The Gold Coast is fast establishing itself as a year-round events city, with a mega month of May events providing a huge economic injection and leading into a bumper winter calendar.
May was literally music to the ears of locals, visitors and the city’s tourism and hospitality industry, starting a string of music events headlined by a hugely successful Blues on Broadbeach, and setting the scene for a big winter program (see below).
In 2015 Blues drew a crowd of 127,000, with 63 percent coming from outside the city, for an economic impact of $18.6 million. While official 2016 figures are pending, this year was ‘much bigger’ according to Broadbeach Alliance CEO Jan McCormick.
“Over the weekend crowds were significantly increased on previous years due to our incredible line-up, interstate marketing and wonderful weather,” says Ms McCormick.
The same bumper weekend (17-22 May) saw the luxury lifestyle celebrated with marine events, including the most buoyant Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) since the GFC, and was followed by the prestigious fourth-annual Polo by the Sea (28 May) a sell-out in the sunshine, and a barometer for the strong return of corporate sponsorship and growing sophistication of the Gold Coast economy.
“Our growth increased by over 60% since 2015 with corporate marquees trebling and sponsorship doubling, and bookings for next year, as well as sponsorship inquiries, have already been filtering through at a record rate. The event has certainly turned a corner, confirming its role as a premium performance and luxury branding platform,” says Janek Gazecki, Urban Polo™ founder.
Exhibitors were left tooting SCIBS as ‘the best show in six years’ with a showcase of prestige vehicles amping up the luxury factor for show-goers and strong boat sales achieved, according to General Manager Johan Hasser.
“We are very pleased to hear our exhibitors have done so well across the four days. There has been such a great feeling of confidence and excitement across all market segments,” he says.
Blues on Broadbeach - Instagram @_fauxtoes
The Mason Rack band, Blues on Broadbeach
@maritimooffshore little bit of fun with liquid nitrogen at Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show
Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show blue skies
Blues on Broadbeach began in 2002 and has grown massively over 15 years, winning best regional Queensland event in 2014 and 2015
The buzz leading into such a big weekend, not to mention superb weather, clearly impressed 2,300 national and international delegates to the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), including more than 80 international and national travel media and 850 international travel buyers, who were left ‘sold’ on the city’s tourism and lifestyle appeal and events experience.
“We’ve long known that irrespective of the season, events are major drawcards for any destination,” Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter says.
“Through close collaboration with the City of Gold Coast and event organisers, Gold Coast Tourism provides marketing support for a range of major events including the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, Magic Millions, Blues on Broadbeach, Gold Coast 600 and Cooly Rocks On, to attract new visitors and expenditure for the Gold Coast.”
Ferrari Brisbane Polo By The Sea
Courtesy Brian Usher photographer
Magic Millions beach race with Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne
Quiksilver Pro action
The month of May began with the Surfers Paradise Live festival, headlined in its second year by one of Australia’s most enduring rock bands, the Choirboys, with the potential to create a city-wide promotion of music events starting with Surfers Paradise Live, leading into Blues on Broadbeach, then rocking down to the Southern Gold Coast for the evergreen Cooly Rocks On (3 -11 June) before swinging back to Broadbeach for its Country Music Festival (17-19 June).
May’s major events built on an April calendar of community events include Surfers Paradise’s Seafire and signature annual celebration Glow, now in its third year at the Evandale Cultural Precinct, which followed on from Bleach*, the city’s premier cultural festival held over three weekends in March.
Also held in March, the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros may not attract the crowd numbers of other events, but the global television exposure through the World Surfing League championship event is highly valuable – providing return on investment for sponsors, including the City of Gold Coast, which provides financial and in-kind support to an annual portfolio of almost 50 major events, based on direct economic impact and enhanced city reputation.
The cumulative effect is a vibe of constant activity and excitement and a combined economic impact that well and truly tops $100 million, with potential for new and emerging events to round out a complete annual calendar.
Bleach, courtesy Lamp Photography
Glow Festival
Glow Festival
Surfers Paradise LIVE
Indeed the recent release of STR Global statistics show continuing positive tourism trends for the Gold Coast, with RevPar (revenue per available room) increasing 9.2 per cent, room revenue up 8.8 per cent and occupancy gained 3.3 per cent, for the year to date.
“The last 12 months has been a first in my experience, where there has been no drop off in tourism activity and most importantly, profitability is accompanying visitation,” says Martin.
The Gold Coast was recently recognised as a top 20 Global Sports Events city and judged best newcomer on a prestigious global sports city index. The GC 600 is the city’s most lucrative sporting event (injecting $44 million into the economy in 2015), with the Gold Coast Airport Marathon regarded as one of Australia’s premier sporting events and the annual Magic Millions Carnival a highlight on the nation’s racing and social calendar that achieved both record crowds and record yearling sales in 2016 and injected in excess of $22 million into the local economy.
Winter Events Guide
Cooly Rocks On attracts some 115,000 visits from 69,000 unique visitors – 55,000 come from outside the Gold Coast/Tweed region
Cooly Rocks On (3-16 June)
Southern Gold Coast revives retro each June as around 100,000 visitors descend upon our world-famous beachside destinations of Coolangatta, Kirra and the Tweed for the 11-day nostalgia festival. Born from the ashes of the Wintersun Festival, which ended in 2010 after more than three decades, it celebrates everything there is to love about the 1950s and 60s.
There’s something for motoring enthusiasts, music fans, lovers of vintage style, rock’n’roll and swing dancers, proud pet owners and everyone who knows that ‘everything old is new and hip again.’ Cooly Rocks On highlights include the big street parade on Saturday 11 June.
Gold Coast Food and Wine Festival (3 – 25 June)
The Gold Coast Food and Wine Festival is a new month long signature event to celebrate the quality and variety of eating experiences on the Gold Coast!
Take advantage of mouthwatering gastronomic experiences, degustations, exciting and interactive cooking demonstrations, hands on dessert workshops, cocktail making classes, wine and beer appreciation, an adults only VIP Lounge, competitions and signature dining experiences. The program will include various ticketed and free events with esteemed chefs and quality food and wine providors.
Held at NightQuarter, the Gold Coast’s new favourite foodie mecca, the festival will be all the things we love about food and wine, plus more!
Broadbeach Country Music Festival (17 – 19 June)
Adam Brand and The Outlaws, The Sunny Cowgirls, Jasmine Rae and the Adam Eckersley Band are just some of the massive Country stars set to hit the Gold Coast for the fourth annual Broadbeach Country Music Festival.
Uniquely combining ‘Country with the Coast’ the beachside event is free to attend, showcasing premier Country Music performers on a number of outdoor stages and in venues throughout the entire Broadbeach precinct.
Australian Open Lawn Bowls (11 – 24 June)
The biggest bowls competition on the planet has a new home on the Gold Coast from 2015 to 2019, with a prize purse of $250,000.
Following the success of the 2015 Australian Open, the first time the event was held as completely open to enter, the 2016 Australian Open promises to be bigger and better than ever! Bowlers can again look forward to competing in open singles, pairs and fours disciplines, along with a number of other disciplines that will be run along side the open events.
Bowls is gaining popularity amongst the younger generation (not just for social barefoot bowls!) and the transition of this event to the Gold Coast is seen as a milestone in the positioning of South East Queensland as the natural hub of bowls in Australia. The event leads into the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) and will be followed by the 2020 World Bowls Championships.
Mudgeeraba Show (25 – 26 June)
A true country heritage show for the Gold Coast with the best of everything – Trade Sites; Animal Shows; Horse events; Amusement Rides; Craft Displays; Woodchopping; Heritage Displays; and live Stage Performers. The Mudgeeraba Show is where the country meets the coast in the true agricultural show tradition with an amazing combination of attractions.
Gold Coast Airport Marathon ( 2- 3 July)
The 2015 Gold Coast Airport Marathon injected $21 million into the local economy, with 21,000 of 27,500 competitors from outside the region
What began in 1979 as a relatively low-key event with less than 700 entrants has now grown to a premier international sporting contest attracting more than 27,000 competitors, plus their families and friends, including 3,000 from overseas.
Renowned as one of Australia’s premier sporting events, it attracts athletes across a number of races including the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7km Challenge and Junior Dash 4km and 2km races.
The Gold Coast Airport Marathon is the only Australian marathon race to attain an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Road Race Gold Label, placing it in esteemed company around the world.
Brett Wilkie Lawn Bowler
Gold Coast Airport Marathon
Broadbeach Country Music Festival
Kokoda Challenge
Viva La Surfers (8 – 17 July)
Put on your blue suede shoes and prepare for this week-long Elvis tribute with some of the best Elvis impersonators around.
Viva Surfers Paradise pays tribute to the life and music of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, but we don’t stop there with 50’s and 60’s fun all week from live performances to vintage stalls, rock ‘n’ roll dancing and more.
Direct from Brazil for his first appearance in Australia, DIOGO! When Diogo takes the stage at VIVA Surfers Paradise, you will know what is making this Elvis Tribute Artist world class!
The Kokoda Challenge – Gold Coast (16-17 July)
Held in honour of the 39th Militia – the first Australian troops to set foot on the Kokoda Track – this endurance and charity trek challenges teams of four to complete a 96km trek in 39 hours.
The distance is the length of the actual Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea. The course leads along fire trails, crosses 12 creeks and climbs 5,000 metres of vertical elevation.
The goal is to finish as a complete team of four in honour of the spirit forged on the Kokoda Track in 1942: courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice.
2016 Immerse Qld SUP & Paddle Festival (22 – 24 July)
The 2016 Queensland SUP Surfing, Technical and Marathon Racing Titles will be activated at Currumbin providing the exclusive qualification pathway for Queensland athletes aiming to compete at the 2016 Australian SUP Titles. As a spiritual home for surfing, SUP continues its rise in popularity on the Gold Coast. This event is free for spectators and run by Surfing Queensland.
2016 Gold Coast Multi-Cultural Festival (7 August)
‘Experience the Whole World in One Day’ and sample the region’s Cultural Diversity.
2016 will be the 9th year of our annual Gold Coast Multicultural Festival, featuring International Performers from up to 35 nations on 3 festival stages, and up to 65 stalls of international food, Art, Craft and information, as well as Children’s rides and entertainment.
Broadbeach Jazz weekend (20-21 August)
After its blues and country festivals, Broadbeach delivers a free music weekend for a fifth time – this time with jazz! Chill out to the sounds of some of the finest jazz musos around at one of the precinct’s outdoor stages.
The reinvigorated Broadbeach Jazz Weekend will incorporate a number of new elements including expanding the entertainment offering to not only mainstream Jazz, but also include more of a fringe, and family feel with everything free and non-ticketed.
Gold Coast Show (26-28 August)
60,000 locals and visitors make the Gold Coast Show, held at the Gold Coast Turf Club, the biggest community show in Southeast Queensland. The Show is 110 years strong this year with a slogan ‘way too much fun’.
And finally a taste of Spring – get ready for the popular Swell Sculpture Festival, returning to Currumbin from September 9.
Related Articles
International travel agents fall in love with the Gold Coast
Food trucks to become a more regular presence on the Gold Coast
The Night Quarter Markets a huge success
The post Mega May warms up for big winter calendar of events appeared first on More Gold Coast.