Panel conversation on an enduring nighttime economy for the Sunshine Coast, hosted by Upskilling Sustainability Initiative.
‘The Sunshine Coast has it all to become a thriving and enduring (sustainable) nighttime economy, if only transport and regulation would work more to its advantage’, was one of the key take-aways of the Upskilling Sustainability Initiative Panel Conversation on the region’s sustainable nighttime economy.
The Upskilling Sustainability Initiative event enabled a conversation between the different perspectives of the Sunshine Coast community, entertainment businesses and University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) researchers on the region’s nighttime economy. The result was a co-ideation of useful tips and tricks to regenerate a thriving nighttime economy, enduring or sustainable for the planet, people and the economy, in contrast to its post-COVID decline.
Dr. Lenny Vance, Lecturer in Marketing Tourism and Events, UniSC, and President, Sunshine Coast Events Industry Association (SCEIA), started the conversation with his recent research on the barriers and motivators of the Sunshine Coast nighttime economy. Panel members Bronwyn Edinger, Chief Executive Officer, The Events Centre, Caloundra, and Teddy Horton, Photographer and Digital Media Artist, Light Industry, and the audience joined him for an open conversation. The result were the following co-created ideas to inspire an enduring and thriving nighttime economy at the Coast:
· Many businesses, especially the smaller, arts-focused and non-for-profit ones, are already doing a lot to increase the ecological sustainability of their venues, which often leads to economic sustainability as well: cutting energy costs by increased energy efficient lighting systems, cutting energy bills by ramping up solar power, sourcing as much product locally as you can to reduce transport emissions (and support local business) and reducing packaging costs by replacing single use plastics, which reduce respectively greenhouse gases and waste.
o TIP: promote the circular economy stories you are using in your venues.
· Night life at the Coast is not concentrated in one main hub, but rather a string of local towns with their own event hubs. Residents tend to stick to these local hubs, because of their specific character and because of a lack of transportation options between them – to such an extent that Lenny’s research shows people rather walk than take public transport or ride hail between venues!
o TIP: create a public transport system of smaller and regular loops within and between those local hubs. The current courtesy bus system of some venues could be upscaled or the current public transport bus system downscaled. Advantage: increase community connectivity (people), bring more people to the venues (profit) and reduce transport emissions (planet) – 85% of the researched population drive their own car to venues!
o TIP: surf the wave of local hubs by emphasising them as destinations. They can attract visitors from outside and within the region. A staycation in next door’s town benefits the social connectivity, the local economy, and reduces transport greenhouse gases.
· These small towns, have no need for excessive alcohol, gambling and drug behaviour, yet these are issues Australia is facing nation-wide. Therefore, when increasing the endurability and thrive of our local event hubs, it is important to consider these potential side effects first and apply the risk management hierarchy of avoidance, reduction, mitigation and compensation.
o TIP: consider the development of safe event hubs, work together with community to prevent excessive behaviour, and prefer small and local hospitality and live entertainment businesses over large night clubs or casinos. Consider what would suit the characteristics and scale of the Coast’s local villages.
· The Sunshine Coast has all the ingredients to make a vibrant night life economy not despite, but precisely because of these local characteristics: local breweries, coffee roasters, casual dining spaces, musicians, artists, … you name it, and the Coast has it! The Sunshine Coast has the highest number of working musicians per capita of Australia!
o TIP: replace big and/or international brands with local ones. Promoting each other’s business adds to the local flavour of the Coast’s local event hubs. A simple measure to benefit the local community socially, economically and ecologically (less transport equals less emissions).
o TIP: instead of touring a cast, tour a framework and cast locally.
· The “sparrow” culture of the Coast has led to a self-fulfilling prophecy of early closing businesses – 8pm bedtime! With early vacating venues, businesses close early due to the high cost of the ratio patrons/staff. With few venues open, patrons are less likely to extend their night beyond 8pm, and so the cycle continues.
o TIP: work out a subsidy scheme with the local governments to keep those businesses open longer in the first phase. This will allow patrons to extend their night out. After a while this will allow businesses to be financially sustainably open after 8pm and remove the dependency on subsidies.
· NIMBY (Not in my backyard) has unproportionally high power in the Coast, because only one (1) noise complaint is sufficient to shut a venue. Even if that came from a competitor, or someone who only recently moved into the neighbourhood, knowing that the venue was there – sometimes even already for decades (!).
o TIP: industry is working together with government to develop regulation that suits the needs of the wider community, that takes into account: (1) who was first? (2) how many complaints? (3) how ‘much’ noise or nuisance there actually was.
Considering all these nighttime economy characteristics, challenges and opportunities, the Sunshine Coast has the potential to become not only an enduring nighttime economy, but a thriving one, sustainable for the planet, people and prosperity, focused on collaboration and circularity. As such, the Coast can play into its UNESCO Biosphere accreditation card by enacting sustainable communities, that enable living, working, learning and thriving together. Lastly, Dr. Lenny Vance looked ahead to the upcoming Brisbane Olympics in 2032 and suggests that ‘the Coast should not do anything different, but hold on to its character and aim to take advantage of the immediate post-Olympics period, that is when the chaos of the Olympics has passed, people have close by ‘destination’ to visit where they can relax and enjoy our spectacular natural assets … and night life!
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