Warrnambool City Council is developing a new strategy with a strong focus on increasing the number of weekend events drawing visitors to the region after ending the Fun4Kids Festival.
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Chief executive officer Bruce Anson said the plan was nearing completion and would be presented for consideration at an upcoming council meeting.
“We put the vast majority of our investment into a one-week event in the middle of winter,” he said.
“We want to open up other events and dates that are spread across the year, not simply that one week. We will be looking to the community for ideas. The aim is to see what we can grow and expand, not just what we can buy in. It’s about having more weekends with events on them.
“They might be small and unique, but it can build the brand of Warrnambool as an events centre and ensure people are coming on a year-round basis. Rather than fill up the accommodation for a week in winter, why not have 14, 15, 16 weekends where we are 80 per cent full.”
Mr Anson said the money that had been invested in Fun4Kids would now go into the event strategy.
“That’s the overall aim,” he said.
“The main focus is to support an events strategy.”
Mr Anson said the events budget approached about “three quarters of a million dollars”.
“The Fun4Kids was absolutely fabulous and we were really proud of what we did, but we think its time has come. Now the opportunity is to let other things grow and for council to look at whether we can support them,” he said.
“I hope we get some opportunistic, funky things.”
He said Port Fairy offered a broad range of events year round to attract tourism dollars.
“If we look at the wonderful success that Port Fairy has, by having not only the Folkie but other festivals spread throughout the year, they have built a number of smaller events that are now reaching a very good size,” he said.
“They have started off with some small, quiet events that have grown over the years.
“Most of our stuff was tied up in one event rather than spread and attracting people into the city year round.”
Mr Anson said another reason for the demise of the festival was difficulty in securing sponsorship dollars.
He acknowledged the organisations that had sponsored the event and said they had done so generously.