Welcome to this week’s update

MEA Awards program

The MEA awards program appears to be struggling to make a comeback after COVID.

NSW is always the strongest state in the MEA awards program but this week’s presentation saw an underwhelming list of winners with many of the 37 award categories not contested. I’ve heard that the Victorian awards was similarly underrepresented.

Let’s hope the membership bounces back to support this program that has been running for over 30 years and has recognised many outstanding companies, people and events.

There are a total of 37 award categories up for grabs at the national conference next month.

MEA NSW state awards presentation

I’ve received quite a bit of feedback on this article – what are your thoughts?

Now we have a Business Events Association – what about the rest of the event industry?

This month marks two significant 50 year milestones

The 1973 Aquarius Festival in Nimbin marked the birth of the alternative festival industry and launched Johnny Allen’s career in event management.

I recommend this article by Heath Gilmore: Was Grandma tripping on acid at Aquarius? – SMH

The Aquarius Festival also marked the start of the Welcome to Country tradition at events

How a 50-year-old hippie festival sparked the Welcome to Country phenomenon – SMH

In interviewed Johnny Allen as part of my 2020 Podcast Project

In 1973 Roslyn McLeod started Tour Hosts – now Arinex. Ros and the current CEO Nicole Walker celebrated with clients and suppliers in Sydney last week

Arinex unveils new brand at 50th anniversary event

I also interviewed Ros as part of the 2020 Podcast Project

And there is a wonderful history of Tour Host / Arinex on their website

Celebrating 50 Years: A look at Arinex milestones

ICYMI

Two massive events in England in two weeks

Hessians on the Field Competition attracts celebrity judges at Robertson Potato Festival

Snippets

Uluṟu drones – more than ‘clip art in the sky’ – Arts Hub

Drone shows as arts performances have become a growing trend globally. Today, they are a regular at international festivals, with a number of permanent drone shows starting to pop up. Most of them are splashy spectaculars, seasonal or indoor shows using on average a maximum of 200 to 600 drones.

The tipping factor here is largely the technology developed to support the delivery of Wintjiri Wiṟu, in particular a platform of homing boxes that cool and charge the 1000 drones in the quick inter-show period, to be able to offer two nightly shows at scale. They will drive cultural tourism over a five-year lease term.  

Rising costs hit Australia’s performing arts sector

Interesting conversation on ABC RN with Fiona Allen, CEO Opera Australia; Mitch Wilson, Australian Festival Association and Sophie Lampel, Co Artistic Director Essential Theatre on the costs of running live arts events. A number of music festivals have not come back after COVID shut them down. The guests pointed to production costs that have risen by up to 40%, labour shortages and unreliable airlines.