Adelaide ready for 2014 peak events season

Adelaide Fringe

Adelaide is preparing for a flurry of activity with the peak events season kicking off this week, bringing the State an economic boost of around $140 million.

Organisers of the Adelaide Fringe (14 Feb – 16 March), Clipsal 500 Adelaide (27 Feb – 2 March), Adelaide Festival (28 Feb – 16 March) and WOMADelaide (7 – 10 March) have been busy working together to prepare for the influx of visitors to the city.

Minister for Tourism Leon Bignell said the city was bracing itself for more than a month of action.

“At this time of year there’s a real sense of excitement in Adelaide and it’s not only locals that love Mad March – people come from interstate and overseas to join in the fun,” Mr Bignell said.

“During this wonderful time of year, it’s possible to catch a show, visit an art gallery and attend a major sporting event all in one day.

“The layout of our city makes it easy to get around, and the clustering of events creates an electric atmosphere that creates a real buzz.”

The Major Events Group, which is made up of representatives from Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Fringe and WOMADelaide, as well as Events South Australia, Adelaide City Council, Arts SA, Adelaide Oval and the Emergency Services Major Event Coordination Committee, have met regularly during the past 18 months.

Mr Bignell said he was impressed by the spirit of cooperation and collaboration across South Australia’s major events community.

“The aim of this group is to share information and discuss opportunities to work together, and I applaud their efforts to ensure visitors and locals have the best possible experience during the events season,” Mr Bignell said.

In addition to the social benefits, Mr Bignell said the peak events season also generated a significant economic boost for the State.

“In 2013 the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival, WOMADelaide and Clipsal 500 Adelaide provided a combined economic impact of $138 million,” he said.

“These events resulted in 295,000 bed nights, while also supporting our retail and hospitality sectors.

“The atmosphere in Adelaide will be incredible in the next few months; we also have the Adelaide Cup (10 March), The Rolling Stones (22 March), the Future Music Festival (10 March), which will draw the nation’s attention to Adelaide.

“With all the new developments and changes the city has seen during the past year, this is a great time for us to showcase our city and for visitors to find out why Adelaide has been named one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2014.”

Adelaide Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood said the city’s capability to stage large-scale events and festivals should not be underestimated.

“We have some of the most talented people in world right here in Adelaide who can deliver on events of this scale – that’s a talent that’s exportable to the world,” Mr Yarwood said.

“Significantly we’ve got a local population that gets behind fledgling events and festivals and knows how to turn them into world class events which draws visitors from across Australia and the world.”