October 2009
- The Business of Events
- Celebrate! Major Events Coming Soon
- Regional Spotlight
- Queensland Events Gold Coast Update
- Asia Pacific Screen Awards Update
The Business of Events
Bringing Business To The Regions
Since 2001, the Queensland Events Regional Development Program (QERDP) has invested $12.5 million dollars in more than 600 regional events, in an investment program which goes well beyond the bottom line.
Who says regional events can't be big business for the state? Not Sandra Garvin, Manager of the Queensland Events Regional Development Program (QERDP). For anyone who doubts her, Sandra simply repeats her mantra "Woodford..Tamworth..Tropfest.." and people eventually get the point.
For those on a first-name basis with these iconic regional events, there is no doubting their power - to turn towns and paddocks into international tourism destinations - to boost local economies and small businesses - and to bring a spirit of excitement and purpose to smaller communities.
"The beauty about the QERDP as an investment program is it acknowledges the impact regional events can have on their home towns and Queensland on many different levels," says Sandra.
"From the beginning, it has never just been about a dollar return, nor has it been simply about providing cash for portable toilets to be on site," she says.
"Our assessment of whether to award funding to each event takes into account factors such as how the local community will be affected, whether local government and industry is supportive, whether it will increase local and visitor tourism, and what its potential lifespan might be."
Once it has awarded funding to an event, the QERDP secretariat in Townsville works closely with events in their lead-up, often recommending and funding business-planning style activities and mentoring from event industry professionals.
"The ultimate goal is for events which have been funded through the QERDP to reach the point where they are self-sustaining," says Sandra.
"The Celebration of Australian Food & Wine, Noosa Style is a great example: since QERDP support in 2007 the event has gone on to become one of the region's best-loved events," she says.
And the biggest success stories don't always have to be the biggest events. Take the Isisford Fishing Festival, which attracts crowds of up to 1000 to a town with a population of around 250. The lure of the yellowbelly and the prospect of a weekend in the 'real country', combined with a well-run and managed event have seen the Isisford Fishing Festival grow just like the "one day I caught a..." stories told on the banks of the river.
Then there's the events which start small - like the annual Julia Creek Dirt & Dust Festival, which kicked off 15 years ago as an idea at the local Town & Country Pub bar. It was supposed to put Julia Creek on the map. And it did. Defying dirt, dust, flies and travel time, this event has become the high point in the year for locals and loyals alike.
In 2006, the Julia Creek Dirt & Dust Festival was one of the few events which annually are awarded Significant Regional Event Scheme (SRES) funding under the QERDP - an investment of $150,000 over three years. Enabling the event to grow its national and international marketing, develop additional revenue streams and take its 'icon' status to the next level has proven highly successful - there's no sign it will run out of puff any time soon.
Round 17 of the QERDP recently closed to begin assessment and will be announced shortly.
www.queenslandevents.com.au/regional/
CELEBRATE! Events Coming Soon
Noosa Triathlon Multi Sport Festival
Another Great Australian Tradition
The Noosa Triathlon Multi Sport Festival is an event steeped in rich history with a uniqueness not matched anywhere else in the world. And it's on again in just 28 days!
The festival brings together an irresistible mix of sport and entertainment coupled with sun and surf in one of Australia's most popular destinations - Noosa.
It has been Australia's most popular triathlon for 27 years and reaches capacity earlier each year, drawing 5,600 competitors to the Olympic-distance (1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run) challenge that also lures our top professionals.
But if you think it's all about triathlon, you'd be wrong.
There's a week-long festival of swimming, cycling, running, triathlon events for everyone from age 7 to 80+, two golf tournaments (celebrity and corporate), Queensland's largest expo, corporate/VIP facilities, and a serious 'after-party' you'll almost need to train for.
Supporting events on the program include the Eyeline 1000 Ocean swim which is celebrating its 21st anniversary, with past winners including Kieren Perkins, Grant Hackett and Ky Hurst. The Asics 5km Bolt has been claimed by the likes of Sonia O'Sullivan and Craig Mottram, and the Cycling Grand Prix regularly attracts Australia's best cyclists.
Add a whole host of high profile personalities for celebrity spotting and it's little wonder spectator numbers swell to more than 30,000 with a total of 8,500 competitors across all events.
Be sure you pack the significant other or family as Noosa is an ideal spot to spend some down-time after the action ends.
For further event information check out the website at www.usmevents.com.au or for other Noosa 'must do's' www.tourismnoosa.com.au.
Regional Spotlight
IGA Coolum Kite Festival - Flying High
New Zealand-based extreme kiter, Craig Hansen, will land at the IGA Coolum Kite Festival direct from the Sahara Desert. Call him mad – that’s just how he likes it.
Craig Hansen is not your average hobby kite enthusiast. A ‘recycled’ Zimbabwean and now official ‘Kiwi’, Craig is also the co-owner of Peter Lynn Kites based in Ashburton, on the south island New Zealand.
Craig has been flying kites since he was 10 years of age. He has a passion for kite traction and wind assisted travel – specifically as a means for journeying. His most recent journey was by far his most ambitious – and most successful.
Craig and a team of three others took Craig’s custom-developed “Big Foot” kite buggy on “Mad Way South” www.madwaysouth.com. It was, obviously, the journey of a lifetime.
“2,500 kilometres in total.80 kilometres a day throughsome of the most hostile territory in the world,” says Craig of the grueling trek across the Sahara Desert which landed the team two new world records:
- First to cross the Sahara desert by wind power alone
- Longest kite buggy journey: over 2100km
The goal was not simply notoriety in the world of extreme sports. The reason behind the ‘madness’ was on a completely different continent in the poverty-ridden country of Cambodia. Mad Way South raised funds for a brave organisation which fights to free young girls from slavery and prostitution, and provides a safe haven where they can receive counseling, medical attention, education and vocational training in a safe and loving environment.
“There is always a reason behind the ‘madness’, and we wanted to do something for these beautiful young girls by raising funds and awareness,” says Craig.
Craig’s next stop is the IGA Coolum Kite Festival in Queensland, where he will demonstrate his skill with kite buggies.
To join in the high-flying fun, visit the 2009 IGA Coolum Kite Festival on 3 and 4 October at Coolum.
IGA Coolum Kite Festival
Queensland Events
Gold Coast Update
Pan Pacs Wants You
The next Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast may not be for another 13 months, however organisers have hit the road to recruit for a bumper 2010 event.
The 7th biennial Pan Pacific Masters Games will be held from 6 to 14 November 2010, with an anticipated 30-plus sports set to attract 10,000 competitors aged 30-plus to the Gold Coast.
Recently organisers attended the Lismore Masters Games which attracted more than 2,000 competitors.
This month (October) the Pan Pacific Masters Games will be an exhibitor at the World Masters Games in Sydney. The Health & Lifestyle Expo will be situated adjacent to the World Masters Games Registration Centre at the Sydney Showground.
The Pan Pacific Masters Games booth will include information about next year's event plus plenty of giveaways for the World Masters Games participants. Staff will also be out-and-about at the various sports spreading goodwill and the mantra 'Play it, Live it, Love it' on the Gold Coast in 2010.
The next stop after Sydney for the Pan Pacs roadshow will be Dunedin from 30 January to 7 February for the New Zealand Masters Games. An annual social event at these Games is Aussie Night showcasing the Pan Pacific Masters Games to the Kiwi competitors.
Visit www.mastersgames.com.au
Asia Pacific Screen Awards Update
APSA on Air
The first episode of Scene by Scene - Films of Asia Pacific is set to premiere on 3 October.
APSA continues its partnership with CNN International this year by once again producing a four part documentary series titled Scene by Scene - Films of Asia Pacific. Produced here in Queensland by APSA Productions team Karen Berkman (Producer), Kerry Lonergan (Producer), Kimberley Sakzewski (Production Manager), Gary Johnson (Post Production Manager), Maxine Williamson (Associate Producer) and Des Power (Executive Producer), the programs are screened by CNN International to more than 249 million households and hotel rooms in more than 200 countries and territories, providing Asia-Pacific filmmakers with unprecedented global television coverage. Scene by Scene and CNN's monthly movie program, The Screening Room, also include coverage of the APSA Ceremony beaming images of the Gold Coast all over the world and taking the APSA-nominated films to a global audience.
"It is important that we have a major award to acclaim outstanding films and film makers, but our key point of difference to other international awards ceremonies is that we produce a range of stories about the work and personalities of the region's film industry", said APSA Chairman Des Power, "We are the only awards initiative that is linked to a globally broadcast documentary series."
The production of Scene by Scene continues APSA's mandate to promote the films and filmmakers of Asia-Pacific to a global audience: to realise the objectives of UNESCO and promote and preserve our cultural diversity through the medium of film.
Hosted by CNN's Anna Coren, the four half-hour documentaries celebrate the cultural diversity and outstanding quality of the films being produced in the region. From Turkey to India, Kazakhstan to the Philippines, Korea to Australia and the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea, Scene by Scene explores the film industry in the vast Asia-Pacific region and hears from the directors, producers and stars about the challenges they face making films. The 2009 series includes interviews with Brillante Mendoza (Philippines), Warwick Thornton (Australia), Rachel Perkins (Australia), Anil and Sonam Kapoor (India), Najwar Najjar (Palestinian Territories), Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah (Kuwait) and Sergei Bodrov (Russian Federation).
The first episode airs on CNN International on 3 October 2009.
www.asiapacificscreenawards.com
Find out what's on and where
www.queenslandevents.com.au/events
