Enabling a commercial return for partner businesses

Sydney WorldPride enabled a commercial return for participating partners and allowed them to build their brand and demonstrate support.

WorldPride 2023 also brought substantive benefits to local businesses across the Oxford Street precinct. These benefits included:

• Increasing the revenue of local and participating businesses, of which 49% reported an increase in revenue compared to the previous month.

– According to Airwallex, businesses supporting the events had seen a 11.9% increase in transactions during WorldPride compared to a 4.1% increase for all other businesses1

• It enabled businesses to publicise their commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion (73% of local businesses surveyed agree), brought visitors to their local area (69%) and exposed them to new customers (67%) (Chart 27).

• Local businesses participated actively and visibly in Sydney WorldPride, with 60% of those surveyed putting up decorations for WorldPride. 20% of local businesses surveyed hosted a WorldPride event, both through the Pride Amplified program and independently. (Chart 28).

A broader economic contribution of the festival (quantified on pages 17-19) reflects the outcomes of increasing the financial sustainability of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras through the event, and increasing the commercial value of WorldPride to InterPride.

Chart 27: To what extent do businesses agree with the following statements?

Being LGBTQIA+ inclusive is important to my business

WorldPride was welcomed by my business

WorldPride increasedvisitors to my business

WorldPride enabled my business to publicise its commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion

WorldPride brought exposure to new customers

WorldPride was beneficial for business

WorldPride negatively disrupted business activities

Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Neutral Somewhat agree Strongly agree

Source: Survey of local businesses engaged in Sydney WorldPride, (n=45)

Chart 28: During Sydney WorldPride, did your business do any of the following?

Decorate

Advertise local Sydney WorldPride initiatives

Host a Sydney WorldPride event

Host a stall at a Sydney WorldPride event

Sell a new product related to Sydney WorldPride

Participated in on-the-street trading as a part of the Pride Villages event

Source: Pride Amplified Survey, (n=36)