eventsmemorableThe most

start here.The Launceston City Council’s Events Strategy

January 2012 to January 2015

This page: City Park Cover image: Aurora Stadium2

Message from the Mayor of Launceston This strategy is our direction and action plan for events in the

Launceston municipality. We want residents and visitors to enjoy time

together, celebrate and experience the diversity of cultures and foster

creativity and innovation through a combination of major events,

signature events, business events and community events.

Every year organisations and individuals stage events that contribute

to our sense of community and identity, providing the community and

visitors alike with meaningful shared experiences, cultural enrichment

and participation. The major drivers of the strategy are the social,

cultural and economic benefits gained from a vibrant and diverse

calendar of events that attracts over 400,000 visitors each year who

enjoy Launceston’s unique attractions.

Events in Launceston continue to go from strength to strength,

building Launceston an enviable reputation for presenting major high

profile events, particularly over the past ten years following the re-

development of Aurora Stadium.

Events deliver a range of benefits to the Launceston municipality and

wider region including:

• They produce economic, social and environmental benefits

• They enhance resident and visitor experiences

• They encourage creative activity

• They build reputation

• They raise the profile of the destination

• They reflect the personality of Launceston.

This Events Strategy demonstrates that we are committed to making

Launceston an even better place to live, visit and invest in. Events are a

vitally important part of Launceston’s make-up, with principal impacts

in the areas of cultural, social and economic benefit. The Launceston

City Council recognises this importance, providing event funding

to the value of $393,000 in 2011/12 in addition to its significant

investment in the provision of major infrastructure.

We are very proud of the role the Launceston City Council plays

in supporting events and we look forward to working with the

events industry to bring more enjoyment, energy and excitement to

Launceston and the wider region. I am personally very excited about

the opportunity events present to our city and encourage everyone to

get involved.

I am personally very excited about the opportunity events present to

our City. Everything you need for a memorable event is in Launceston

from state of the art infrastructure and services to breathtaking

natural attractions… it all starts here.

Start something special in Launceston.

Mayor Albert van Zetten

Mayor Albert van Zetten

Your wildest city escape starts here. 3

Your gourmet odyssey starts here.

The Launceston City Council Events Strategy RationaleThis strategy will provide the Launceston City Council with a clear

direction in relation to events held in the Launceston municipality.

It seeks to:

• Support Launceston’s unique identity and align with the

destination brand.

• Acknowledge the importance of events as a major economic

driver for Launceston.

• Strengthen Launceston’s position as a highly desirable place to live,

visit and invest.

• Support a diverse, vibrant and strategically balanced year round

event calendar.

• Attract and support events which provide optimal benefits (social,

cultural, economic and/or environmental) to the Launceston

municipality.

• Identify the Council as a leader in events facilitation for the

Launceston municipality.

• Develop partnerships to increase investment and support

of events in the Launceston municipality.

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Strategic outcomesThe strategic outcomes sought to be achieved by the Launceston City

Council Events Strategy are as follows:

• Ensure we support those events which promote social, cultural,

environmental and city image outcomes for Launceston.

• Provide adequate resources to coordinate a balanced calendar of

events and attract new major events.

• Improve our success rate in attracting national and international

events to the city against fierce competition.

• Deliver added value to the Launceston City Council-owned

infrastructure.

• Encourage economic growth in the region.

Strategic goals

Goal 1 - Lifestyle

Launceston has a vibrant and diverse calendar of events that

strengthen Launceston’s position as a highly desirable place to live,

visit and invest.

Goal 2 - Tourism

Launceston has a portfolio of events that increases interstate

visitation, national profile and contributes to the Launceston economy.

Goal 3 - Economic

Events held within the region provide optimum economic benefit to

the Launceston municipality, through partnerships and business

planning.

Goal 4 - Investment

The Launceston City Council’s investment in events is clearly directed

to meeting its strategic goals.

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Your fun and festivities start here.

The Launceston City Council’s role

Leader

The Launceston City Council champions, coordinates, advocates,

plans and provides an event focus for the city. It is a catalyst for

partnerships and cooperative arrangements for events.

Provider

The Launceston City Council organises and supports a series of

community, youth and civic events and provides and maintains event

venues and infrastructure.

Sponsor

The Launceston City Council invests in events organised by others

through a number of targeted funding programs.

Facilitator

The Launceston City Council assists events by taking a coordinating,

regulatory and advisory role through relationship management.

Communicator

The Launceston City Council generates enthusiasm and energy for

events organised by itself and others through leveraging online,

printed and public relations activities.

Commitment

The Launceston City Council is committed to achieving the goals listed

in this strategy.

Junction Arts Festival

Festivale

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Your weekend escape starts here.

STRaTEGy 1.1

Coordinate a balanced event portfolio for the Launceston municipality

evenly distributing events across the year, through partnerships and

relationships with event organisers.

Measures of success

• A continual and manageable flow of events optimising

infrastructure capacity in the region resulting in higher hotel

and infrastructure occupancy rates across the year and event

scheduling matched to regional capacity.

• A combination of established and new events achieving a balance

of social, economic, cultural, environmental and city image

outcomes.

• Events with similar target audiences are spaced apart to avoid

clashes and maximise attendance numbers.

• The Launceston City Council is recognised as the leader for events

held in the municipality.

STRaTEGy 1.2

Encourage community connection and participation through a diverse

events portfolio.

Measures of success

• An event calendar that engages all members of the community.

• A community that is supportive of events held in the region as

reported in event surveys and the LGAT Community Satisfaction

Survey.

• Events enhance resident’s experiences and contribute to a sense

of community pride and belonging.

GoaL 1 - Lifestyle Launceston has a vibrant and diverse calendar of events that strengthen Launceston’s position as a highly desirable place to live, visit and invest.

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Festivale 9

STRaTEGy 2.1

Identify major events for acquisition based on targeted, benefit driven

criteria.

Measures of success

New major events are targeted for acquisition based on their ability to

deliver on the following criteria:

• Economic impact - measured by attendance numbers (minimum

5000), visitor numbers, higher than average daily spend,

minimum one night stay in Launceston (visitors).

• Media impact - measured by exposure to interstate audiences,

and the opportunity for local tourism promotion during media

coverage.

• Private investment - must demonstrate a minimum of 50% of

event income is provided from other source/s (excluding ticket,

merchandise, food and beverage sales).

• Venue - preference given to new events that utilise the Launceston

City Council-owned infrastructure.

• Tourism activity - preference given to events staged outside of

peak tourism season or during identified gaps in peak season

and with a proven ability to attract visitors at a minimum of 10%

of total event attendance.

• Brand - complements, promotes and supports the Launceston

destination brand.

GoaL 2 - Tourism Launceston has a portfolio of events that increase interstate visitation, national profile and contribute to the Launceston economy.

• Community involvement - demonstrates evidence of

substantial community support, are accessible by a broad

range of the community and provides community participation

opportunities.

• Risk - demonstrated event and risk management planning.

• Diversifies event calendar.

• Post event surveys report average attendee (visitor) daily spend is

equal to or higher than daily visitor spend ($188 TVS March 2011).

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STRaTEGy 2.2

Actively promote Launceston to host major events.

Measures of success

• Launceston is represented and promoted at tourism and event

conferences and trade shows as well as key events (sporting

and otherwise) throughout the year resulting in lead generation

for major event hosting opportunities.

• Leads are followed up promptly resulting in the receipt of bid

submission requests for no less than six new major events per year.

• Of the major event bids submitted, the Launceston City Council is

successful in winning at least two new major events each year.

• Launceston will be a highly sought after events destination

nationally, recognised for its capabilities, willingness to

facilitate events and extensive community support of major

events evidenced by an increase in expressions of interest to

host major events in Launceston.

• Increased local, state and national awareness of Launceston’s

event capability and capacity and major event success stories

measured by media coverage of Launceston major events as a

result of press releases sent (greater than 50% success rate of

press releases sent to stories covered).

STRaTEGy 2.3

Promote a vibrant, diverse and unique events calendar to increase

visitor numbers to the region.

Measures of success

• A partnership with Tourism Tasmania where major Launceston

events are promoted in conjunction with interstate seasonal

tourism campaigns.

• Tourism Tasmania survey data reports an increase in visitors

travelling to Launceston for the primary purpose of event

attendance.

• A rise in the percentage of visitors of total event attendance for

major events, reaching a minimum of 10% (i.e. 5000 attendees

= a minimum of 500 visitors).

• An increase in accommodation and tour bookings received

by the Launceston Travel and Information Centre where the

purpose of stay is event attendance.

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Launceston’s CBD12

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Your history lesson starts here.

STRaTEGy 3.1

Measure supported events against the strategic goals and relevant

funding assessment criteria to accurately evaluate event outcomes.

Measures of success

• Supported events conduct surveys capturing specific data

relevant to the Launceston City Council’s strategic event goals.

• Supported events submit to the Launceston City Council, detailed

post event reports using data collected before, during and after

the event.

• The Launceston City Council collates accurate event data.

• Based on accurate data events will be recognised as key

contributors socially and economically.

• The benefits of events are consistently and accurately measured

providing a valuable set of data for reporting, promotion, event

attraction and investment attraction.

STRaTEGy 3.2

Encourage and facilitate major event engagement with local

businesses and industry.

Measures of success

• Major events utilise and support local business and industry

where possible.

• Increased employment opportunities, investment, business

expansion and capacity/skill building within the region.

STRaTEGy 3.3

Develop strong collaborative relationships with organisations and

individuals that have an interest in events.

Measures of success

• Increased private investment for events evidenced by event

income statements (submitted for funding requests and also

form an essential part of post event reports).

• Events are increasingly sustainable year on year resulting in

lower requests for Launceston City Council funding.

• Organisations commit funding to major events boosting

Launceston’s overall contribution and resulting in a higher bid/

win ratio for major event hosting.

• Feedback from the Launceston Chamber of Commerce and

Cityprom Inc. indicate that the majority of members are

supportive of events in Launceston.

• Coordinated stakeholder approach to major events bids

demonstrating unity and capability resulting in a higher win/bid

ration for major event hosting.

• Regional event coordination and identification of leverage

opportunities.

GoaL 3 - Economy Events held within the region provide optimum economic benefit to the Launceston municipality, through partnerships and business planning.

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STRaTEGy 4.1

Develop an events investment portfolio driven by the goals set out in

this Events Strategy.

Measures of success

• Submissions for funding are considered under these programs:

- TheLauncestonCityCouncil’sEventSponsorship

- TheLauncestonCityCouncil’sSignatureEvents

- TheLauncestonCityCouncil’sEventIncentive

- TheLauncestonCityCouncil’sConferenceIncentive

• Appropriate levels of funding are allocated to each program to

support a balanced events portfolio.

• Flexibility to respond to an event opportunity which is exceptional

and may not address the key criteria but delivers benefits to

Launceston that should not be overlooked.

• A portfolio of events delivering a balanced program covering, for

example, culture, sport, entertainment and business.

• Innovation and development is rewarded.

• Events are sustainable.

• Evidence based decision making.

• The Launceston City Council funding programs align with and

support the strategic goals. Each program features criteria to

ensure the desired outcomes are achieved. The programs are as

follows:

The Launceston City Council’s Event Sponsorship Program

Refer to the Launceston City Council’s Event Sponsorship Policy

for details.

Goal1-Lifestyle

Launceston has a vibrant and diverse calendar of events that

strengthen Launceston’s position as a highly desirable place to

live, visit and invest.

Goal2-Tourism

Launceston has a portfolio of events that increases interstate

visitation, national profile and contributes to the Launceston

economy.

Goal3-Economic

Events held within the region provide optimum economic benefit

to the Launceston municipality, through partnerships and

business planning.

Goal4-Investment

The Launceston City Council’s investment in events is clearly

directed to meeting its strategic goals.

The Launceston City Council’s Signature Events Program

Refer to the Launceston City Council’s Event Sponsorship Policy

for details.

Goal1-Lifestyle

Launceston has a vibrant and diverse calendar of events that

strengthen Launceston’s position as a highly desirable place to

live, visit and invest.

Goal4-Investment

Launceston City Council’s investment in events is clearly directed

to meeting its strategic goals.

GoaL 4 - Investment Launceston City Council’s investment in events is clearly directed to meeting its strategic goals.

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The Launceston City Council’s Event Incentive Program

Refer to the Launceston City Council’s Event Sponsorship Policy

for details.

Goal2-Tourism

Launceston has a portfolio of events that increase interstate

visitation, national profile and contribute to the Launceston

economy.

Goal3-Economic

Events held within the region provide optimum economic

benefit to the Launceston municipality, through partnerships

and business planning.

Goal4-Investment

The Launceston City Council’s investment in events is clearly

directed to meeting its strategic goals.

The Launceston City Council’s Conference Incentive Program

Refer to the Launceston City Council Conference Incentive Policy

for details.

Goal2-Tourism

Launceston has a portfolio of events that increase interstate

visitation, national profile and contribute to the Launceston

economy.

Goal3-Economic

Events held within the region provide optimum economic

benefit to the Launceston municipality, through partnerships

and business planning.

Goal4-Investment

The Launceston City Council’s investment in events is clearly

directed to meeting its strategic goals.

STRaTEGy 4.2

Promote and utilise the Launceston City Council’s event

infrastructure.

Measures of success

• The full potential of the Launceston City Council’s events

infrastructure is realised through increased usage across the

year.

• Increased national profile of the Launceston City Council event

infrastructure.

• The Launceston City Council’s event infrastructure supports a

balanced portfolio of events for the region.

STRaTEGy 4.3

Support Launceston’s unique, annual signature events.

Measures of success

• The Launceston City Council identifies and provides an ongoing

funding commitment (three years) to signature events in

recognition of their uniqueness and importance as community

celebrations.

TargaFest

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Town Hall, St John Street PO Box 396, LAUNCESTON TAS 7250

T 03 6323 3000 TTy 03 6323 3003 F 03 6323 3001E council@launceston.tas.gov.au

www.launceston.tas.gov.au