MARKETING, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Agenda Item 3.4 AND MAJOR EVENTS COMMITTEE REPORT COVER SHEET 20 November 2003 MELBOURNE MOOMBA WATERFEST PROGRAM UPDATE 2004 Division Marketing & Corporate Affairs Presenter Scott Chapman, Director Marketing & Corporate Affairs Purpose To provide Councillors with an update on the planning and development of the 2004 Melbourne Moomba Waterfest Program. Time Frame Melbourne Moomba Waterfest will take place annually over the Labour Day long weekend. The 2004 event will run from Friday 5 March 2004 to Monday, 8 March 2004. The festival will be fully programmed with activities occurring both during the day and at night. Finance As a part of the 2003/04 budget process, Council allocated $1.8 million to Melbourne Moomba Waterfest. This includes $50K for the Children’s Festival development platform. Legal There are no direct legal implications arising from the recommendation in this report. Sustainability Connected and Accessible City There will be minimal disruption to the traffic flow in Melbourne as a result of the event. MMW is working closely with Public transport and Traffic Management authorities to ensure adequate public transport is operating around Melbourne and the city centre to minimise congestion and create ease of access around the city. MMW will also be liasing closely with CoM Street Activity branch in order for council to devise and implement local plans for traffic and public transport management, car park management and road closures. Inclusive and Engaging City The MMW program seeks to represent Melbourne’s broad cultural diversity and incorporate large scale community involvement. Melbourne Moomba Waterfest 2004 is predominantly a free family festival accessible to all. It will allow the various community groups of Melbourne to showcase their diversity. Set in some of the cities fabulous parks and gardens, the festival attracts a wide range of audiences, both local and visitor. The 2003 event attracted attendances of over 850,000. It is anticipated that 2004 attendances will exceed this figure. Innovative and Vital Business City Melbourne Moomba Waterfest is seeking to engage sponsorship and support of key businesses. This is vital to ensure the success and profile of the event remains of a high standard and that strong business relationships are built and developed between business and the City of Melbourne. Increased visitation will ensure strong economic returns for the city and the public sponsorship of this event will provide social and economic returns to the City and its people. To contribute to this MMW will use its financial support to raise the standard of its events and activities to ensure a safe and secure event, one that also features new and innovative programs and allows the opportunity to showcase and position Melbourne as a world class city. Environmentally Responsible City Melbourne Moomba Waterfest is one of the few City of Melbourne Waste Wise Events and MMW will continue to ensure it adheres to all Council policies for waste management and recycling. MMW Risk management strategies for each event component manage key environmental issues. Every effort will be made to minimise impact to parks and gardens and appropriate plans will be in place for the reinstatement of the gardens. Recommendation That the Marketing, Business Development and Major Events Committee: x note the progress of the planning and development of the 2004 Melbourne Moomba Waterfest; x endorse the program direction for 2004; and x note that this decision is being made by the Committee under delegation from the Council and is subject to the referral notice process. Attachment: 1. Event Overview 2 MARKETING, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Agenda Item 3.4 AND MAJOR EVENTS COMMITTEE REPORT 20 November 2003 MELBOURNE MOOMBA WATERFEST PROGRAM UPDATE 2004 Division Marketing & Corporate Affairs Presenter Scott Chapman, Director Marketing & Corporate Affairs Purpose 1. To provide Councillors with an update on the planning and development of the 2004 Melbourne Moomba Waterfest Program. Background 2. The 2003 Melbourne Moomba Waterfest was the first year the 49-year-old festival was delivered by City of Melbourne, Melbourne Moomba Waterfest branch. The event was an outstanding success with record attendances, a revitalised program, and enthusiastic feedback from the City of Melbourne, stakeholders, media, and participants. 3. Emphasis was placed on ensuring that the standard of event services and infrastructure was significantly raised to ensure all risk and safety issues were managed and that participants enjoyed a safe environment. This was achieved via the introduction of event management practices usually reserved for “Hallmark” events such as the Grand Prix and Spring Racing Carnival. 4. In three years time Melbourne will host one of the most major public events in its history with the staging of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. This creates a positive environment for City of Melbourne to realise its commitment to the development of Melbourne Moomba Waterfest to 2006 and beyond. Melbourne Moomba Waterfest seeks to plan and develop activities that will be sustainable in the future, creating a valuable legacy for the community in 2007 and for the future. Issues 2004 Programming 5. Ongoing reviews of the programming and presentation of the event is vital to ensure that the event remains attractive to sponsors and stakeholders. It will also allow for the provision of an annual celebration that is relevant to current audience expectations. Critical factors include: 5.1 presentation of a genuine community celebration focussed on and near Melbourne’s Waterways, including increased activity on the water; 5.2 the program is to have the broadest possible appeal with a wide audience reach, particularly the traditional non-arts audiences; 5.3 creation of a highly visible public festival that provides genuine opportunity for community participation from development to performance presentation; and 3 5.4 development of an additional significant high profile event including a signature event at Docklands in partnership with Docklands Authority. 6. The 2004 Melbourne Moomba Waterfest program will consolidate the event by building on the successes of 2003, whilst seeking new opportunities to develop the program towards its 50th Year celebration in 2005, and the Commonwealth Games Cultural Program in 2006. 7. Key Highlights of the program include: 7.1 17 events staged over 4 days along on the Yarra River and Docklands precinct; 7.2 the tradition of the Moomba Parade will be the result of community workshops run during the summer months to create key elements of the parade. Over 1200 participants will capture community spirit, indigenous culture and children’s imaginations; 7.3 sand sculpting exhibition featuring top international and Australian sand sculptors who will turn 1200 tonnes of sand into stunning masterpieces up to 11 metres high; 7.4 an aqua-stage concert at Docklands featuring Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in a spectacle of sound and light; 7.5 increased activity on the river with Moomba Masters water-skiing, Dragon Boat Festival, Duck Race, Bath Tub Dash and Birdman Rally; 7.6 inclusion of community cultural entertainment area in Alexandra Gardens featuring dance, music, performance and food from Melbourne’s diverse multicultural communities; 7.7 nightly concerts in Alexandra Gardens featuring popular jazz, rock and pop artists; 7.8 expanded children’s activity program including interactive programs, performances and children’s festival activities at Artplay; 7.9 a spectacle of fire and water using the latest technology in pyrotechnic art on the river between Princes and Swan St bridges; and 7.10 carnival in Birrarung Marr, which will require all operators to meet strict guidelines relating to OHS and Risk Management. 8. For a detailed copy of the program, refer to Attachment 1. Event Management – Best Practice 9. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring that the standard of event services and infrastructure reflects industry best practice. The standard was significantly raised in 2003 to ensure all risk and safety issues were managed and that participant’s perception of safety and security was positive. This remains a core focus in the planning of future events. Critical factors include: 9.1 establishment of event operations that exceed industry best practice for event services, presentation, risk management, infrastructure and logistics; 9.2 implementation of formal contractual agreements with component events to ensure MMW standards of event operations is adhered to; and 9.3 enhancement of the relationship with Police and Public Authorities to ensure full integration and collaboration from planning to delivery of the event. 4 Commercial Rights Development 10. The implementation of strategies to drive event revenue from the private and public sector is crucial to the long-term direction of the event. Critical factors include: 10.1 developing, packaging and valuing of sponsorship and supply rights, commercial rights and media partnerships; 10.2 consolidate key marketing and commercial aspects, cementing CoM’s control and ownership of key assets; 10.3 pro-active development of commercial relationships with 3rd parties and leverage inherent intellectual property, associated rights and other assets; and 10.4 maximise relationships with State Government to design and deliver programs that maximise community interaction with government initiatives and obtain appropriate funding. Relation to Council Policy 11. The Marketing