MEMBER for Northern Tablelands and Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall is calling for organisers of any new local events planned to be held between January to June next year, to apply for grants from the State Government of up to $20,000 to help attract more visitors and boost local economies.
Mr Marshall said the 2019 Incubator Event Fund offered annual grants to events in rural and regional NSW to assist in areas such as marketing, public relations, venue hire and attendee research.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for the event owners in our region who need extra support to help their event get off the ground or help it grow into something bigger,” Mr Marshall said.
“The funding grant will assist in attracting more overnight visitors to our region, in the hope they stay longer and spend more time exploring everything our communities have to offer.”
“The Chill ‘n’ Glen Festival and the Outlander Outlandish festival, both in Glen Innes, were funded in the previous round, helping to attract more overnight visitors and as a result, stimulating the local economy.”
Mr Marshall said since announcing the expanded Regional Flagship Events Program in 2016, the NSW Government had provided support to almost 60 events through the Incubator Event Fund.
“The government is determined to turbocharge our State’s tourism sector so that every part of NSW reaps the benefits of our record $43 million investment in rural and regional tourism,” Mr Marshall said.
“We are committed to supporting more activity across our regions because when people visit, they stay in local accommodation, buy from local shops and eat at local restaurants and cafes, putting more tourist dollars in the pockets of local businesspeople and creating more jobs.
“I encourage even organisers to take advantage of this opportunity and get their applications filled out and submitted.”
The 2019 Incubator Event Fund is available to organisers staging an event for the first or second time. Applications are now open and close on 4 November 2018. For more information and to apply, visit www.destinationnsw.com.au/rfep