A $20M fund designed to support the attraction, development, marketing and growth of events in regional Victoria.
Overview
The Regional Events Fund will secure and develop a strong calendar of regional events for Victoria that align with the State and regional tourism brands and have the ability to drive economic impact through the attraction of intrastate, interstate and international visitation.
Visit Victoria and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) will administer the Regional Events Fund, which will include the contestable Regional Events and Marketing Partnership Program.
Objectives
The Regional Events Fund aims to:
- increase economic benefits by driving visitation from outside of the region and the State and extending length of stay and yield;
- showcase Victoria’s key regional tourism strengths and build Victoria’s reputation as an events destination; and
- develop a sustainable calendar of regional events
Funding
The Regional Events Fund will include the following components:
Significant Regional Events
Visit Victoria and DEDJTR will seek to secure larger events for regional Victoria that will generate significant benefits for the State and region but may not be suitable for consideration through the Major Events Fund. This could include the attraction or development of new events or support for the implementation of innovative growth strategies for existing events.
Events will likely be of international and national significance and will have a focus on securing content for State government-funded infrastructure, including sport stadiums and cultural institutions.
Regional Events and Marketing Partnership Program (REMPP)
The REMPP is a contestable program designed to support events that are identified as having the potential to drive economic and branding benefits to the host destination, region and the State. Multi-year funding agreements will be available however these will be determined on a case by case basis and significant consideration will be given to the presentation of long term plans for financial sustainability.
The REMPP is segmented into three tiers in order to differentiate by size of event and support available:
- Tier 1 – $100,000 to $500,000
- Tier 2 – $20,000 to $100,000
- Tier 3 – Up to $20,000
Eligible Projects
The Regional Events Fund will generally allocate funding to:
- assist with the costs associated with securing, hosting and marketing new events; and
- implementation of innovative strategies to increase visitation to existing events, including event development and tourism marketing.
Strong consideration for support through the Regional Events Fund will be given to:
- Estimated economic impact to the State and region;
- Brand alignment with the State and regional tourism brands;
- Strategic alignment with the relevant Regional Tourism Board’s Event Plan, Strategic Plan and Destination Management Plan and Regional Partnership Priorities;
- Alignment with broader government priorities;
- Financial support beyond the State Government including, but not limited to, local government, regional and local tourism organisations and sporting, cultural, industry and community organisations;
- Financial sustainability and management capacity; and
- Location and timing.
Events should commence at least six (6) months after a full application is received.
Eligible Applicants
Applications will be considered from:
- private sector organisations;
- local governments;
- regional tourism organisations including, but not limited to, Regional Tourism Boards, Local Tourism Associations, Regional Tourism Associations and Industry Groups;
- not for profit organisations, including sporting, cultural and community groups that:
- are an incorporated body, cooperative or association; and
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or can provide written advice from the Australian Tax Office that no withholding tax is required from the grant payment.
Timing
Application is on an ongoing basis.
More Information
- Source
- Regional Events Fund Guidelines
- Regional Events Fund FAQs
Media Release
The Andrews Labor Government’s new Regional Events Fund is set to help our regions attract and stage the events that bring visitors in their thousands.
The $20 million Fund, part of the Victorian Budget 2016/17, will ensure regional centres and towns across Victoria can showcase their strengths to visitors from Victoria, Australia and the world.
Acting Premier James Merlino today joined Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren in Bendigo for a tour of the Bendigo Hockey Complex and the Bendigo Art Gallery – both hosting key regional events this year.
Regional Victoria’s sporting, cultural and entertainment calendar creates great opportunities for local restaurants, cafes and motels, and that means jobs and growth. That’s why we want to grow our calendar and boost our status as a world-class destination.
In November, the Bendigo Hockey Complex will host Australia’s hockey superstars, the men’s Kookaburras, who will take on India in two test matches as part of the International Festival of Hockey Tournament.
The event will also feature a women’s tournament between Australia’s Hockeyroos and the Indian national team in Melbourne, along with a men’s tournament featuring Australia, Malaysia and India. A fourth team is yet to be announced.
It is exclusive to Victoria – taking place in Melbourne and Bendigo – and is expected to attract up to 7,300 interstate and international visitors to the state.
The Bendigo Art Gallery’s exhibition celebrating the life of legendary Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe has drawn huge crowds, with latest figures indicating that 83,000 tickets have been sold.
The tourism industry is a crucial economic driver for regional Victoria, with the sector contributing $11.5 billion to the regional economy and generating 114,400 jobs.
The Labor Government is helping hard-working communities across Victoria promote regional centres, partnering with event organisers and community groups to attract sought-after international and domestic events, establish new events and help events grow.
We recently unveiled Wander Victoria, the bold new campaign encouraging Melburnians to turn to regional Victoria. The Budget also provides $38 million over two years for Visit Victoria to showcase our state to the world.
