Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said with applications now open, the Event Development Fund offers one-off annual grants of up to $50,000 to grow existing events across Regional NSW and to drive visitation and boost local economies.
“The Government is committed to supporting events that generate significant, immediate and long-term benefits and align with our goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020,” Mr Ayres said.
“Regional tourism has grown substantially over last few years but we know we can do more and this Fund focuses on helping events maximise their tourism appeal and economic potential.”
Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said, “Whether it’s promotional activities to drive overnight visitation, co-operative marketing programs with the tourism industry or the implementation of visitor research, this Fund will help event organisers attract even more visitors to our stunning regional destinations.”
The new Fund is part of the expanded Regional Flagship Events Program which has three pillars of funding:
Incubator Event Fund – offers a one-off annual grant of up to $20,000 to support the creation of regional events and foster existing community events
Flagship Event Fund – offers a one-off annual grant of $20,000 or a triennial grant of $27,500 each year for three years to regional events which have been running for more than two years
Event Development Fund – offers a one-off annual grant of up to $50,000 to regional events that have received the maximum funding permitted through the Flagship Event Fund (or former Regional Flagship Events Program) and can demonstrate a robust strategy for future development
The 2017 Event Development Fund is managed by the State’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. To view the Fund criteria and to access the application process, visit www.destinationnsw.com.au/rfep.
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