Toowoomba Regional Council to boost advertising for small businesses at Carnival of Flowers next year
After copping backlash from several businesses about the Carnival of Flowers, the Toowoomba Regional Council has responded. Read the reaction here.
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The Toowoomba Regional Council says it will increase advertising for city businesses to apply for the Carnival of Flowers, after a major backlash from local operators who said they were snubbed.
The move comes after businesses from several different industries came forward to claim they were either rejected or never invited to tender for either a showcase or service at the major tourism event in September.
Among them was security business owner Ari Kucuku, who said he didn’t get a call or email to submit a tender on providing security for the Food and Wine Festival.
Councillor James O’Shea said he acknowledged the frustration felt by operators, but said the council was committed to support the region’s small business community.
“Council’s website has an area dedicated to ‘doing business with Council’ which provides suppliers with links to the formal Tender program and registration to be a supplier to council,” he said.
“These same procedures and policies apply to the different events which are delivered as part of the month-long Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
“Council is committed to refining processes and making it easier for local suppliers to engage with council.
“As part of a report at the June ordinary meeting of council, it was agreed that an advertising campaign would be commenced following the 2021 carnival to seek responses from local suppliers for future event engagement.”
The local business saga started last week when OMG Decadent Donuts revealed it had been rejected by organisers for the Food and Wine Festival in favour of a vendor from out of town, with the council calling it a franchise.
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