Over $300,000 in funding to reinvigorate events industry
Published on 24 August 2022
Kiama Council, together with the NSW Government’s Reconnecting Regional NSW Community Events Program, is supporting the local events industry and invigorating the local community with around $330,000 in funding available over the next seven months.
Destination Event Funding
Destination Kiama have recently opened round two of Destination Event Funding. This fund is designed to primarily support events that drive visitation to the local area out of recognised peak periods and encourage return visitation and overnight stays.
To find out more about the funding, who is eligible and the selection criteria, interested parties can read our Destination Event Funding Guidelines and fill out an application here.
Successful applications through 2022/23 round one were:
- Red Hot Summer Tour - $5,000
- Jamberoo Car Show and Family Fun Day – $3,000
- Folk by the Sea - $3,000
- Kiama Rugby Sevens - $7,500
- Kiama Jazz & Blues Festival - $6,000
Events supported in 2021/22 (and to be stage in 22/23) are:
- Changing Tides Festival - $6,000
- Seaside and Valley Veterans Golf Tournament - $600
- Wind and Waves Festival - $10,000
Applications for round two of funding will close on Wednesday 26 October 2022. We recommend organisers apply for funding six months in advance. Future rounds submission closing dates are 25 January 2023 and 29 March 2023.
We invite all event organisers to contact our Event Coordinator if they are considering hosting an event in our LGA. You can also fill out our Preliminary Event Application Form as a first step.
Council is also exploring options to host a grant application workshop for potential event organisers in the area.
Reconnecting Regional NSW Community Events Program
Our Tourism Advisory Committee recently noted $239,651 of a dedicated allocation to Kiama Council from the ‘Reconnecting Regional NSW – Community Events Program’ offered by the Minister of Regional NSW, which we have applied for.
To secure and spend this money, Kiama Council’s Destination Kiama has submitted its proposal for how we would apportion the funding. This program stipulates that the money should be spent before 31 March 2023 on events and festivals that are free and enable the entire community to attend, and that promote economic and social recovery across the LGA.
Our proposal to the NSW Government includes a series of events including large-scale, community-oriented events such as the Kiama NYE celebration as well as other smaller festivals and events that proved successful, such as a series of Street Soirees in Jamberoo, Kiama Downs and Gerringong, which would build on the success of our inaugural REVEL Street Soiree event in May this year.
Council also included in the proposal extra funding for regular events that fit the criteria, including Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival and Kiama Beach Tag. We have also proposed some new event concepts such as a local food/produce event as well as an Indigenous themed event and a grass roots festival designed for children.
Kiama Council has submitted its proposal to the Department of Regional NSW and is hoping to receive approval within the next few weeks.
Kiama Council’s Manager of Tourism & Events (Destination Kiama) Sally Bursell said: “This much needed funding will boost the high-quality community-oriented events our region currently hosts and offers the opportunity for Council to work with local suppliers to host new events and strengthen the Kiama area events calendar.”
Call for local operators and events businesses
Also in our event space, Destination Kiama is calling for expressions of interest from the community and local operators to create a list of partners who would like to be considered to assist in the delivery of a range of destination and community events run by Kiama Council.
The assessment and selection of event partners will be determined based on each individual event's specific and established objectives and predetermined criteria.
To apply, fill out our Expression Of Interest (EOI) to become a Kiama Council Event Partner.
Success of IGNITE Winter Festival to fund local events
Finally, the acquittal for the REAF (Regional Events Activation Fund) grant that supported Ignite Winter Festival 2022 is being finalised by Council’s finance team.
We anticipate a profit from our IGNITE Winter Festival Ice Rink ticket sales of approximately $90,000.
This profit will be reinvested into local events. We are looking to use it to fund the 25% required in the REAF conditions for an application to run a Winter Event in 2023.
Destination Kiama is currently working through this application process.