What is the Event Partnership Program?
The City of Melbourne Event Partnership Program is a grant opportunity to support free and accessible events that create memorable, engaging and innovative experiences for both locals and visitors.
Background
Melbourne is a globally recognised, locally-loved events city. The City of Melbourne supports free and accessible events that create memorable, engaging and innovative experiences for both locals and visitors. The Event Partnership Program is a competitive program, regularly receiving more applications than it can support.
As a partnership program, all events sponsored through the Event Partnership Program may be offered cash and / or in-kind sponsorship, and in return are required to deliver partnership benefits to the City of Melbourne. The benefits are required to be equal to the value of the sponsorship investment, and may include benefits such as brand exposure, marketing and digital advertising, activations, signage, tickets and hospitality.
Objectives
There are a number of key objectives we are looking to achieve through this program, these include:
Melbourne’s unique identity and place
Partner with events that grow or enhance event offerings for Melbourne. Creating unique and positive experiences for visitors, events will celebrate Melbourne’s unique, vibrant and creative city through marketing, engaging programming and event delivery.
Economy of the future
Partner with events that drive economic impact, business engagement and visitation to the city, creating conditions for a strong, adaptive, sustainable and thriving future city economy. Events will reflect how they can best contribute to building an economy of the future through considered timings, locations and opportunities for alignment between the city and the event.
Access and affordability
Partner with events which help make Melbourne an accessible and affordable city through offering programming that is accessible, inclusive, culturally aware, and safe whilst engaging with community groups.
Funding
All events are categorised into tiers to ensure the application, assessment and subsequent sponsorship agreement is equitable and reflective of the level of investment. Tiers are categorised by the total investment value (cash and in-kind) and defined by the criteria below.
Tier 1 $100,001+
- Attendance: Minimum overall attendance of 100,000
- Significant free programming attracting a minimum of 50,000 attendees
- Profile: International and / or national profile and exposure
- Market research: Formal market research conducted by an external organisation, including at least one Economic Impact Report if a multi-year agreement
- Sponsorship benefits: City of Melbourne to have Presenting or Major Partner status of the free programming elements with benefits provided to Council including but not limited to:
- Minimum $10,000 in ticketing / corporate hospitality
- Significant digital and print advertising
- Significant signage and branding opportunities
- Significant speaking / profiling opportunities for Council
- Sustainability: Collaborate on initiatives to identify ways in which you will minimise the environmental impact of your event including:
- Undertaking a carbon footprint assessment
- Completing a waste audit of the event
- Establishing annual improvement targets
Tier 2 $50,001 – $100,000
- Attendance: Minimum overall attendance of 50,000
- Significant free programming attracting a minimum of 25,000 attendees
- Profile: National profile and exposure
- Market research: Formal market research conducted by an external organisation, including at least one Economic Impact report if a multi-year agreement
- Sponsorship benefits: City of Melbourne to have Presenting or Major Partner status of the free programming elements with benefits provided to Council including but not limited to:
- Minimum $5,000 in ticketing / corporate hospitality or equivalence
- Digital and print advertising
- Signage and branding opportunities
- Speaking / profiling opportunities
- Sustainability: Collaborate on initiatives to identify ways in which you will minimise the environmental impact of your event including:
- Completing a waste audit of the event
- Establishing annual improvement targets
Tier 3 $10,000 – $50,000
- Attendance: Minimum 5,000 to free programming of event.
- Profile: State and / or local profile and exposure
- Market research: Market research (externally or internally delivered) e.g. surveys
- Sponsorship benefits: City of Melbourne to have Major or Event Partner status of the free programming elements with benefits provided to Council including but not limited to:
- Minimum $2,500 in ticketing / corporate hospitality or equivalence (if applicable)
- Digital and print advertising
- Signage and branding opportunities
- Speaking / profiling opportunities
- Sustainability: Focus on reducing the event’s environmental impact and improving waste management. Collaborate on initiatives to identify ways in which you will minimise the environmental impact of your event including:
- Supplying a waste report
- Establishing annual improvement targets
Eligibility
Check your event meets the minimum program criteria before applying.
You must answer yes to all of the following questions:
- Does your event take place within the City of Melbourne municipality?
- Is your event free to attend or does it have significant free programming?
- Does your event have widespread appeal and is it likely to attract more than 5,000 attendees?
- Will your event start between 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2023?
- Is the organisation applying for sponsorship a legal entity with an ABN?
Timing
Applications close 15 July 2022.
More Information
