH

• Industry Funding (e.g. IGO, Aurizon, Mt Burdett, Esperance Ag Fund)

• Telstra

• Banking Institutions

Marketing activities

Tourism Research Australia points out that positive word of mouth is the most important form of promotion about an event and should be encouraged and facilitated as part of the marketing schedule. Their report, Events: Drivers of Regional Tourism, states ‘Social advocacy and recommendations are vital in generating awareness and knowledge about events. Social media or interest groups/sites should be used to promote events, while also using local promotion to capture impulse or unplanned attendance.’

A complete marketing activity schedule will depend completely on the budget of an event, however there are several low-cost or free activities that aid in organic sharing about an event, which are integral in the marketing strategy. These include:

• Strong promotion through owned media channels, such as websites, email databases, social media channels and printed collateral.

• Utilise free marketing opportunities through partner channels for both stakeholder and consumer communication

• Leverage Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) campaigns

• Media outreach and media visits

• Direct marketing to special interest groups, such as outreach to sporting fan pages on social media, or talking directly with arts groups

• Cross promote or collaborate with other events and conferences in region

• Encourage participating businesses to promote the festival brand (and make it easy for them to do so by providing key information and imagery)

• Source (or invest in) good imagery for pre-promotion

• Create advocates of the event through local representatives

• Use cost effective town signage opportunities, such as entrance banners, LED screens and notice boards

More information on these suggested marketing activities can be found in Appendix 1.

Timeline of activities

To deliver a new icon event comfortably in the first year, it is suggested to work off an eight to 12-month timeline. Below is a proposed event timeline for the rollout of a new icon tourism event.

Month Activity

Eight to twelve months out Engagement of an Event Management Company

• Write event business plan, budget, and marketing plan

• Start initial talks with local businesses and Local Government

• Start branding exercise

Seven months out

Six months out

Five months out

Four months out

Three months out

• Open up expressions of interest for involvement

• Stakeholder outreach

• Face to face meetings with businesses to curate events

• Cut off for event applications

• Collect all necessary information for events

• Curate and lock down program

• PR push to magazines and international media

• Set up ticketing

• Commence teaser marketing

• Tickets on sale

• Advertising commences

Two months out Event program distribution

Month prior to event

Month of event

• Checkups with event partners and logistics lockdown

• Esperance Icon Event

• Post-event evaluation

Metrics and measurables

To create a sustainable regional event, it’s necessary to ensure satisfaction from not only the visitors attending, but also the local industry and the venues/businesses themselves. Therefore, a range of both consumer and business metrics should be tested, outlined below:

Number of businesses involved

A regional icon event will rely heavily on local industry. Therefore, the number of businesses involved will highlight how well the event management team were able to convey the event concept to stakeholders. The growth of participation will show the satisfaction of businesses and the capability of those businesses to effectively run events.

How to measure:

This is measured by compiling a list of participating businesses and tallying the total number involved. It is worth making a note of artists involved, as well as volunteers, as these are often measurables needed in grant funding applications.

Satisfaction level of businesses

Buy-in and collaboration from businesses is crucial to the success of an event structure like this. These businesses share the risk by investing in the event and their ongoing satisfaction will contribute to the success or failure of the event. Businesses should be asked about their overall satisfaction, whether they would recommend the festival to other businesses, are they likely to participate in the future, and any benefits they received from their participation, such as profits, new leads etc.

How to measure:

Business satisfaction can be measured through a post event survey, which can be created via the free tool, Survey Monkey, and sent to the emails of participating businesses.

Visitation

The number of consumers who attend is a gauge of how well the event was marketed, and how that converted into sales. Measuring visitation allows for year-on-year comparisons to show growth of the festival.

How to measure:

This can be measured by ticket sales and participation estimates from free-entry events. Door clickers should be used for free events.

Satisfaction of attendees

Positive word of mouth is one of the best ways to spread a message. Ensuring previous guests are working as ambassadors for the brand is important to its success (and to expand the reach of the event). Event managers should ask how likely attendees are to recommend the festival to friends and family. This Net Promotor Score gives an indication of whether word-of-mouth messaging about the event is positive. In addition, questions should include where guests travelled from, how long they stayed, their experience at individual elements of the festival, how they heard about the festival and whether they intend to come again next year.

How to measure:

Business satisfaction can be measured through a post event survey, which can be created via the free tool, Survey Monkey, and sent to the emails of participating businesses. The survey can be promoted via ticket holders, social media, a post-event e-newsletter and via the website.

Social media reach

The available metrics that an event manager can acquire through social media are incredibly valuable. It can show the reach of an event, the engagement in marketing and the festival brand, and then the conversion (that is, how many people purchased tickets). It shows how the event is received by the target audience. It also sets a benchmark for marketing spend and how best to reach the target audience in future years.

How to measure:

Details on reach and engagement can be found via the Facebook Business Manager. A report will also be compiled by any third party who assist with paid social media advertising (as recommended by AHOY). A pixel should also be installed on the festival website to measure click throughs and ticket sales.

Media Coverage

Media coverage is considered more valuable than paid advertising because it’s seen as authentic in the eyes of the reader. Measuring the Estimated Advertising Value of media coverage gives an indication of leveraged funds and can assist with displaying return on investment (ROI).

How to measure:

Measuring EAV is done by working out the cost of publicity, if it was paid for. For example, how much does an advertisement cost in the local newspaper at approximately the same size as the free publicity received. Depending on who is compiling this information, the value is often multiplied (by double or triple) as it’s a widely held belief that free publicity is worth more than paid advertising as it’s more trusted in the eyes of the consumer.

Considerations for the new icon event

A collaborative approach is key

Through the survey process, it was found that regional businesses are open to and welcome a collaborative approach to management and marketing of a new icon event for the region. Many businesses surveyed conveyed the sentiment of fatigue and burnout when it comes to running events. They welcomed the idea of collaboration, where support was provided from an event management company or resource and all businesses work together on the common goal. Volunteer burnout is a key consideration for the introduction of any new event, so working together mitigates this by all businesses doing their part to add to the whole.

Incorporate multiple industries into one event

With limited budgets and a relatively young destination brand, it’s recommended a new event cater to as wide a population base as possible. So, rather than building a festival around a niche experience (such as produce, wine, music, mountain biking or other sport), AHOY recommends that a new icon event focuses on becoming an expression of the regional identity. Then each event included in the program can be an expression of that identity, whether that be outdoor experiences, food and wine, or arts and culture. In the example of Festival of the Wind, restaurants can still host events on the program, as can children’s activities, arts organisations and outdoor touring businesses. All are authentic to the offering. The festival can become an expression of the regional brand, adding greater value to the region and reaching far beyond those who attend the festival through the marketing campaign that accompanies the festival. Note that while not industry specific, the event should be tightly packaged around a strong brand and theme that connects all experiences and industries involved.

Keep it simple; champion what the region is good at

The key experiences in the Esperance region are mainly related to scenery and outdoor natural environments. While food and wine are of interest to residents, it is recommended that capacity be built in the food and beverage space before the region starts to host major events of this nature. The Festival of the Wind, as an example, was well loved and familiar to Esperance, and plays into something the region is known for. It is also broad in its genre, meaning businesses and community groups from all industries can take part in some way.

Businesses need support

There are plenty of fantastic venues, producers, vendors and service providers in the region. They know how to successfully run their businesses, however many smaller producers or venues haven’t worked in events before and aren’t sure what it takes to run a successful event. In particular, many surveyed businesses said they would like support around marketing of

events, or support from people in the industry who can teach them how to do events. There’s an opportunity for capacity building with these venues, where an event management team work closely with businesses to teach them what’s required and upskill.

Avoid summer months

Community consultation highlighted the burnout of local businesses during Summer. While there is a need for community activations and events to occur during the summer months to still add vibrancy to the town for locals and visitors, an icon event should avoid the peak tourism period from December to February, when businesses are at capacity.

Minimise risk

While it is exciting to look at new, pie-in-the-sky event concepts for Esperance, it is important for events to fit within the limitations of the region (financial, logistics, business know-how). AHOY is aware of other regional events run in Western Australia that still run at a loss, despite significant investment by the State Government and sponsors. This is due to the management structure for these events relying heavily on ticket sales. If ticket sale forecasts are not met, budgets are not met, and therefore the festival owners must wear that loss. Without a tourism association and Shire with significant funds to wear such a loss, AHOY advises against any event where the structure relied heavily on ticket sale revenue for events run by the management company in the first year.

An umbrella model, where individual businesses in the region run their own events which are marketed under a collective festival brand, is a safe and simple way to disperse the risk. Many businesses surveyed would support an event structure of this nature.

In future years, once a new icon event has proven successful and a loyal fan base established, there’s opportunity to introduce some higher-financial risk concepts under the festival umbrella, such as ticketed events organised by festival management that will deliver money back into the event budget, with the potential to provide revenue back to the host community.

Capacity of local tourist services

The success of an icon event and its positive impacts are very much tied to the capacity of the local tourist services required by visitors. The overall visitor experience doesn’t come solely from the event, which is a reason to visit and to have a memorable experience. It also comes from the experience of the town, which will determine their overall experience and desire to return or tell friends and family about it. Accommodation type and availability, number of and accessibility to restaurants, cafes and food offerings, along with other visitor experiences set up for large numbers of visitors are all key considerations when planning for a new icon event.

Appendix 1 –free or low-cost marketing initiatives

A complete marketing activity schedule will depend completely on the budget of the event, however there are several low-cost or free activities that AHOY Management suggests using to promote an icon event, which support advertising spend.

Promotion through owned media channels

Any event will have a set of owned channels which can be utilised for promotion. These will build up over time and have more impact as the event grows. It is suggested that all advertising points back to a centralised location where bookings take place and full event information is listed, such as an event website. A proposed list of owned media channels is outlined below.

Channel Avenues

Website

• Hero image

• Feature tiles

• Blog posts Event listings

• Itineraries for travel

Facebook

• Cover photo

• Profile photo (remains the same)

• Timeline posts

• Facebook stories

• Facebook Events

• Posts within events

• Paid advertising

Instagram

• Cover photo

• Feed

• Instagram stories

• Paid advertising

• Reels

• IGTV

eDM

• Hero image

• Feature stories

• Links to accommodation/itineraries

• Sponsorship block

Printed collateral

Youtube

• Program

• Posters

• Café cards/flyers

• Uploaded videos

Curated video playlists

Utilise free marketing opportunities through partner media channels for stakeholder communication

Event partners provide free avenues to communicate with stakeholders about the proposed event. These are tourism partners and funding partners, who have a collective aim to see the event succeed. These avenues include industry newsletters for tourism organisations such as Esperance consumer channels, AGO and Tourism WA, as well as nontourism organisations such as the GEDC, Chambers of Commerce, Shire of Esperance and community groups.

Utilise free marketing opportunities through partner channels for consumer communication

Similarly, some of the above organisations also communicate directly with consumers through a variety of mediums that a new event can leverage. For example, AGO has a consumer newsletter, plus the opportunity to upload event listings onto their consumer website. In addition, all venues and participating producers should be encouraged to promote a collective event message through their own channels.

Leverage Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) campaigns

DMOs and RTOs have their own annual marketing and activity calendar. Where possible, it makes sense for a regional event to leverage these opportunities for promotion. For example, Cabin Fever Festival is used as a hook for visitation to the Margaret River region in the ASW Winter Down South campaign. Campaigns of this nature historically include dedicated newsletters, campaign landing pages, advertising and social media promotion.

Public relations

Positive media stories, for example the involvement of community groups or high-profile art talent, will provide hooks to communicate about an icon event with media. It’s a key activity for many AHOY projects, as it can substantially leverage small advertising budgets. Good relationships with key media and personalised outreach can result in a lot of free coverage for an event.

Familiarisations

Familiarisations work effectively to educate relevant decision makers and media about events. In today’s media landscape, familiarisations can also result in immediate coverage of an event through social media or digital channels. Social media influencers offer real-time coverage of an event as it happens where as traditional media provide limited marketing exposure for an event in year one, however they have the potential to promote in future years.

Direct marketing to special interest groups

Special interest groups can become strong supporters of events that talk directly to their interests and fulfil demand for activities that are applicable to them. Special interest groups such as sports fans, wind surfers, guitar fans, coffee appreciation groups, hikers, Facebook community groups and other passionate people in relevant target markets can be approached to engage with the event.

Cross-promote or collaborate with other events and conferences in region

Rather than competing directly with other events in region, AHOY see benefit in exploring ways to work with other events to cross promote or collaborate. For example, tying in a consumer angle to a visiting conference, or bolstering NAIDOC week festivities with a visiting chef or workshop. Each event will benefit from cross promotion with a new database or audience.

Encourage participating businesses to promote the festival brand

By providing an easy-to-use brand toolkit and style guide, an event management team can make it easy for participating businesses and partners to promote the icon event brand alongside their own event. This ensures all involved parties promote the event with the same messaging.

In addition to participating businesses, this allows accommodation providers and other local industry to spread the message too.

Create advocates of the event through local representatives

By clearly communicating the vision and goal of the event and ensuring input from local industry, there’s an opportunity to create advocates of the event. This could be industry leaders such as local government staff, key tourism players, local members of parliament or locals at the cold face of consumers such as visitor centre staff.

Use cost effective town signage opportunities, such as entrance banners, LED screens and notice boards

Most community towns have community notice boards (digital or physical), truck stop banner signage, airport advertising or information bays that provide cost-effective advertising opportunities for community events.

List events on free digital event calendars

There are several consumer websites that allow events to post their details free of charge, so they show up in search results online. For example, Scoop Digital, the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW), Perth is OK, AGO’s website, Eventfinda and Weekend Notes.

Photo: Jayde Guest