New major events strategy aims to replicate Townsville’s success in attracting Pink
Seeking to replicate Townsville’s success in attracting pop star Pink, a new major events strategy will entice other big names to the city. See what’s changed.
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A new approach could be the key for Townsville attracting more major events and marquee acts like pop star Pink to fill up Queensland Country Bank Stadium with screaming fans.
Townsville City Council voted in November 2022 to investigate the establishment of an events board with Townsville Enterprise Limited (TEL), engaging the services of independent experts BASCO Consulting.
After developing an events strategy and investigating the establishment of an events board to further enhance major events, BASCO presented the council with the Townsville Events Strategy Blueprint 2024-27 in November.
It recommended that the council hand over major events management to TEL from July 2024, and establish an events advisory panel with council representation – which was endorsed by councillors.
Townsville Enterprise chief executive Claudia Brumme-Smith said the major events attraction panel would work with Townsville Enterprise to secure more large-scale events such as Pink.
“We are currently bidding for a few international artists that we want to bring to Townsville. Some of them are in 2024 and some beyond,” Ms Brumme-Smith said.
“During the Pink negotiations we saw first-hand how we are missing an already set up board.
“It was a mammoth effort to pull this together and we understand that our current set up is not ideal and that we need to learn from other regions such as the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Newcastle who really can drive those major event attractions through their events panels.”
As they were engaged in confidential negotiations, Ms Brumme-Smith could not offer any clues about big name acts on their radar.
Local metalheads in the Bring Iron Maiden To Townsville group are clinging to hope that legendary British heavy metal act Iron Maiden could be enticed north next year.
Ms Brumme-Smith said TEL had done a lot of community research, and understood that the younger generation was looking for more entertainment content for their age group.
“Women in the community want more cultural and music events, and for our footy fans we have a few more surprises in store as well,” she said.
She said the new events strategy would increase the speed in securing events, proactively engage with promoters, improve co-ordination and scheduling, and locate funding sources.
A detailed screening process would be carried out for major events, focused on generating national awareness for Townsville.
Asked how the changes would be funded, she envisaged that “existing funds for events within the council budget in 2024 will be partially allocated to major events attraction”.
A council spokesman said the cost would be determined as part of the next council’s budget deliberations for 2023/24.
“This approach leverages council’s commitment to destination marketing and growing major event attraction for the economic benefit of Townsville and the region,” the spokesman said.
“It enhances the ability to build a fund and generate funds through a variety of mechanisms to improve major event attraction.”
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Originally published as New major events strategy aims to replicate Townsville’s success in attracting Pink
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