FINAL REPORT TRAINING AND FOR 2014 RURAL COUNCIL OPEN DAYS: EVENT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING, RVLE EXPO AND THE RURAL MIGRATION TOOL www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents... 1 Introduction... 2 Program Overview... 2 Program Purpose and Objectives... 2 Purpose... 2 Objectives... 2 Program Deliverables... 3 Workshops Summary... 3 Workshop Schedule... 3 Workshop Attendance... 3 Planning Tools... 4 Support Materials... 4 Individual Support and Advice... 4 Complimentary V/Line Passes... 4 Open Days Overview... 5 Participating Councils... 5 Open Day Results... 5 Open Day Outcomes... 6 Yarriambiack Shire... 6 Murrindindi Shire... 6 Pyrenees Shire... 7 Benalla Shire... 7 East Gippsland Shire... 8 Glenelg Shire... 8 Southern Grampians Shire... 9 Corangamite Shire... 9 Council Feedback and Recommendations... 9 Summary... 10 1 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to provide Rural Councils Victoria (RCV) with an overview and appraisal of the training and capacity building program for 2014 Open Days. The program included training workshops, individual consultation with councils, and support materials. This report outlines the key activities and deliverables, council participation, relocation outcomes and feedback from councils on the benefits and challenges of participating in the program. OVERVIEW The Open Day concept was designed and supported by RCV to encourage relocation to regional and rural Victoria. It leverages off the annual Regional Victoria Living Expo and facilitates meaningful communication with potential relocators and key stakeholders in the shire. Open Days are designed to build deeper connections between councils and potential relocators by supporting relocators next steps in making the decision to move to regional Victoria. Open Days give potential relocators an onsite experience of being in the shire and puts them in direct contact with stakeholders who may enable their move to a shire: future employers or clients, business networks, facilities, real estate agents, school principals, community and sporting groups. The 2014 Open Days, Expo and Rural Migration Tool workshops were developed to support participating councils in their planning and preparation for the Expo and Open Days. Training and bespoke guidance and advice was provided to councils in maximise their capacity to deliver a compelling Expo stand and a well organised, engaging Open Day. The program comprised a series of interactive workshops held in rural areas, distribution of support materials and individual follow-up with event organisers. The focus of this program was on strategic event planning, developing a targeted approach to event design and promotion and idea/information sharing. Feedback was also collected from participating councils about their knowledge of the key issues faced by potential relocators, the challenges of organising Open Days and their intention of participation in future Open Days. The workshops also included an overview of the Rural Migration Tool and highlighted how this information could assist councils to identify, and fill key population gaps. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES Purpose Enhance and embed RCV tools through training, collaboration and feedback opportunities for the 38 rural councils Align and promote RCV projects to facilitate sustainable outcomes in the attraction and retention work stream Build on the Open Day concept and brand and facilitate the development of successful, well-attended rural council events Introduce councils to the population toolkit and assess opportunities for future development Objectives Provide an opportunity for rural council networking and collaborative feedback on the 2013 Expo and Open Day pilot to inform 2014 planning and delivery Deliver event management and marketing advice to rural councils participating in the 2014 Expo and Open Day program Harness the population toolkit and other resources to support councils to effectively plan for, target and engage prospective relocators during and after the Expo Advise rural councils on how best to portray their key assets and maximise their presence at the Expo and in Open Day events Generate interest and buy-in to increase the participation of councils in the Open Day program and increase the number of potential relocators attending rural council events Support councils to engage their communities and local businesses to participate in their Expo and Open Day planning and events Advise rural councils on measurement tools in order to develop significant insights and measure effectiveness of the Expo and their investment Familiarise rural councils with the population toolkit and obtain user feedback 2 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
DELIVERABLES Workshops Summary As part of the Rural Councils Victoria Training and Capacity Building Program, RCV offered a series of workshops across Victoria for rural economic development officers, events and tourism staff and any other relevant council staff. Workshops were developed and delivered by Rachella Birch-Samios of Event Kit. The one-day workshop was designed to support participating councils with information, tools, and event planning advice to help rural councils maximise the potential benefits of participating in the Expo and Open Days. The morning session focused on leveraging council participation at the Expo to attract visitors to their exhibition stand, and ultimately the Open Day. The workshop included an update from Regional Development Victoria on the Regional Victoria Living Expo and an overview of the Rural Migration Tool and how it could assist councils with their planning for the Expo. The afternoon session focused on planning an Open Day. Event management advice was provided, creative event concepts covered and risk and safety considerations were highlighted. Key learnings and recommendations, as outlined in the 2013 Open Day Report, were shared with councils; and council experience, knowledge and feedback was shared in an open discussion forum. The challenges and successes of participation in 2013 and creative ideas for 2014 were shared amongst workshop participants. Workshop Schedule When: Monday 17 February 2014 11:00AM - 3:30PM Where: Wellington Shire Council, 70 Foster Street, Sale, 3850 CANCELLED* When: Wednesday 19 February 2014 11:00AM - 3:30PM Where: Loddon Shire Council, 37-41 High Street, Wedderburn, 3518 When: Thursday 20 February 2014 11:00AM - 3:30PM Where: Gum San Conference Centre, 31 Lambert Street, Ararat, 3377 When: Monday 24 February 2014 11:00AM - 3:30PM Where: MAV Level 11, 60 Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000 *The first workshop scheduled for Sale was cancelled due to lack of interest/ lack of staff availability by nearby councils. Workshop Attendance Of the 38 councils invited to attend, 16 councils expressed interest in attending the workshops. In many cases there were several representatives from each shire at each workshop resulting in a total of 22 council attendees. Representatives from Regional Development Victoria and Rural Councils Victoria were also present to provide updates and answer questions. Workshop Wedderburn/ Loddon Ararat Melbourne Organisation Represented Buloke Shire Council Loddon Shire Council Yarriambiack Shire Council Regional Development Victoria Rural Councils Victoria Ararat Rural City Council Central Goldfields Shire Council Hindmarsh Shire Council Northern Grampians Shire Council Pyrenees Shire Council Wimmera Development Association Regional Development Victoria Rural Councils Victoria Baw Baw Shire Council Benalla Rural City Council Indigo Shire Council Mansfield Shire Council Moyne Shire Council East Gippsland Council (attended by Skype and received follow up afterwards) Murrindindi Shire (planned to attend via Skype but was unable to on the day, received followup after the workshop instead) Regional Development Victoria Rural Councils Victoria 3 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
Planning Tools Along with a range of event management and event marketing ideas, the Rural Migration Toolkit was also presented to councils in the workshops. The core components of the toolkit were explored for those councils unfamiliar with the tool. It was suggested that councils become familiar with the online toolkit to become more aware about their population gaps and their target audience for activities and promotion at the Expo and Open Days. It was also recommend that councils read the background paper that accompanies the online toolkit, to further understand the data source and how to use the tool most effectively. Anecdotal evidence, through feedback and conversation in the workshops, revealed approximately half of councils were already familiar with, and had used the toolkit. Support Materials A range of marketing and event management templates were provided to councils for their use. These tools have been uploaded to the RCV website for use by councils. The suite of support materials included: Expo and Open Day Project Plan template Internal Event Development Brief Open Day Itinerary Open Day Partner Proposal Open Day Expression of Interest to Attend Open Day Hospitality Co-ordination Staff and Volunteer Roster Open Day Run Sheet Photographic Release Forum Brochure content guidelines Marketing Plan template Open Day media release template Open Day planning template Open Day planning & budget template Open Day partner proposal template Final survey Individual Support and Advice Phone and email communication was established with participating councils at three main intervals prior to workshops, immediately prior to/at the Expo and following each Open Day. Initial contact with councils was primarily introductory and to assist Event Kit with the preparation of workshop content. Information gathered from council representatives included their level of event knowledge, enthusiasm for the project and intention to hold an Open Day. Councils that intended to hold an Open Day were more interested in attending a workshop than those who didn t intend to hold an Open Day. Follow up communication before the Expo (via email and phone) was intended to check event organisers progress, offer event planning assistance/guidance and request case study promotional information for the RCV website and media releases. Following each Open Day, an informal survey was conducted by phone to collect further information from participating councils about their Open Day results, to gather feedback on participation and ask about their intention to continue participation with Open Days in future. Complimentary V/Line Passes RCV secured the supply of 100x family return passes for visitors to use to attend Open Days. The offer of complimentary V/Line passes was well received by councils. Councils provided visitors with the V/Line passes and have since reported back that they were extremely helpful in enticing people to attend the Open Days. 4 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
OPEN DAYS OVERVIEW Participating Councils In 2014, a total of 8 rural councils hosted an Open Day event. This represented a significant decrease compared to the 19 councils who hosted Open Days in 2013. It quickly became evident in the first phase of communication with councils that they had reservations about hosting another Open Day. A few councils (such as Indigo, Moyne and Central Goldfields) remained open to considering holding an event and attended the workshop to get more information, however subsequently didn t change their minds. Open Day Results Council Council Attendance Relocators Yarriambiack Shire 3 & 4 May 4 families All 4 genuinely interested in relocating. 3 are in the process of securing employment and 1 couple are retirees and will move in August. Murrindindi Shire 17 May 1 family A definite. The family who attended the Open Day already planned to relocate before the Expo. Pyrenees Shire 24 May 2 families + 1 individual 2 genuinely interested in relocating but it is dependent on finding work. Benalla Rural City 24 May 6 families + 2 individuals 3 confirmed new residents who ve bought or are moving since the Expo. East Gippsland Shire 8 June 20 groups (mixture of families and individuals) 3 couples are genuinely interested but it is dependent on finding work. Glenelg Shire 7 & 8 June 3 families + 6 individuals 1 individual genuinely interested and likely to secure a job as a teacher. 1 family is also serious about relocating but it is dependent on finding work. Southern Grampians Shire 14 & 15 June 8 families 1 family has now relocated and 1 individual has opened a business Corangamite Shire 12 & 13 September TBC TBC Reasons for not participating were consistent lack of council resources and lack of return on investment. While many councils supported the concept of Open Day, they indicated that they were withdrawing participation due to lack of staff and financial resources for the event management. It was communicated that the return on investment was either considered not worth the investment or too difficult to justify to council (due to the lack of immediate conversion of relocators). Staff indicated a preference to respond to enquiries on an ad hoc, individual basis. 5 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
OPEN DAY OUTCOMES Yarriambiack Shire Murrindindi Shire Guests were invited to take part in a tour of the town and historical sights. They received welcome packs upon arrival, enjoyed a hosted lunch at a local Hotel, experienced a night football match and enjoyed a barbecue breakfast by the lake the following morning. A committee (comprising council staff and community stakeholders) organised the Open Day. Main issues/hurdles for relocators as identified during the Open Day were jobs and housing. One couple were retirees and they didn t see any hurdles to relocating and are moving in August. Ongoing communication with visitors will be individualised according to their needs to develop strong relationship with individuals. They intend to hold an Open Day in 2015. They are already planning one for 2015 in Warracknabeal. They consider an Open Day to be a great way to promote the shire and increase general visitation to the region. No. of expressions of interest: 9 groups No. of actual attendees: 4 groups Attendance from presence at the Expo: 3 groups from a Facebook page and 1 group from the Expo Guests enjoyed a hosted morning tea, followed by a bus tour of the town sights and current properties on the market. They then attended a barbecue lunch at the Yea Football Club. Representatives from local groups joined the tour at various stages along the way. They were hosted at the local football match by one of the Councillors and the President of the local business and tourism association. Council outsourced the Open Day to a local event planner to organise. Council didn t gather information on hurdles or challenges to relocation faced by visitors as the only respondents had already initiated plans to relocate. Ongoing communication with visitors initially comprised of an email follow-up with all visitors from the Expo who registered their interest. No responses were received. Council followed up again with a promotional post-card advertising the Open Day with online registration links but still received no responses. Only 1 family responded and they were already intending to move to the town. Additional contact will be sent out later in the year to who those registered their interest to see if it s worth holding another Open Day. The decision to hold another Open Day is to be determined. Council ran it this year because of the local community support and initiative (local industry representatives approached council) however they are not sure about next year. Council won t drive it but if the community initiative is there then they might hold one. No. of expressions of interest: 40 groups and individuals No. of actual attendees: 1 family Attendance from presence at the Expo: 1 family 6 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
Pyrenees Shire Benalla Shire Council held a presentation about starting up a business, investment opportunities and real estate. They then took the group on a town tour and wine tasting. Information presented was targeted at those interested in establishing a business within the shire (rather than focused on potential relocators who would live in the shire but work elsewhere). Council staff organised the Open Day with the cooperation of local businesses such as a local winery and real estate agents etc. Main issues/hurdles for relocators as identified during the Open Day were jobs and housing. Ongoing communication with visitors will be to keep in contact with the 30 Expo visitors who registered interest at the Expo but didn t attend. They do not intend to hold an Open Day in 2015. They are planning to focus on a more targeted promotional approach with no Open Day. Discussion has commenced in collaboration with nearby regions Ararat and Northern Grampians Shires to form an alliance to promote the shires to residents in target areas. The Western suburbs is identified as the target for relocators and they would rather go to them and promote directly to them (e.g. in shopping centre promotions), than take a scattergun approach to a general Melbourne audience at the Expo. They screened a promotional DVD then had a town tour and morning tea at a gallery and a local real estate agent joined the group. Lunch was held at Baileys and then the group moved on to the Historics at Winton. Council staff organised the Open Day. Main issues/hurdles for relocators as identified during the Open Day were jobs. Ongoing communication with visitors started as an email to visitors who expressed interest at the Expo, followed by an email with the Open Day program and then a phone call. They received an 80% response rate to the email. Individual contact will be maintained by email in future. Moreover they have also asked the Visitor Information Centre and local real estate agent to update council when they receive enquiries. They intend to hold an Open Day in 2015. It is considered beneficial as it is a great showcase of the town when it s in a vibrant state of activity. Increased interest from the Expo had a positive impact on the Open Day. Feedback from council staff was that the workshop helped them to have a clearer idea of what they wanted to achieve at the Expo and that resulted in more expressions of interest and attendance at the Open Day. No. of expressions of interest: 30 families and individuals No. of actual attendees: 2 families + 1 individual (1 other family responded to say they would come but didn t show) Attendance from presence at the Expo: All No. of expressions of interest: 18 RSVPs (invites were sent out to 75 people from the expo) No. of actual attendees: 6 families + 2 individuals Attendance from presence at the Expo: Yes 7 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
East Gippsland Shire Glenelg Shire The Open Day was held over two days. The first day included a visit to the Bairnsdale Farmers Market then a scenic drive through the area. The second day was at the Metung Food & Wine Festival where local representatives were present to answer questions in an information tent. The information tent received enquiries from many additional people (above and beyond the expressions of interest) who were attending the food and wine festival. Council staff organised the Open Day. Main issues/hurdles for relocators as identified during the Open Day were jobs and housing. Council staff reported disappointment that visitors expected council staff to find them a job, rather than just provide them with information about employment agencies and potential employers. Ongoing communication with visitors will be ad hoc in response to direct enquiries received. They do not intend to hold an Open Day in 2015. They expressed that participating in the Open Day is a lot of work and outside normal scope of what they do. They see benefit in the Open Day and would consider sponsoring/funding someone external to manage the event. No. of expressions of interest: 20 families and individuals No. of actual attendees: 20 families and individuals Attendance from presence at the Expo: All The Open Day schedule was held over two days. The first day included a networking session with a range of local groups, organisations and businesses such as real estate, employment agencies, health care, schools, service clubs and recreational groups. The second day featured a bus tour of shire highlights including a visit to the Kelpie Festival. Council staff were primarily responsible for organising the Open Day. A representative from YMCA (with a connection to council) also helped. Main issues/hurdles for relocators as identified during the Open Day were jobs. They are undecided about whether they will hold an Open Day in 2015. It will be determined by council later in the year. No. of expressions of interest: 15 families and individuals No. of actual attendees: 6 individuals and 3 families Attendance from presence at the Expo: 6 individuals and 1 family, plus 2 families not from the expo (saw information from the council website) 8 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
Southern Grampians Shire The Open Day was held over two days. The first day involved a hosted networking function with community representatives from business and industry sectors, health, education, real estate and community groups. The second day comprised of a bus tour to showcase key highlights of the region. Council staff organised the Open Day. Main issues/hurdles for relocators as identified during the Open Day were jobs and business opportunities. These were directly addressed at the Open Day event and potential relocators were assisted to form the connections required. They do intend to hold an Open Day in 2015. It was considered a terrific event and worth continuing. The V/Line tickets were considered very useful. No. of expressions of interest: 12 No. of actual attendees: 8 families (plus 2 apologies and 2 didn t show up) Attendance from presence at the Expo: All from the Expo Corangamite Shire Corangamite had no expressions of interest for attendance at their Open Day. They received feedback that it was because it was scheduled for Mother¹s Day. They have since changed the date to September 2014 and plan to contact all those who had been invited to invite them to save the new date. COUNCIL FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS Council representatives were invited to provide their feedback during the workshops and in the post-event Open Day survey. Several key themes and issues were raised and echoed by most councils, as outlined below: Resources (staff and financial) within councils are limited it is difficult for many councils to plan and coordinate the Expo and Open Day and maintain effective contact with interested visitors. The Open Day concept is beyond the scope and/or workload of many councils. The decision to relocate can take some people 2-5 years this is challenging for reporting as council wants to see immediate (within 12mths) return on investment for participation at the Expo and Open Days. Attendance at the 2013 Open Days was low and this led some councils to doubt the benefit of planning an Open Day. Interest and attendance was again low this year and has confirmed some council s decision to not continue with Open Days. Many visitors who expressed interest in attending an Open Day, stopped all communication following the Expo without explanation (despite repeated attempts to contact them by council staff). Jobs are the key hurdle for potential relocators. If there were job opportunities readily available, it is believed many of the Open Day visitors would relocate immediately. There was an incorrect assumption by many visitors that council would find work for them, rather than be the provider of contact information for visitors to follow-up themselves. 9 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
SUMMARY Attendees at workshops reported an appreciation for the information and advice they received - they took suggestions outlined at the workshops and implemented these at the Expo, including improved communication and promotion, and design of their stands. The workshops were seen as a worthwhile activity to build the capacity of councils to better plan and promote their shire at the Expo. Workshops were also beneficial in collecting information about council perspectives on the benefits and challenges of participating in the Open Day program. The workshops assisted councils with ideas for Open Day activities, provided a forum for ideas/information-sharing and encouraged councils to plan early to better leverage the promotion and audience at the Expo. The primary hurdle for interested visitors wanting to relocate is the ability to find work. Several towns have people who are interested and keen to relocate, or have now relocated following the Expo and Open Day events. The main reasons councils didn t attend the workshops was due to lack of staff availability or lack of interest as knew they didn t intend on hosting an Open Day. The main reason why councils didn t participate in the Open Day was because they can t effectively measure ROI, they don t consider it good ROI, it is beyond scope/ workload capacity of council staff, and/or there wasn t enough visitor interest. Only 3 councils currently see value in the Open Day concept. From feedback, it seems the majority of councils prefer to deal with enquiries on an individual level or on a case-by-case basis. For those councils who support the Open Day concept, they see the benefits are great promotion of the town (during a period when the town is active and vibrant) and the great opportunity for visitors to meet in a community networking context. Of the 8 Open Days to be held in 2014, only 3 confirmed an interest in holding an Open Day in 2015. Of the remaining 5 councils, 2 have said no and 3 are to be determined. 10 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au
FINAL REPORT TRAINING AND FOR 2014 RURAL COUNCIL OPEN DAYS: EVENT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING, RVLE EXPO AND THE RURAL MIGRATION TOOL Further information For more information contact Rural Councils Victoria at: Level 12/ 60 Collins Street Melbourne GPO Box 4326 Melbourne 3001 PH: 03 9667 5555 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.com.au 11 www.ruralcouncilsvictoria.org.au