Events sector a huge asset to Northern Territory economy

Despite the current global pandemic, the Northern Territory’s events industry has boomed over the past financial year, giving the local economy a much-needed boost.

New research shows eight events delivered or promoted by Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) during the 2020-21 financial year raised an economic stimulus of $109.8 million for the Territory, of which $64.9 million was new money. Combined, the events were responsible for generating 257,590 visitor nights and supported the equivalent of 433 full-time jobs.

NTMEC CEO Tim Watsford said the research showed the enormous benefits events bring to the host region.

“We are proud to deliver world-class events in the Northern Territory, knowing the incredible flow-on effects they deliver for our region,” he said. “These results cement what we already know – events drive visitation, which is fantastic for our economy.”

There were 102,269 unique individual attendees to the events, with almost half (49,492) saying the event they attended was the main reason they visited the host region.

In good news for attendees and organisers, those surveyed gave an average attendee satisfaction score of 8.2 out of 10.

“The research shows those surveyed recognise the importance of investing in events, with 96 per cent saying the Northern Territory Government should continue to support major events,” Mr Watsford said.

“In addition, 93 per cent noted the positive impact such events have on the local community. World-class events are also great for the Territory’s image, with 80.7 per cent of respondents agreeing their event experience made them want to visit the Territory again in the future.
“Quite simply, the benefits of holding events trickle down through our economy, and we all benefit.”

The events included in the research are Parrtjima 2020 and 2021, Red CentreNATS 2020, Darwin Supercars 2020 and 2021, BASSINTHEGRASS 2021, Million Dollar Fish Season 6 and the NRL’s Eels v Broncos game in April this year.

Northern Territory Major Events Company works closely with the Northern Territory Government’s Department of Health to ensure each event in its portfolio can be delivered safely and in line with a COVID-19 Event Safety Plan. According to the latest research results, almost 95 per cent of survey respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that they felt safe attending the event during COVID-19.