A strategy to increase the value of major events in Greater Geelong to $131 million per year by 2029 has received council support.
Greater Geelong played host to 18 major events in 2022-23, generating an economic benefit of $77.5 million.
This represented a return on investment of 1:48 on the just over $1.6 million that the City of Greater Geelong invested to support these events.
These events also supported approximately 650 full-time equivalent jobs and drew a substantial audience of 758,000 spectators and participants to the region.
The new Geelong Major Events Strategy 2024 – 2029 aims to build on this success by increasing the economic impact of major events by 10 per cent each year over the next five years.
Importantly, the strategy also seeks to extend its focus beyond economic impact by increasing local resident participation by 30 per cent, halving the carbon footprint of major events and building Geelong's brand as Australia's premier regional events destination.
Attracting more arts, music and culture to the region in an effort to promote a greater diversity of major events is also a key feature of the renewed strategy.
In its Tuesday night meeting council voted to endorse new terms of reference, which will guide the Geelong Major Events Committee in implementing this five-year strategy.
The committee currently includes councillors Anthony Aitken, Ron Nelson, Jim Mason and Melissa Cadwell, along with six external members representing the community.
With elections coming up in October, Council voted to extend the terms of three external members that were scheduled to conclude this month to a revised date of July 2025.
Mayor Trent Sullivan
Major events generate significant economic benefits for businesses the region.Each year Greater Geelong hosts a colourful and exciting line-up of major events that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to our beautiful part of the world.
This renewed strategy will help expand our major events calendar and cement Greater Geelong as Australia's preeminent regional destination for major events.
Deputy Mayor and Geelong Major Events Designated Committee chair Anthony Aitken
This new strategy will result in more locations around Greater Geelong hosting a greater diversity of major events.You will see more cultural events if we're true to the strategy that we're adopting.
Geelong is much more than just the waterfront and the CBD, and we have so many more fantastic locations that can be used for major events.
