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.