Committee pushing for the region’s major events

IT IS AN exciting time to be starting in the key role as chair of Geelong Major Events.

Geelong Major Events (GME) is a one of the City of Greater Geelong’s delegated committees and was established to support the attraction, assistance and funding of major events in our region.

The GME Committee aims to support the development of a broad range of major events in our region, and there has never been a time that I can recall that our city and region has been better placed to play host to the world.

In the coming few years we will finally have in our possession a convention and exhibition centre that will be the envy of regional cities all around Australia.

We have known for many years that we have the capacity to put on big events, but such a facility will only enhance that capability even further.

As chair I will make it my endeavour to ensure we take a strategic view of capitalising on the funding available in the marketplace to help with our aims of attracting major events.

This includes exploring how we can access part of the Victorian government’s $150 million Regional Tourism and Events fund.

One of the objectives of GME is to establish and maintain strong links with the private sector, government and our communities to achieve high levels of stakeholder investment and activity required to realise the events potential of Geelong.

So, looking at how we access this fund – which is made up of $70 million for regional events, $60 million for regional tourism infrastructure and $20 million for tourism marketing – is critical.

An example of how we might benefit from obtaining some of the $60 million on offer for regional tourism infrastructure would be securing the future of the Geelong Motoring and Industrial Museum.

This is a project I have been passionate about for some time because I am proud of our history in this space and believe we should be telling our story to the world.

We already welcome so many people here each year for major events such as the Vic Open, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the Festival of Sails, the Avalon International Air Show (biannually), T20 cricket and the National Celtic Festival.

But we have the potential to go bigger and better with the right approach and by targeting events as well as developing our own.

In that regard, I would love to see us develop an Indigenous based event of national and even international significance.

We are proud of our Indigenous heritage and celebrate this component of our history well, but there should be nothing stopping us from being bold and wanting to play host to events that attract largescale crowds and provide major economic benefits to our region.

Another of the GME objectives is to stimulate and encourage events that offer the best opportunity to provide measurable economic benefits, help to market Geelong outside the municipality and enhance local community life through participation of residents.

As chair of this vital committee I will be doing everything I can to help GME achieve these aims.

Anthony Aitken

Deputy Mayor,

City of Greater Geelong