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Katie Woolf spoke with NTMEC CEO Tim Watsford about BASSINTHEGRASS and the impact on Tourism · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf thanks to Joyce Main Darwin
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Homes own Stuart Highway, Berimar.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: Well, I tell you what, it was such a busy weekend.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: There is no doubt about that. Thousands of people turned
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: out for Basing the Grass over the weekend and from
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: all accounts it was an awesome event and from what
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: I can hear, people were pretty well behaved. Joining me
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: in the studio to tell us a bit more is
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: the CEO of NT Major Events, Tim Watsford.
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: Good morning, morning, Katie.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: How are you good mate? How are you feeling today? Yeah?
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, really good. We're over the moon. What a weekend
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: that's been.
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  Speaker 2: I reckon what were the official numbers?
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: In the end, we had fourteen thousand and three, which
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: was good. So everyone that effectively bought a ticket showed up.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: It was I guess I had the hottest tickets in
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: town so to speak. Literally, so no, everyone shot up
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  Speaker 1: and everyone really behaved themselves, really really well. And I
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: think I think we're a talk of not only the town,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: the country, but probably the world at the moment, which
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: is amazing.
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  Speaker 2: Is this the biggest music event that's happened really since COVID.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: I'm trying.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: I'm trying to get those data, but I think it
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: is yes, like in fourteen thousand in terms of there
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: were restrictions obviously in place from a COVID perspective, but
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: to get to somewhat normality since COVID, I think we're
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  Speaker 1: the first off the block.
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  Speaker 2: Mate, How does that make you and the team feel?
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: I work with an amazing group, to be honest, Katie,
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: and watching them put on what they did on Saturday,
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  Speaker 1: and it's look, it started on Monday, to be honest.
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  Speaker 1: We had had reefers and stages and audio going in
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: from last Monday and they were there late last night
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  Speaker 1: with Bouseka performing at the markets. And to kind of
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: sit back and watch what they do and deliver it
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: almost brings you to your knees. But no, it was
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  Speaker 1: a big feather in the cap for Northern Territory major events.
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  Speaker 3: That's for sure.
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  Speaker 2: Good on you guys, and good on the whole team
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  Speaker 2: because I know it takes so much. It does take
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: so much hard work to put something like this on.
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  Speaker 2: But then when you talk about it being in the
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: COVID times that we're currently in and those additional measures
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: that need to be put into place, It's an incredibly
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: difficult thing to do. And I think the fact that
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: the territory has been put on the map in this
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: way is wonderful for us.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it is, and thank you for the words.
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  Speaker 1: And I think there's a level of anxiety pre COVID
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: going into an event.
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  Speaker 3: Being an event.
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  Speaker 1: Manager, you go and overlay a pandemic with that and
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  Speaker 1: it goes up one notch again. So look, I've just
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: had a text from a made in Singapore that they've
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: just gone back in the lockdown for four weeks. So
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: you kind of go, oh, wow, we're lucky to do
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  Speaker 1: what we do on Saturday and bring somewhat of an
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: normality back and and eight thousand of those winners status,
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  Speaker 1: So they're chasing it. They chasing the time to get
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: back where we were and glad.
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: To put it on.
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  Speaker 2: I want to talk a little bit more about those
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: interstate visitors in a moment, but let's just talk briefly
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  Speaker 2: about whether there were any issues with anything, any concerns,
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  Speaker 2: you know, any erase or anything like that.
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  Speaker 1: Look, we had a handful of people that decided to
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: do the wrong things, so to speak. But look, in comparison,
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  Speaker 1: I think it was under ten or something like it.
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  Speaker 1: It was nothing from a from a treated perspective as well,
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  Speaker 1: very very little based on fourteen thousand. I mentioned this
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: morning on Are on another station as well that it's
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  Speaker 1: in comparison to a Saturday night at a nightclub in Sydney,
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  Speaker 1: you know, like that's where.
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  Speaker 3: We were and very very pleasing.
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  Speaker 1: We had a variety of steps in place, whether it
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: be dance wise, the National Critical Care guys on standby,
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: huge engagement with Northern Churchy Police and big thank you
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: to them. They were very transparent and working through us
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  Speaker 1: the challenges that come into a major event like this
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  Speaker 1: and to come out with literally next to nothing was amazing.
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  Speaker 2: Now, as you mentioned about eight thousand interstate visitors, I
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  Speaker 2: mean you could see them when you walk down the
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  Speaker 2: street on Friday. There was minimally dressed some of them,
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  Speaker 2: but you could see, you know, you could certainly spot
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  Speaker 2: to surround the place when you walk down the street
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  Speaker 2: on Friday and all over the weekend. It was an
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  Speaker 2: incredibly busy place to be talk us through really what
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: kind of impact that then has on the wider community.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, look it does, and I.
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  Speaker 1: Think I've mentioned before and where we're really trying to
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: kind of see the message that events do drive conversion.
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  Speaker 1: So what I mean by that is if you're thinking
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: about coming to Darwin and you know, you might keep
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: putting it off and you don't know why, and then
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: you go, oh wow, there's based on the grass and
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: that's the trigger to book your ticket, so to speak.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: That's what we want to do. So eight thousand people
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  Speaker 1: did that. Couldn't get a hotel room throughout last week,
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  Speaker 1: and I think I think they're starting to free up now.
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  Speaker 1: But look literally into August now, I think we're pretty busy.
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  Speaker 1: Look from a perspective more broadly, we had Booseeker performed
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: down with the markets last night. It was a bit
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  Speaker 1: of additional and the reports coming through that you know,
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  Speaker 1: some stores sold out of food. Now you would have
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  Speaker 1: thought middle markets are pretty well prepared for any occasion,
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  Speaker 1: and the fact that they were selling out is testament
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: to kind of the people that are in town and
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  Speaker 1: what they're doing for the community. Yes, there were some
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: very scantily clad people around the town over the weekend, Katie,
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  Speaker 1: which I'd learned some things, to be honest, But now, look,
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  Speaker 1: that's what we want to do, and that's what we're
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: trying to do. Now we're into supercars and the guys
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: over at Darwin Cup Carnival as well into August and
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  Speaker 1: Dawn Fest of all are going to see I assume
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  Speaker 1: the same numbers that kind of we're seeing through the town.
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  Speaker 3: So look, it's an amazing step.
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  Speaker 1: We've got to keep our feet on the pedals now
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  Speaker 1: and make sure that when we do hit our low
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: season in September that you know, we're doing everything we
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: can to keep that sustainability up.
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  Speaker 3: And they're obviously into twenty twenty two.
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  Speaker 2: Do we have any idea how much money we believe
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: that an event like Base in the Grass brings into
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  Speaker 2: the community.
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  Speaker 3: At the moment. No, we'll do a full We do
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: full research across all our events. Now.
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  Speaker 1: We want to try and make sure that we measure
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  Speaker 1: and particularly from an eternal investment, there is government dollars
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: or tax paid dollars that go into events like this.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: But look, Ballpark, we're well north of twelve million old
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: suggests at this point in time, and my team would
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: cheat me for saying that, but I'm suggesting we're going
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: to be announcing a lot more than that for this
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: event and what it's brought to the territory. Now you
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: put that all together and it's in a significant shot
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: economically for the territory. And that's what events and tourism do.
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: I mean, when you look at it that way, and
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: when you talk about major events here in the Northern
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: Territory and the number of people we've seen here, do
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  Speaker 2: you think that this is a new way for us
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: to look at tourism.
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  Speaker 3: I really hope.
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  Speaker 2: So.
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  Speaker 1: Look, I'll be honest. I've been here three years now,
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  Speaker 1: and the discussion I had with my board through the
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: interview process was events drive conversion. And you know, we
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: went on a really strategic view to try and cement
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: that and the turbo charging stimulus over the past couple
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: of years of help us get to where we are.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: We need to really try and maintain that and the
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  Speaker 1: support of my board in particular around really a growth
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  Speaker 1: mindset or a commercial mindset is working. And I think
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  Speaker 1: we said this, you know, to Minister Moss a while
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  Speaker 1: ago around this is what we wanted to this is
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  Speaker 1: what we want to do and achieve. And I was
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  Speaker 1: happy enough to chat to her on Saturday and say,
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  Speaker 1: you know, kind of look what we built and we
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  Speaker 1: went for it. Three years ago. So look, one hundred percent,
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  Speaker 1: and I think if we look at anywhere around the
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  Speaker 1: country at the moment, whether it be the Melbourne Cup, Carnival,
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Grand Finals, Formula Ones, whatever it is, people go to
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: those events and people fill up hotel rooms and they
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  Speaker 1: spend money in the bars, and you know, they blow
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: out the middle markets from a Sunday afternoon. So look,
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  Speaker 1: I'll be saying it as loud as I possibly can,
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  Speaker 1: but look, I think it's proof was in the putting
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: on Saturday.
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  Speaker 2: Well, and this is the thing. We've got some amazing events,
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  Speaker 2: you know, whether you're talking about sporting events like the supercars,
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  Speaker 2: whether you're talking about Basing the Grass, the dull And Festival,
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  Speaker 2: the Aboriginal Art Fair, some really different sort of different
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  Speaker 2: types of events that cater for everybody. And then you go,
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  Speaker 2: if you can get people here to go to those event,
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: then they go out and spend some time at Litchfield,
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  Speaker 2: spend some money in our local restaurants. It can only
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: be a good thing.
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  Speaker 1: Look, and you're dead right, and I go one step further.
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  Speaker 1: We've got a major events which are pillar events, like
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: you said, Darn Festival Dale carp based in the grass.
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  Speaker 1: But then We've got literally over eighty or ninety community events.
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  Speaker 1: And I say community, but events that can drive tourism
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: or get people to stay around. So they might say, look,
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: we're going to come up for the supercars, but they
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: might stick with what. They might go, Oh, what the
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: Greek length is the weekend after? So you know, we
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: might do a week in Kakado and a couple of
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: days in Litchfield and we'll come back and we'll do
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: the Greek Lent of the day after. And that's that's
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: what we're trying to do. We're really trying to form
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: an annual calendar. We've got some work to do in
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: the off season, I'll be honest, but we were trying
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: to draw an annual calendar. That's that our events will
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  Speaker 1: trigger time to stick around and really see the territory.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: And based on you know, Singapore going into lockdown in
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: four weeks, I think I think now's our time to
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: really pin the ears back, have a crack and run
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  Speaker 1: up the gap, so to speak.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree with you, Tim. What's next. We've got supercars.
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: We have supercars in about four or five weeks. That's
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: that's literally going to be biggest one we've done too.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: From a programming perspective, drag racing, superbikes and supercars, we
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: call it the Triple Crown, which is the Triple Challenge
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: as well. The guys are talking from motorsport perspective. Bernard
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Fanning headlining on the Saturday night as well, which is
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: which is going to be big. Then Territory Day, the
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: guys are going to back it up a week later
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: and deliver seventeen I guess fireworks and shows around the
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: territory to celebrate our great territory. And then and then
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: it's in the kind of the busy season with helping
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: the guys out at the darn festival and yeah do
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: and cup.
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: And I'll be enjoying that one, to be honest. And
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: then we'll finish up down in Red Center and that's
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: in start of September. Oh well, good on you all.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: A big congratulations to you and all of your wonderful team.
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: I was talking to one of them yesterday and she
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: suggested that there might be a new term rather than
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: jet lagged, event lagged.
• 8:49
  Speaker 3: I'm feeling it. It works, I reckon.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: So you all need a well, we wait till the
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: supercars are over, and then you'll be able to have
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: a bit of a relax. Good on you, thanks so
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: much to your time this morning, Tim, and and well
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: done to your whole team.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: Thanks Katie, thank you.
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: You are listening to Mix one oh four point nine's
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: three sixty and that was the NT Major Events CEO there,
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: Tim Watsford