When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.
Lately, there has been a lot made of the economic headwinds that confront us all. Interest rates are biting, the cost of living is deemed a crisis and consumer behaviour has transmuted from a pandemic hangover.
The events industry, typically servicing a discretionary income market, has generally taken a battering from those macro-environmental headwinds. We have heard of multiple festival and live music venue closures with the finger of blame pointed at rising supply change costs and consumer weariness.
But let’s consider a different narrative.
Tourism Australia research shows business travel rates returning to pre-pandemic levels. In fact, Queensland saw a record 20% upswing over the last 12 months with the Sunshine Coast enjoying a 15.5% upswing. The Sunshine Coast will host over 1,000 different business events in the coming year with around $20m worth of further event opportunities in the pipeline.
The Sunshine Coast region hosted 2,883 weddings in 2023. That’s 12% of all weddings held in Queensland! And from what I hear our lycra events, like the Sunshine Coast Marathon, are selling out like hotcakes – apparently they are the new dating app?
UniSC research shows Sunshine Coast locals and visitors alike are calling out for more night-time entertainment.
Air New Zealand’s seasonal flights from Auckland have just taken off again. Jetsar have just commenced direct routes between Sunshine Coast and Cairns and three new weekly services to New Zealand. And, three new major hotels are being planned on the coast.
To me this sounds like opportunities for our local events industry if we take a holistic view - Lenny Vance
Regardless of which sector of events you might be servicing, essentially you are delivering an experience as your core product. And the audiences being attracted by the broad spectrum of events create demand for the supply chain and add-on experiences from right across the events and hospitality industries.
So, what can we all learn from the event sectors that are succeeding? How can we work collaboratively across the sectors to leverage the new opportunities on our horizon?
These are topics a panel of event experts will explore at our next Sunshine Coast Events Industry Association (SCEIA) event. (See link below)
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