Events coordination investment to support tourism recovery

28 September 2020

The importance of events in our tourism recovery has been recognised by Bega Valley Shire Council, with the launch of phase two of the Tourism Events Recovery Coordination Program.

The two-phased Tourism Events Recovery Coordination Program is designed to drive increased event visitation and establish improved diversity and resilience within the local visitor economy.

“Phase one, an audit of our event industry to identify the best areas of opportunity, resulted in the development of a five-point Sapphire Coast Event Action Plan, which will guide a range of initiatives to further develop tourism events,” Council’s Acting Economic Development Manager, Alison Vandenbergh said.

“Our audit also identified specific areas where individual events require support and that business planning is critical to the sustainability of our major events.

“The local event industry will be pleased to see their contributions addressed in the action plan, including addressing the overwhelming feedback that an event coordination resource was required to support the event community, with a point of contact to provide guidance and advice on areas such as event marketing, grant funding and navigating regulatory processes.

“To that point, following a competitive tender process in May, The Destination Agency has been awarded the contract to deliver the Tourism Events Recovery Coordination Program.

“The Destination Agency, which manages Sapphire Coast tourism marketing services, will coordinate the program to drive increased event visitation and establish improved diversity and resilience within the local visitor economy.

“The Agency will manage the program alongside its other tourism activities, ensuring it aligns with other Sapphire Coast destination marketing initiatives.”

Ms Vandenbergh said the Sapphire Coast Event Action Plan also highlights the positive impact that can be delivered for events with a greater focus on collaboration among the region’s event stakeholders.

“That means further developing the relationship between Council and event owners, and promoting and encouraging partnerships between key events and other local organisations, such as NSW National Parks and South East Arts,” she said.

The Tourism Events Recovery Coordination Program is funded under the joint Commonwealth - NSW Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

For further information and support, the event industry is encouraged to contact The Destination Agency’s Tourism Marketing and Events Officer, Amanda Heather on 0407 191 142 or email [email protected]