A strategy
to increase the value of major events in Greater Geelong to $131 million per
year by 2029 has received council support.
Greater Geelong played host to 18 major events
in 2022-23, generating an economic benefit of $77.5 million.
This represented a return on investment of
1:48 on the just over $1.6 million that the City of Greater Geelong invested to
support these events.
These events also supported approximately 650
full-time equivalent jobs and drew a substantial audience of 758,000 spectators
and participants to the region.
The new Geelong Major Events Strategy 2024 – 2029 aims to build on this success by increasing the economic impact of major
events by 10 per cent each year over the next five years.
Importantly, the strategy also seeks to extend
its focus beyond economic impact by increasing local resident participation by
30 per cent, halving the carbon footprint of major events and building
Geelong’s brand as Australia’s premier regional events destination.
Attracting
more arts, music and culture to the region in an effort to promote a greater
diversity of major events is also a key feature of the renewed strategy.
In its
Tuesday night meeting council voted to endorse new terms of reference, which
will guide the Geelong Major Events Committee in implementing this five-year strategy.
The committee
currently includes councillors Anthony Aitken, Ron Nelson, Jim Mason and
Melissa Cadwell, along with six external members representing the community.
With
elections coming up in October, Council voted to extend the terms of three
external members that were scheduled to conclude this month to a
revised date of July 2025.
Mayor Trent Sullivan
Major events generate significant economic benefits for businesses the
region.
Each year Greater Geelong hosts a colourful and
exciting line-up of major events that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to
our beautiful part of the world.
This renewed strategy will help expand our major
events calendar and cement Greater Geelong as Australia’s preeminent regional
destination for major events.
Deputy
Mayor and Geelong
Major Events Designated Committee chair Anthony Aitken
This new strategy
will result in more locations around Greater Geelong hosting a greater
diversity of major events.
You will
see more cultural events if we’re true to the strategy that we’re adopting.
Geelong is
much more than just the waterfront and the CBD, and we have so many more fantastic
locations that can be used for major events.