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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Item 17 GM3/09 Events Calendar 2009/2010
General Manager's Report No. GM3/09
General Manager Division
Date of Meeting: 8/04/2009
17 EVENTS CALENDAR 2009/2010
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Council currently manages and holds a number of community events across Hornsby Shire. Community events should maximize Council’s exposure across the community. The type and styles of events has evolved over time in response to Councillor and community requests to initiate events.
Falling attendance numbers for some traditional events plus increasing event costs per capita has prompted a review of the current events calendar. This has necessitated changes to mutually benefit Council’s exposure across the community and encourage growth in tourism, business opportunities and community engagement within the Shire.
The current events calendar does not provide Council with maximum exposure to the community. The implementation of minor changes to incorporate new improved ideas and concepts to the current events calendar would provide Council with additional opportunities to reach a greater portion of the community within the current budget allocation.
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE
This report seeks a formal resolution of Council to accept this report, identifying more relevant and contemporary community events for the 2009/2010 financial year and endorse ongoing improvements to Council’s event calendar of the same character.
DISCUSSION
Council’s current events calendar has evolved over many years and has become dated, not meeting the needs of the current community or market trends. The Centenary year provided Council with the opportunity to run a variety of additional events across the Shire. These events received a positive response from Hornsby Shire residents. Research and community feedback forms completed at events over the past 3 years since the Centenary year, has provided Council with valuable information from the community regarding their expectations pertaining to Council run events. This information reflects the community interest in some changes to the current community events conducted by Council.
The primary current events calendar managed by Council’s Community Relations Branch consists of:
May Photographic Competition
August Great Debate (Propose to replace with Youth Zone)
September Country and Garden Fair
Garden Competition (Propose to replace with music events in each Ward)
November OneWorld Multicultural Festival
December Christmas Cheer
January Australia Day celebrations
February Movies under the Stars (Propose moving to November)
Proposed Changes:
August 2009 Spring Into Arts Calendar (see attachment 1)
Spring into Arts was trialled as a pilot marketing tool for the local arts and cultural community groups in November 2008. The calendar was developed and promoted by Council providing the local arts community with the opportunity to advertise their event for free. The calendar was distributed in the October rates instalment notice and reached approximately 45,000 residents. It was also provided for distribution throughout all Council operated facilities. This pilot was very successful and in 2009 the Spring into Arts calendar will run throughout the months of Spring (September / October / November).
Proposal: Offer local Shire commercial arts and cultural based businesses the opportunity to purchase advertising space in the calendar to offset costs and provide local businesses with the opportunity to be included in the calendar. The publication will also provide additional information about cultural services available in the Hornsby Shire region for both residents and visitors.
September 2009 (1) The Bushland Shire Festival (formally The Country and Garden Fair)
The Bushland Shire Festival is the largest event on Council’s calendar. The 2009 event will build on past years to make this a family fair day with a branch of garden stalls and possible demonstrations in a select area of the park.
Proposal: Use the budget from the Great Debate to develop a youth zone area within the event to target the youth age group. Community Relations would work closely with Council’s Youth Team to facilitate the success of this initiative.
(2) Music Event (A Ward) - McKell Park Brooklyn
October 2009 Music Event (B Ward) - Lisgar Gardens, Hornsby
November 2009 Music Event (C Ward) – Booth Park, Beecroft (Sutherland Road)
Proposal: The budget allocation from the Garden Competition will be used to be used to manage 3 small park music events across Hornsby Shire in line with the adopted Cultural Plan. The community target reached could potentially exceed 500 – 1000 people over the course of the 3 events. These events would be scheduled throughout spring for inclusion in Council’s Spring into Arts calendar. Local community groups and schools will be approached to participate at little or low cost to Council.
November 2009 Outdoor Movies Program
1. Asquith Oval, Mills Ave Asquith
2. Warrina Street Oval, Warrina Street, Berowra
3. Ruddock Park Oval, Quartersessions Road, Westleigh
4. Forest Park Epping (Council may need to consider changing this venue to an oval for risk management purposes due to increasing attendance numbers).
Proposal: The proposed Australia Day celebrations and the proposed date change of the One World Multicultural Festival would require the Outdoor movies program to be moved from February to November due to the heavy workload throughout this time.
December 2009 Christmas Cheer
Is a small promotion run by Council, used to generate a list of decorated homes for residents to view during the 2 weeks prior to Christmas Day.
Proposal: An online registration form and list provided via the Hornsby Council website rather than the current promotion methods to save money. 1 prize for a people’s choice award to be managed via Council’s website. The People’s Choice award prize could be a voucher from the 2008 sponsor Sydney’s Christmas Barn.
January 2010 Australia Day Celebrations
1. Koala Park
Promotion worked well in 2009 where approximately 2,500 residents attended the park.
Proposal: To repeat this promotion in 2010 and beyond.
2. Hornsby Pool
Promotion worked well with over 650 residents enjoying the facilities via the promotion.
Proposal: To repeat this promotion in 2010 and beyond.
3. Hornsby Park
Successful event in 2009, was predominately run by Hornsby Country Women’s Assoc & was well attended.
Proposal: To continue support for this event in conjunction with Country Women’s Association and to repeat this promotion in 2010 and beyond.
4. Outdoor movie screening “Australia”
Proposal: To schedule an outdoor movie screening night for Australia Day. Australia Day falls on a Tuesday in 2010 and consideration of the event being held the weekend prior would be sought through the Australia Day committee.
5. Citizen of the Year
Proposal: Trial an online registration process for these nominations.
Australia Day Committee
Proposal: That the Australia Day committee continue throughout 2009 for the 2010 events.
March 2010 One World Multicultural Festival
Proposal:
· Move the One World Festival to a Sunday in March 2010 to combine this event with the current National Harmony Day celebrations run by Community Services.
· Move the location of this event from Hornsby Mall to Hornsby Park with a road closure of the Pacific Hwy working closely with Hornsby Police and the RTA to ensure a sufficient & suitable traffic management plan is in place. In principle support has been discussed with Hornsby Police.
· The event would showcase a multicultural element with a street festival and activities for the community. The proposed venue location is central and within walking distance to Hornsby train and bus interchange.
· The long term vision for this event is to make this the signature event on Hornsby Council events calendar and brand this event across the Sydney Metropolitan area.
· One World Multicultural Festival has been run in Hornsby Mall since inception.
· The proposal to move the event to a park location has been sought for reasons including staging, site management, risk management, costs incurred, site restrictions and location.
· Additional funding through Festivals Australia will be sourced for this event.
May 2009 Digital Online Photographic Competition
The current competition is high in staffing and administration and the per capita cost associated with running this competition to Council is not showing value for money or reaching a large target audience. Minor changes have been made to the 2009 competition to save money on the competition. In 2008 the competition only attracted 73 entrants with 210 photographs entered costing Council $130 per entrant. Whilst this competition does provide Council with a gallery of photographs to utilise in publications, digital technology will be investigated to run the competition in 2010 via Council’s website or via an external provider. This should enable Council to facilitate the competition at a lower expense but still have access to a wide range of photographs.
Proposal: Monthly Markets
A regular comment from the community is that they would like to see monthly markets in Hornsby Shire. Initial internal consultation is underway to ascertain the feasibility of such markets and investigation is being conducted to identify a suitable venue. Council would seek Expressions of Interest from external contractors wishing to conduct markets in Hornsby Shire. Community Relations would partner with the supplier and play an active role in the marketing of these markets. Council would request to be a regular stallholder at this event providing residents with the opportunity to speak to Council representatives and obtain relevant information about Council and Council services. This would also provide Councillors the opportunity to engage with the community regularly in an event environment.
Superseded: Garden Competition
The Garden Competition has been run by Council for over 20 years. Whilst the competition does encourage residents to beautify their gardens and promote the Bushland Shire, the competition has also seen a reduction in entries over the past 5 years. The cost to Council to facilitate this competition does not show value for money per capita. Additionally costs for judging and staffing have grown in recent years. In 2008 the competition attracted only 39 entrants at a cost to Council of $166 per entrant. Using the budget allocation to facilitate the 3 music in the park events across the Shire would potentially provide Council the opportunity to reach in excess of 1000 residents at an estimated cost of $6.50 per resident.
Superseded: The Great Debate
The Great Debate is a small competition run by Community Relations for local high school students to compete against each other over 5 days in Council Chambers. Whilst this is a competition targeting a select market, this competition has also seen a vast reduction in schools uptake over the last 5 years. All high schools are provided with opportunities to compete in debating competitions through the Department of Education over the course of the year. Therefore it is proposed the competition should be removed from the Council calendar. By replacing The Great Debate competition, Council has the opportunity to fund a Youth Zone area with activities and displays at The Bushland Shire Festival. The same target market is catered to yet in a different event.
BUDGET
There are no budget implications to the changes to the events calendar. All changes will be met within the current allocated budget.
POLICY
The Garden Competition has a policy in place. This policy will need to be withdrawn from Council’s register.
CONSULTATION
Initial consultation has occurred between Council officers and Hornsby Police regarding the proposed road closure for the One World festival. An external contractor will be sourced to facilitate the traffic management plan for the One World event. Ongoing consultation with Council’s Traffic Management Committee, The Roads and Traffic Authority, TransdevTSL, RailCorp and Hornsby Police will be sought to meet requirements for the proposed road closure for One World Festival.
Initial internal consultation has occurred to discuss the feasibility and proposed locations for monthly markets within Hornsby Shire.
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE SUMMARY
Triple Bottom Line is a framework for improving Council decisions by ensuring accountability and transparency on social, environmental and economic factors. It does this by reporting upon Council's strategic themes.
Working with our community.
Community events run by Council improve Council’s image within the community and provides opportunities for Council to engage with the community. Events engender social harmony and positive interaction. The proposed changes would provide Council with the opportunity to reach a greater and more relevant target market within the community.
Conserving our natural environment.
Consultation with Council’s Waste Department has initiated Waste Wise events across council. Where possible sustainable practices and measures are included and implemented at all Council community events.
Fulfilling our community’s vision in planning for the future of the Shire.
The new additions to the Council Events calendar are consistent with the adopted Cultural Plan. The broad variety of events enables the maximum exposure for Council across a diverse range of demographics and target markets.
Supporting our diverse economy
Providing community events locally facilitates the opportunity for Council to increase tourism to the local region and boost economic business development as residents have the opportunity to enjoy experiences locally thereby generating local business.
RESPONSIBLE OFFICER
This report was prepared by Council’s Event Coordinator, Community Relations, Ms Kristen Woods, telephone 9847 6739.
RECOMMENDATION
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1. Council endorses the proposed changes to the events.
2. Council trials offering paid advertising space in the Spring into Arts Calendar to local commercial arts and cultural based businesses.
3. Council no longer conducts the Great Debate and the Garden Competition and withdraws the Garden Competition policy.
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Robert Ball General Manager General Manager Division |
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1.View |
Spring into Arts 2009 Calendar |
Included under separate cover |
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File Reference: F2004/08423
Document Number: D01128251