Regional Event Strategy
With strategic planning around your region’s portfolio of events, Tilma Group can support growth in the outcomes events have for YOUR visitor economy.
Our regional event strategies outline how Council can best support the region’s tourism events, or tourism and community events, in terms of funding and other support, in order to maximise events’ economic and social benefits for the community.
“The off peak event strategy has been the catalyst for lots of good things.
We are just about to restructure our Economic Development, Events and Tourism Department in an effort to get greater collaboration across the teams.
The Events and Tourism Coordinator has started planning a new event for next off peak season and we are working with lots of event operators about either shifting the date of their existing peak season event or developing their off peak events.
We have also started leveraging off events more.
Lots of good stuff is happening, and the report has definitely helped clarify our direction and provide strategic justification.”
Process of Development
Step 1: Engage
The engagement phase is critical as gaining the buy-in of key stakeholders and the community is fundamental to the successful development and implementation of a regional events strategy.
We use one-on-one meetings and focus group sessions with key stakeholders to identify the current situation including barriers and opportunities, and aspirations for the development of events in the region. This is done face to face and/or via phone and video conference, so it’s practical and easy for everyone to provide input.
Step 2: Gather and review
In this phase we review existing relevant events reports and documents, and audit the destination’s current events activity, event infrastructure, and funding allocation, including how Council supports, funds and manages local festivals, sports events and business events.
Other regions with successful events programs and management frameworks are assessed for insights and learnings that can add value to the strategy’s development.
The intention is to gain background and insights on event successes to date, benchmark the region’s performance against other region’s, and identify metrics to measure ROI.
Step 3: Analyse
In this phase we identify key priority areas for improvement. We
review the audit findings and compile a gaps analysis
synthesise and analyse the outcomes from the gaps analysis, desktop review and the consultation
Step 4: Gaps and Opportunities Paper
We draft a Gaps and Opportunities Paper as a further opportunity to capture feedback from stakeholders and as background for a workshop on opportunities for event development. We facilitate a workshop with stakeholders to test and validate findings and to define a common vision and priority action areas to inform the strategy. The paper will include a summary of:
current issues and opportunities for event development and management
potential types of events for the region to focus on
potential criteria/approvals matrices for the selection and support of events
Step 5: Strategic events strategy
The regional events strategy is drafted to distil the workshop outcomes to articulate a clear vision and supporting objectives, and recommend strategies and priority actions to better manage the region’s portfolio of events to drive increased visitation and yield from visitors. Most importantly, it includes clear activation plans to ensure the strategy can be effectively implemented.
The draft tourism activation plan is presented to the client, and following feedback, adjustments and agreement, the strategy is finalised.
Recent Client Success
☆ Penrith City Council – Regional Event Strategy 2019-2021
Tilma Group developed a regional event strategy that articulated a clear vision and supporting objectives for this Western Sydney region, recommending priority actions that will drive increased visitation and yield from events.
The strategy included an assessment framework to permit a proactive approach to event procurement and development, with event categories and criteria to achieve a balanced portfolio of tourism and community events.
Additional supporting elements to ensure the strategy can be effectively activated included
a tool that allows measurement of events based on KPIs and criteria supplied in the assessment framework to determine which events the city should support
an event planning toolkit which provides practical guidance event committees on how to more effectively plan, deliver, promote and leverage their events.
☆ Eurobodalla Shire Council – Regional Events Strategy 2019-2024
Tilma Group developed a five-year regional events strategy for Eurobodalla Shire Council in collaboration with key event, government, business and tourism industry stakeholders in this coastal region southeast of Canberra.
The events strategy provides a game plan for tourism and community events that will build the sustainability of local events, improve the visitor experience, enhance community pride, and increase visitation and yield, particularly in off peak and shoulder seasons.
☆ Bass Coast Shire Council – Growing Off Peak Events Strategy 2018-2022
Tilma Group developed a strategic plan on how to effectively grow and support homegrown events to help smooth seasonal visitation patterns for this region on the south coast of Victoria which includes Phillip Island.
Consultation for the plan revealed the need for committee capacity building which led to an event development program for a dozen local event committees who were mentored over six months through our event management training course.