Community events pay dividends

The Territory’s events industry continues to punch above its weight, with new research revealing events that received support through the Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) Event Funding Program have recorded significant economic benefits.

Independent research found just 22 supported events that took place in 2021-2022 delivered a gross expenditure stimulus of $39.8 million to the Territory, plus a whopping 110,194 visitor nights.

Events included the Darwin Fringe, Chariots of Thunder, Katherine Ultra, Alice Springs Beanie Festival and Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta. In total, NTMEC supported around 70 events during this time.

The 22 events included in the research attracted 99,882 attendances with 14,874 visitors motivated to travel to the host region specifically for the event.

They also delivered an average Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 63 per cent. A score of 60 or higher is considered a very good NPS, with many survey respondents likely to recommend the event to a friend or colleague.

Head of Events and Operations Coryn Huddy said the NT is home to an incredible calendar of events, which continue to deliver enormous benefits for the Territory from both an economic and social standpoint.

“We are thrilled with the research results and are proud to fund events that not only shine a light on the Territory and back local businesses, but give more interstate visitors a reason to come here,” he said.

The research showed considerable support for the Northern Territory Government to continue supporting events. An average of 95.1 per cent of survey respondents agreed it was a good investment. In addition, a total of 88.2 per cent of survey respondents agreed the event they attended made them feel the Territory is an accepting and inclusive place.

The next round of the NTMEC Event Funding Program will open in early 2023. To be one of the first to know when, subscribe to the industry update via https://ntmajorevents.com.au/sign-up.