Let’s talk events and capacity building
Published on 01 September 2024
The last weekend in September will see an events industry symposium and free audio & lighting training sessions delivered at Bellingen Memorial Hall. It’s all about building capacity and connectivity in the community, to design and run events.
There is a strong legacy of major events in Bellingen Shire, with fond memories of Global Carnival, the Jazz Festival, the Winter Music Festival and, more recently, River Sounds ever present in local events chatter. While worrying headlines announcing last the Blues Fest ever and the cancellation of Splendour in the Grass point to a contraction in the sector forced by changing economic circumstances and ticket buying behaviour, the outlook for local events remains positive.
There has been much jubilation at the announced return of River Sounds in April next year. Meanwhile, longstanding local examples such as the Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival and the Bellingen Community markets, have spent years developing an optimal operating model, delivering employment and contributing to the visitor economy. Such events help cement this region’s reputation as a vibrant and diverse community, driving higher visitation.
What other events could Bellingen Shire become known for? Which facets of our culture and landscape might we respond to and how might global event trends influence local event design? Who is your intended audience, how do you fund an event in a sustainable (ie. long term) manner, establish strong administrative foundations and build a reliable team?
These topics are among those covered by facilitators from the Australian Centre for Regional Events who, on Friday 27th September, will deliver a highly interactive event organiser boot camp at Studio BMH. Whether you are an event organiser, a supplier to events (catering, marketing etc), a local business owner or community group member, this symposium will be brimming with ideas and knowhow, with the added advantage of strengthening the local event stakeholder network.
Then, on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September, we are offering FREE training on the Bellingen Memorial Hall and Studio BMH audio & lighting systems for anyone in the community with an interest in developing their skills. This training has been funded by Live Music Australia – an Australian Government initiative designed to build more capacity for locals to run events at the Hall.
Sessions run from 9am to 3pm each day, with catering provided. Instruction covers the operation of audio and lighting consoles and how to set up for a variety of performance artforms in both venues. Learn how to run a conference / community event, a film screening + Q&A, a dance recital or a small music event.
The training starts at entry level to support beginners, then moves on to intermediate and higher levels as the weekend progresses. All participants will have the opportunity to get the consoles running, troubleshoot issues and ask questions about Hall operations.
Head to the What's On listing to register.