Will Ballarat’s events scene return?

EVENTS are a vital part of Ballarat’s tourism and business economies and without them, the city and its residents are finding themselves having to adapt.

Thanks to stage three COVID-19 restrictions, the list of cancelled and postponed programs grows weekly leaving many wondering if Ballarat’s thriving event industry will survive.

The City of Ballarat events manager Jeff Johnson said due to the limits and dangers associated with people currently gathering in groups, many events are simply cancelling.

“Commercially you can’t run an event without the ticket sales and people attending,” he said.

“Community events are also struggling to maintain the cost and imposition that the COVID restrictions enforce.

“It’s a huge concern for event management and supply companies because we don’t know how long it will be before they can recover.”

Last November, Ballarat held its first Spilt Milk, a national music festival which saw thousands gather in Victoria Park from all around the country to enjoy the offerings.

While it was undoubtedly a success for not only Ballarat but for the whole region, Mr Johnson said it’s unclear when and if the festival will return.

“We are in constant contact with Ryan who is the managing director at Spilt Milk who hasn’t formally said they have cancelled,” he said.

“They are keeping the door open to run something smaller but we will just need to adapt in the future.

“He is keen to come back as early as 2021 if possible as it was extremely successful last year, it’s just hard to say if that’s a possibility.”

In remaining committed to the extensive list of community events including Springfest, Winterfest and Heritage Weekend, the City of Ballarat has resorted to delivering them differently.

Although the municipality has released a series of online offerings in place of these events, Mr Johnson said they are continually evolving their approach to provide engaging content.

“We still want to do something at each of our scheduled events so we are developing different scenarios for each and will monitor where we are in terms of restrictions at the time,” he said.

“Even if it’s grinding slowly, at least we haven’t come to a full standstill.

“If the city stops community events then a lot of other activities will stop as well so that’s why it’s important we stay committed.”

While typically focused on perusing historical buildings throughout the city, this year’s Heritage Weekend was one of the festivals that went online in a series of virtual tours.

Chair of the City of Ballarat’s heritage committee Councillor Samantha McIntosh said it’s up to us as a community to come up with

strategies to continue celebrating Ballarat, no matter the situation.

“Heritage Weekend has proven to us that even with the restrictions, we can be creative and look at opportunities out of the spaces we live,” she said.

“People just loved the Heritage Weekend virtual tours and what I noticed is our community really engaging in the authentic features of Ballarat.

“I now understand the significant impact of the COVID situation so in the future we will have a bit more foresight to plan for a worst-case scenario.”

The much-loved Royal South Street Eisteddfod and Ballarat Show were among the list of events that cancelled their programs to the public.

With South Street said to inject around $8.5 million into the economy annually and the Show welcoming visitors from around the region, these cancellations are set to have major impacts on both the future of these institutions and local business.

The executive officer of the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society Elizabeth van Beek said while the cancellation was disappointing, community wellbeing is the priority.

“The society hopes that local businesses hit hard by COVID-19 will have an opportunity to recoup some revenue in the lead up to the Christmas period,” she said.

While the future of the pandemic remains unclear, residents are eager to see the city’s events return to normal as soon as possible.

When it is safe to gather once again, Mr Johnson said he is sure that our human instinct will be to physically congregate in the forum events and shows.

“Particularly when a vaccine comes we will want to come together again and join in community gatherings and experience the joys of being in large groups,” he said.

“Think of White Night, I think half of the attendees were just walking around enjoying being a part of the town and community.

“Although we’re doing business in a different way now and the events industry may look different, it will come back.”

While hosting in-person programs may not be a possibility, the City of Ballarat’s live music strategy and continual resourcing of community events aims to restore the arts and culture scene to its former glory.

Cr McIntosh said that the key to reinstating our thriving events and tourism industries was to embrace the Ballarat’s natural appeals.

“We’ve learnt how to be really innovative and creative and provide something that uses technology to engage people who maybe can’t come here in person,” she said.

“As the restrictions lift, we have to provide events that are safer while still allowing for the appropriate level of activity.

“Embracing the personality and unique charm of Ballarat is what brings people here and that’s what really sets us apart from other cities.”