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.”