Page 1 of 12 MARKETING AND EVENTS COMMITTEE Agenda Item 5.2 REPORT 10 June 2008 EVENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS, ROUND ONE, 2008/09 Division Commerce and Marketing Presenter Peter Stewart, Manager Events Melbourne Purpose 1. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the Event Partnership Program for the first round for the 2008/09 financial year. The specific funding recommendations are contained in the accompanying confidential report. Recommendation from Management 2. That the Marketing and Events Committee recommends that Council notes the information in this report. Background 3. The City of Melbourne’s vision is to create a thriving city that is internationally recognised for the opportunities it offers all visitors. It has the responsibility for marketing and supporting arts, recreation, cultural heritage, events, festivals and sporting activities for the greater benefit of the community. 4. The variety of events and festivals encourage city visitors, while also celebrating the community’s diversity and talents and increasing cultural understanding and awareness. Events and festivals help bring an energy and vibrancy to the city streets and public spaces and make an important contribution to the economy of the municipality. 5. At its meeting on 8 May 2007, the Marketing and Events Committee approved the City of Melbourne Events Sponsorship Strategy 2007 – 2010 subject to the budget cycle. 6. The Marketing and Events Committee at the meeting of 10 July 2007 approved the “Revised Event Sponsorship Processes 2007/2008” as the mechanism by which the Event Sponsorship Strategy would be implemented. 7. The Event Partnership Program is designed to provide support to organisations delivering events in line with the City of Melbourne’s objectives. Applicants interested in applying for the Event Partnership Program need to ensure their event helps to achieve the criteria outlined below: 7.1. build relationships: the event provides the City of Melbourne an opportunity to meet key people and stakeholder groups. These relationships will be developed locally, nationally and internationally and could be further leveraged into formal or informal networks; 7.2. build reputation: the event enhances the City of Melbourne’s reputation either broadly or specifically within a particular sector; Page 2 of 12 7.3. demonstrate capability: the event highlights the city's capability in a particular discipline or function; 7.4. demonstrate leadership: the event demonstrates the City of Melbourne is a leader or takes the forefront in a particular discipline or function. In particular, any event that supports the municipality’s position as active and forward thinking in its role as the capital city of Victoria, the largest local government in the state and the second largest city in Australia; 7.5. increase visitors: the event adds to the number of people who would normally come into the city at that time thereby providing potential benefit to businesses within the municipality. To increase economic benefit, building business links or developing targeted business programs is strongly encouraged; 7.6. promote location: the event highlights a particular area, precinct or venue within the municipality; 7.7. raise profile: the event lifts the status, awareness or profile of the City of Melbourne through the media exposure it receives. Raising the international profile is the most desirable and national profiling carries more weight than local profiling; and 7.8. support a community: the event engages a well defined sector of the community and, fosters a spirit of togetherness and well-being. It educates both the community group and the wider population, promotes tolerance and understanding throughout the broader population, encourages participation and enables the activity to be celebrated and experienced widely. 8. In accordance with the “Revised Event Sponsorship Process” a Triennial Sponsorship and Event Partnership Program Review Panel comprising the Director Commerce and Marketing, the Manager Events Melbourne and three independent event industry representatives was established. 9. At its 10 July 2007 meeting the Marketing and Events Committee approved the following candidates to be appointed to the Triennial Sponsorship and Event Partnership Program Review Panel: 9.1. Sally Capp, Chief Executive of the Committee for Melbourne; 9.2. Brendan McClements, General Manager Victorian Major Events Company; 9.3. Trevor Dohnt, General Manager Event Operations, Melbourne Cricket Club; 9.4. Scott Chapman, Director Commerce and Marketing, City of Melbourne; and 9.5. Peter Stewart, Manager Events Melbourne, City of Melbourne. 2 Page 3 of 12 10. In addition, Council requested that two (2) community representatives be added to the Triennial Sponsorship and Event Partnership Program Review Panel. Steven Persson, General Manager, The Big Issue and Anthony Walker, Senior Sergeant, Victoria Police, Region One Special Events were consequently recommended and approved. 11. The City of Melbourne receives many requests for sponsorship therefore allocation of funds is extremely competitive. To be eligible: 11.1. the proposal must show how it meets one or more of the Event Partnership Program’s Objectives; 11.2. the application must be from a legal entity or auspiced by a legal entity; 11.3. the event or activity must be staged within the boundaries of the City of Melbourne; 11.4. the entity must have no outstanding debt to the City of Melbourne; 11.5. the entity must have completed the acquittal process correctly for any previous City of Melbourne sponsorships; and 11.6. the proposal must have followed the application process guidelines precisely and met the required timelines. 12. The Event Partnership Program does not support: 12.1. individuals; 12.2. private functions, lunches or dinners; 12.3. conferences; 12.4. events that don’t have sufficient time to deliver the full range of benefits to the city; 12.5. political organisations and events run by them; 12.6. programs that denigrate, exclude, offend parts of the community; 12.7. programs that present a hazard to the community; or 12.8. interstate or overseas travel. 3 Page 4 of 12 13. The process for the first round of the 2008/09 Event Partnership Program required the applicant to submit the following. 14. For events requesting up to $5,000: 14.1. a concept or broad outline of the event; 14.2. explanation of the purpose of staging the event; 14.3. identification of the owner of the event and who is delivering or producing it; 14.4. date and time for the event; 14.5. outline of the benefits offered to the City of Melbourne; 14.6. details of the proposed location or venue; and 14.7. provision of simple financials outlining the event costs together with key income and expenditure items. 15. For events requesting up to $20,000 the following additional information was required: 15.1. an outline of the program of events in detail; and 15.2. identification of which of the City of Melbourne Event Partnership Program Objectives are addressed by the event. 16. For events requesting up to $50,000 the following additional information was required: 16.1. identification of the event’s target market; and 16.2. an outline of the marketing plan designed to capture the target market. 17. For events requesting over $50,000 the following additional information was required: 17.1. provision of a comprehensive budget; 17.2. description of the method for measuring the success or otherwise of the nominated Event Partnership Program Objectives; 17.3. provision of details about the key staff and other resources allocated to the event; and 17.4. provision of an event project plan highlighting key milestones. 18. Advertising took place via The Age, Herald Sun, City of Melbourne website and a mail out to previous applicants on 1 March 2008 (the closing date for applications was 28 March 2008). Sixty-six (66) sponsorship applications were received, assessed by staff from the Events Melbourne Branch using the Event Assessment Tool and put before the Event Partnership Program Review Panel for consideration. 19. In addition, the continued allocation of funding to five (5) City of Melbourne Docklands events, as part of the implementation of the Docklands Events Strategy, was considered. The budget transferred from VicUrban to support the delivery of the Docklands Events Strategy sits in the City of Melbourne’s Event Partnership Program budget. This budget is used to support both sponsorships and City of Melbourne delivered events in the Docklands. This differs from the remainder of the Event Partnership Program budget which is purely used for event sponsorships. 4 Page 5 of 12 20. The Event Partnership Program Review Panel met to consider the applications on 12 May 2008. In attendance were Steven Persson, Anthony Walker, Scott Chapman and Peter Stewart. The other members of the Panel were apologies. The meeting was rescheduled three times due to a number of the members of the Panel being unable to attend each date proposed. Some late apologies were received for the 12 May meeting but the meeting proceeded due to the need to meet Council meeting deadlines. 21. Steven Persson declared his interest in two events (Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup Cultural Festival and National Championships Community Street Soccer) and absented himself from the room. 22. Of the sixty-six (66) applications received, thirty-nine (39) events and five (5) City of Melbourne Docklands events are recommended for funding. 23. The next round of the 2008/09 Event Partnership Program will open on the 2 August 2008 and close on the 29 August 2008. Time Frame 24. The initiatives outlined in this report are for implementation in the 2008/09 financial year. Confidential Report to Council 25. The attached confidential report to Council contains specific details from the assessment process and the funding recommendations of the Event Partnership Program Review Panel. This report is confidential for the following reasons: 25.1.