Events are becoming increasingly difficult to deliver in the current economic climate with volunteer burnout at a peak, Warrnambool City Council says.
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The lack of a winter school holiday event has also been identified as a gap in the council's new draft events strategy which has been released for public feedback.
The new strategy - which aims to ramp up the city's offerings - put a spotlight on the lack of weather-protected winter venues that pushed events into a congested summer schedule.
Large cultural and music events as well as those targeting young people are also missing from the city's calendar, the strategy found. Limited four-star accommodation was also listed as an issue.
"Event viability is declining with costs increasing and volunteer burnout at a peak," it says.
"Events are risky, increasingly competitive and resource intensive.
"Costs to deliver events have skyrocketed in recent years while grants and sponsorship opportunities have reduced."
Cr Otha Akoch said Warrnambool's gatherings and events used to be big. "But now it seems to be declining," he said.
While the new strategy aims to revive and grow events and put Warrnambool "on the map", the council wants the public to have a say on where it should focus its attention - events that lure visitor dollars to town or those catering for the community.
Cr Ben Blain said the draft strategy at this point in time was really destination driven - overnight stays trying to drive the economy.
He said if Warrnambool wanted more community-driven events for residents, he urged the public to speak up and have its say.
Chief executive officer Andrew Mason said the events strategy recommended the council focus on destination events and events that created economic activity.
Business events were identified as one area for potential growth. But there was also a strong focus on enhancing already established events.
Warrnambool is home to the 150-year-old May Racing Carnival, Australia's oldest cycle race in the Melbourne to Warrnambool and major speedway events.
It also hosts numerous other sporting events such as BMX, basketball and surf lifesaving as well as community events such as the multicultural festival.
Cr Debbie Arnott said the strategy would help increase the economic benefit to the community and to make wise use of the council's budget.
Cr Angie Paspaliaris said the COVID-19 pandemic had left the city's events in limbo with things changing since the end of lockdowns. She said people's interests, spending and travelling habits had changed.
Cr Vicki Jellie said while the council wanted people to visit the city and stay and spend money, it wanted to look after its own community and have something residents could attend that was less costly and family-oriented. "So we can't forget that in this," she said.
Cr Richard Ziegeler said the strategy was also about enriching residents' lives. "It's not only about the economics," he said.
The way council allocates funding to events will get a shake-up in the new strategy.
Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
