When organising/planning an event don’t forget to contact the Tourism and Promotions team at Greater Hume Council who can assist you with promotion of your event.
To have your event listed in the on the Greater Hume website events calendar, promoted on our Facebook pages and added to the monthly What’s On newsletter ensure that you have completed and submitted the Event Notification and Application Form for your event prior to the publication deadline.
For promotional assistance please contact 02 6036 2422 or email events@greaterhume.nsw.gov.au.
Developing a marketing plan and promotions timeline can help ensure that the target audience is aware of, and interested in your event. A well-developed marketing plan that uses market research is most effective. A marketing plan should consider the following:
- The results of any market research.
- Who the target audience is, and why.
- The impact of target audience on ticket pricing, event programming and event facilities.
- Packaging your event with other organisations/businesses such as accommodation, attractions, bus companies, function centres, cafés/restaurants etc.
- Synopsis of marketing campaign, including a promotions timeline.
- The best media tools for your event (radio, print, posters/flyers, television, emails, social media, noticeboards, direct mail, electronic media).
- The key messages for your event campaign.
- A marketing budget, with cost breakdown according to geographical target areas, different media types used, and cash/in-kind marketing.
- Whether to engage a media partner and public relations agency.
- How sponsors, supporters and stakeholders will be acknowledged in marketing material.
- How tickets will be distributed.
Developing a communications plan for all stakeholders will promote consistency in the event’s key messages. You should tailor the messages you send to ensure the group you are communicating with receives information that is important to them. Elements could include:
- Traffic arrangements, special event clearways, road closures.
- Special arrangements, eg for people with a disability or special needs.
- Parking facilities.
- Transport arrangements - changes to regular services, additional services, special fares.
- What to bring, and what not to bring to the event, eg alcohol or glass.
- Specific health messages, eg “Drinking kills driving skills” and “Slip, Slop, Slap!”.
- Services and facilities available at the event.
- Sustainable practices at the event, and how patrons can enhance these practices.
- Specific conditions of entry to the event.
- Where to purchase tickets and ticketing conditions.
- The event times and the entertainment program.
As organisers of the event, the Committee must have a reliable method of communication in place for the event duration. It is essential for stewards and organisers to be able to communicate during the event. In addition, there should be at least one administrative area on site that may be jointly staffed by all the organisations taking part.
Equally vital is the method of communication with the public. This is particularly important if the site has to be evacuated.
All your communication materials should include, websites, social media and telephone numbers where people can get additional information. Establish when you need to speak to people, check deadlines for submitting documents, the amount of notice residents need about the event and so on. You should also carefully consider how to reach the people you want to speak to. Some ways of communicating might include:
- Website, social media and/or information phone line or database.
- Publicity or advertising in local and other relevant media outlets (television, radio or newspaper), including the “What’s On” or Community Service Announcements section of local newspapers and/or websites, social media and Greater Hume Council Events Calendar.
- Letterbox drops to promote the event but also to inform people and businesses of the event in case they are affected by it.
- Posters/flyers/brochures.
- Letters to, and meetings with, key community groups. Community consultation is important in order to avoid any issues arising from local businesses and residents that might be affected by your event.
- Banners and signage (check with Greater Hume Council as to whether there are any restrictions regarding outdoor posters in public spaces).
- An event launch, media event or pre-event party, this may also help raise funds to support the event.
- Social media.
- Group emailing local clubs, committees and schools.
- Local community and school newsletters.
A website is an excellent way for people to find out more about your event. It can also act as a simple call to action message on advertising material. A website is also the primary tool that can be used to create a database of people interested in your event eg through an invitation to ‘register your interest here’.
Be sure to use your local media effectively as this will increase your reach and ultimately your attendance at the event. Find out the most appropriate contact at your local newspaper and radio station to send media releases to. A media release should contain key information such as the event date, time and location, what the event is about and possibly a quote from your event spokesperson or organiser. You could also approach your local newspaper and radio station to partner with your event by offering them co-branding in exchange for advertising space.
Running promotions in local media or shopping centres will also help spread the word about your event. Sponsors or stallholders might agree to donate a prize for a competition entered via your website, or entry could be by a form dropped in a box upon arrival at your event.
Social and digital media in event marketing and communications offers a dynamic and cost-effective way of engaging the target audience before, during and after the event. Social media can help raise awareness of an event and ensure that messages to the public about traffic, transport, health and safety at the event are communicated.
If the event impacts or affects traffic, it is very important that the event’s social media tools link to relevant websites such as Transport NSW traffic conditions site “Live Traffic” and to social media sites to ensure that key messages are effectively shared. It is helpful if the person developing the messages is experienced in communications and able to handle and diffuse issues, as well as monitor messages, associated sites and the event and media.
There are many different forms of social media and which channels you use will be influenced by the nature of your target audience. Examples include:
- Facebook - this allows you to create events, invite individuals, post photos and videos and tag people (tagging links a user to a photo, video, group or place to create a community). In Australia, Facebook users number in their millions.
- Twitter - a channel of communication for networking, updating news, forming relationships with people with similar interests, and providing information and alerts on upcoming events.
- Youtube - a video-sharing website where users can upload, share, view, and comment on videos.
- Instagram - a content-sharing app where users can upload, share, view and comment on image and video based content.
- Apps - This term is an abbreviation for applications. An app is a piece of software that can run on the internet, on your computer, or on your phone or other electronic device.
- Blogs and Forums - these provide an interactive space for information sharing and opinions. They can be linked to other social media sites to cross-promote events.
Social media also enables audiences to provide feedback to event organisers, which is crucial for improving future events. The content selected to share with the event audience is critical. Information should be kept interesting and up-to-date, and give people reasons to ‘like’ or ‘follow’ the event. The audience will then enrich the content by commenting, tagging, sharing, or re-tweeting (that is, re-posting a tweet written by someone else on Twitter). Social media is all about sharing information and provides event organisers with a level of flexibility in providing responses to the public and streamlining information.
The following photography guidelines and brief are to assist you to capture the best images possible to promote your event.
Your brief should include key moments such as award ceremonies, presentations, speeches etc for use in local news stories and follow up newsletters, website content but these images will not help you promote next year’s event. A picture is worth a thousand words so make sure your promotional images tell your potential visitor how great your event is.
Setting aside adequate budget for using a professional photographer will give you the best results. They have the skills and eye to not only capture your event but to do the post production to make your images pop off the page and grab attention. Even if you can’t afford a professional photographer this year, developing this type of brief for the local newspaper, photographer and photojournalist will certainly help you get the best images.
Hiring the photographer
Ensure the photographer has a professional camera and has experience capturing public events. View their website and/or digital folio to see if they can capture what is required. Provide a brief and mood board specific to the event. Where possible arrange a meeting with the photographer to talk through the brief and the requirements. The brief must contain all of these elements:
Provide details of the person preparing the brief and also the contact details for the person on the ground at the event that the photographer will be liaising with.
These include the dates and times that the photographer will be required to shoot the event, key highlights in the event eg main act, competition starting times etc and the deadline for the images to be submitted or supplied.
The quote needs to include any reconnaissance (if required), shooting days, post production and outputs.
A description of the types of images needed. This should include the following points:
- Capture scenes that are unique and relevant to the event.
- Capture a sense of place (ie Sculptures in the Vineyard should show the sculptures set among the vineyard). Images are intended to entice the viewer to the event so they need to show people engaged in the event or activities etc.
- Capture generic details – these can be used with event images to provide further depth and dimension to the event.
- The broader views and landscapes can date from year to year – try to capture viewpoints that don’t include signage or year information if possible.
- Shoot a variety of viewpoints and scenarios. These should be shot in both portrait and landscape format for greater flexibility when used in print and online communications.
- Provide information on how the images will be used. Ideally the images will be used by government, media and tourism trade in all promotional activity including online, print, editorial and advertising.
- The images need to have no restriction on their use (unencumbered) and for use in perpetuity (unlimited period of time).
Capture the mood, colour and atmosphere, make it exciting.
Provide any further details and background of the event not covered under key deadlines including maps, schedules etc.
Images need to be provided at A3 at 300dpi or greater for greater flexibility of use. Images need to be supplied in JPEG or TIF format with any relevant metadata (describe any information relevant to the image including location, event, copyright information) attached to image. Colour space should be Adobe 1998 or greater.
Provide sample images of the types of imagery you want to capture for the photographer to get an understanding of the type of images you want.
Do I need to get consent/permission when publishing photos and videos?
The law treats taking photos or videos in private places or public places differently. In public places you have the right to take a photo unless you do so in a way that is offensive or makes a nuisance to those around you. When an event is taking place at a private place people can enforce rules about photography, so you should consider gaining consent before taking photos and videos. Think about:
- Who might be able to see these photos?
- Is there anyone else in this photo? (be mindful that some people may not want the image published). • Will this photo offend anyone?
- Are there any identifying details in the photo? (including personal information such as a child’s name, landmarks and street signs).
- Event Organiser’s and committees need written consent from parents/carers of a child or young person for any photos or videos before they can be published.