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Katie Woolf spoke with NTMEC CEO Tim Watsford on the Supercars weekend · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf thanks to Joyce Main Dowin
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Homes on Stuart Highway, Bear Mart. We know that it
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: was a massive weekend at the track. The Supercars absolutely
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: went off and joining us on the line to tell
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  Speaker 1: us more is the CEO of vent Major Events, Tim Watsford.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 3: How are you going pretty well?
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  Speaker 1: Mate?
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  Speaker 3: Probably better than you, less exhausted than you. How are
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: you feeling No, We're good.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. We had a really great weekend. The people really
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  Speaker 2: turned out and drove and Kidden Valley with a great success.
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  Speaker 2: We had a lot of fun. So another one put
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  Speaker 2: to bed and now we look forward to know what
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  Speaker 2: twenty two brings.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely now how many people did we end up with
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  Speaker 1: out at the Supercars.
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  Speaker 2: We ended up having thirty eight thousand, one hundred and
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  Speaker 2: thirty one people through, which is the biggest crowd since
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  Speaker 2: twenty seventeen and a really good, really good outcome for
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  Speaker 2: us was that was the biggest Friday of the Supercars
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  Speaker 2: history to date over twenty four year period, a bit
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  Speaker 2: over ten thousand people came through for Friday to watch
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  Speaker 2: to watch practice sessions and the drag racing on Friday
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  Speaker 2: and really followed through for the weekend, so look we're
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  Speaker 2: back to Yeah, we're back to really where we were,
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  Speaker 2: and considering that Melbourne is a hotspot and we did
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  Speaker 2: lose a few people through there, that result is resounding.
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  Speaker 1: It really is good on you guys. Well done to
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  Speaker 1: you know, to yourself and the whole team, because that's
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  Speaker 1: an enormous number when you consider what we've all been
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  Speaker 1: through over the last you know, eighteen months, it's quite
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  Speaker 1: phenomenal to think that we were still able to have
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  Speaker 1: thirty eight, one hundred and thirty people there at the track.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it is, and full credit to the guys. I
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  Speaker 2: have the perity of working with major events. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we rolled through from Park More and the base into supercars,
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  Speaker 2: so there's a few weary eyes around the moment, but
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  Speaker 2: the fact that you know that's that's not record crowds
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  Speaker 2: for supercars, but definitely for Parts More and based in
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  Speaker 2: the Grass it was and relatively up there for supercars.
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  Speaker 2: It's been a big year and the team we've got
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  Speaker 2: around us a pretty special, special bunch of people. So
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  Speaker 2: it's now looking towards what we can do to go
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  Speaker 2: over and better for twenty twenty two now and then
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  Speaker 2: we're all pretty excited about it. One day after we
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  Speaker 2: just picked up this year.
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  Speaker 1: Hey, what do you attribute in those additional people at
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  Speaker 1: the track on Friday too? Do you reckon it was
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  Speaker 1: the drags on Friday night?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so. Came from a bit of a
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  Speaker 2: resolution a couple of years back. To be honest, COVID
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  Speaker 2: gotten away for twenty twenty, but we wanted to do
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  Speaker 2: the drag racing as part of the Superpercause program. For
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  Speaker 2: a number of years, there was a really successful triple
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  Speaker 2: challenge they called it in Iron Park for those that
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  Speaker 2: know New South Wales racing venues in the early nineties
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  Speaker 2: that had the superbikes, supercars and drag racing all going
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  Speaker 2: on and it was incredibly successful. So we thought, hang on,
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  Speaker 2: let's try and revive that in the top end, utilize
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  Speaker 2: what we've got with Nitro up north and see what
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  Speaker 2: we can do. And they came out the place was
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  Speaker 2: the place is packed, literally bump at a bumper on
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  Speaker 2: Friday night. So that's really given us foods of thought
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  Speaker 2: to see where we can leverage those traveling fan bases.
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  Speaker 2: There's a lot of them that support drag racing, believe
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  Speaker 2: it or not. And they came out and had a
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  Speaker 2: great time and it's pretty it's pretty amazing actually to
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  Speaker 2: watch it. I was I was blowing away myself.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I reckon it would be.
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  Speaker 1: And and there was a couple of crashes with the
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  Speaker 1: drags as well, wasn't there.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah there was. There was an unfortunately no injuries, but yeah,
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  Speaker 2: there was. There was a couple of track the couple
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  Speaker 2: of crashes, sorry one was one was a bit more
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  Speaker 2: intense than others. And that's that's part of the sport
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  Speaker 2: we've got. We've got a great group of people around
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  Speaker 2: the Drag Racing Association that comes up and oxycus his
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  Speaker 2: hand from a sport perspective, and they ran they ran
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  Speaker 2: a really really good ship, to be honest. So obviously
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  Speaker 2: crashes are part of racing and lucky, luckily no one's
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  Speaker 2: hurt over Friday all the weekend that it was a
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  Speaker 2: really good result.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, Hey, then the races on Saturday and Sunday,
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  Speaker 1: it just went off, didn't it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. Big. And the appreciate I appreciation I have for
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  Speaker 2: the super bike riders now is amazing, Like those guys
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  Speaker 2: are crazy. What they do on bikes is phenomenal. Coupled
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  Speaker 2: with really good a really good on track racing. Obviously
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  Speaker 2: the Saturday Saturday had a bit of a stack at
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  Speaker 2: the first turn for the supercars, which was which kind
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  Speaker 2: of gave the race a bit of a kick along.
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  Speaker 2: And from what I've heard, I haven't got this officially.
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  Speaker 2: That look, the freeware broadcast numbers were well and truly
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  Speaker 2: up on Saturday, which means I think yesterday would have
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: been well and truly up as well. So one and
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  Speaker 2: was up in headlights over the weekend on national perspective
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  Speaker 2: as well, and once again full credit to the team.
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  Speaker 2: The venue looked amazing, so it's for the best I've
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  Speaker 2: seen it and sometimes as well. So I didn't really
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  Speaker 2: really really came to last.
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  Speaker 3: And how did how did the concert on Saturday night go?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? Good? It was good. It was a ballpark music
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  Speaker 2: and our locals here in Draft Day and Bernard Fanning,
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  Speaker 2: as the headlines I to speak, had had a really
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  Speaker 2: good vite. It was a really really cruisy, family community
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  Speaker 2: vibe to it, and it was good to see a
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  Speaker 2: lot of kids stick around and listen to Bernard Fanning
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  Speaker 2: play play some of his new stuff and obviously some
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  Speaker 2: of the old tracks in Powder Fingers so it's that
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  Speaker 2: the concert is a lot of fun for this event.
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  Speaker 2: And I can say that who tried a few different
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  Speaker 2: remedies over the years, a different artists and different demographics.
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  Speaker 2: And to say that, you know, people were leaving Saturday
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  Speaker 2: with smiles on their faces after a relatively he should
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  Speaker 2: be big day and we open gates at seven am,
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  Speaker 2: so when they're leaving it at eight on nine at
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  Speaker 2: o'clock at night, it's a long day. But yeah, little
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  Speaker 2: little incidents, a lot of fun. And yeah, cat wit
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  Speaker 2: to get stuck in now and see what so it
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  Speaker 2: next year holds well And.
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  Speaker 1: I'll ask you in a second about Territory Day because
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: that's coming up very quickly as well. But what do
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  Speaker 1: you know? I like how things looking. I guess you
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  Speaker 1: know for next year. It's very early days when it
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  Speaker 1: comes to the supercars, given that it just ended yesterday.
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  Speaker 3: But you know, what are you thinking for next year?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? I think we we're going to keep to feed
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  Speaker 2: on the pedals cut in the pun, but there's definitely
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  Speaker 2: room for growth. We think there's a couple of ideas
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  Speaker 2: that have spilled out over the weekend and stuff that
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  Speaker 2: ought to put in train that we would have liked
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  Speaker 2: to put in trains for this year. Just COVID obviously
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  Speaker 2: was what put us back. So I'll have some conversations
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  Speaker 2: this week with our friends at Most Sports Australia and
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  Speaker 2: the guys in particularly from a drag Racing com partner,
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  Speaker 2: it wouldn't mind trying to see where see where that
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  Speaker 2: goes into the future. That was that was literally much
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: better than I thought it would go. And for more
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  Speaker 2: reports that the supercar, the superbikes want to want to
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  Speaker 2: try and type to do a little bit more as well.
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  Speaker 2: So look from it, I think we'll aim at at
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  Speaker 2: a bigger program. To be honest, we want to try
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  Speaker 2: and go bigger and better. This has definitely got room
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  Speaker 2: for growth. We are a we are an event that's
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  Speaker 2: on the rise. And what what we'll bring next year,
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  Speaker 2: which is which is a really significant part and point
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  Speaker 2: of difference is will be there will be the official
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  Speaker 2: indigenous round for the supercars going forward. So the teams, teams, officials,
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  Speaker 2: supercars themselves are all behind this initiative. We've got We've
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  Speaker 2: got Trent Lee local Aricia that's produced a pretty special
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  Speaker 2: piece of artwork for us that will be that will
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  Speaker 2: be adapted into logos and cars and helmets and race
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  Speaker 2: suits and everything next year, and and we really want
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  Speaker 2: to try and celebrate our indigenous culture here in the
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  Speaker 2: top end. So that's a that's a pretty special piece
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  Speaker 2: for the supercars guys to get behind, and we're really
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  Speaker 2: happy to anounce that.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's really good. That is that is a great
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  Speaker 1: thing to do. Hey, yeah, are the Drags going to
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  Speaker 1: be bad you.
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  Speaker 3: Reckon for next year?
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  Speaker 1: Given the fact that they have been more successful than
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  Speaker 1: what we'd maybe thought.
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  Speaker 2: I hope, So, I hope. So I can't I can't say.
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  Speaker 2: I can't say that hand on heart of the moment.
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  Speaker 2: But look, I openly speaking where we really came to
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  Speaker 2: work with them going forward. They bring a really really
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  Speaker 2: good program and really diverse crowd that comes along with
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  Speaker 2: them as well. That there were people that specifically came
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  Speaker 2: for the Drags, which is which good. So we want
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  Speaker 2: to try and we're want to try and put them
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  Speaker 2: back into the card for next year for sure, nothing
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  Speaker 2: official yet.
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  Speaker 3: That's where towards Hey, Tim, we know that it's not
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  Speaker 3: far away now.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: Territory Day. You guys never stopped there at major events.
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  Speaker 1: How are you going organization wise for Territory Day.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, the guy's doing well. We've obviously got the four
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  Speaker 2: signature events from right across the territory. Alice brings ten
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  Speaker 2: and Creek catterin up here on the top end. And look,
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  Speaker 2: I'm from a from a pure punter's perspective, I'm seeing
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  Speaker 2: the signs gup all around town now where we did
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  Speaker 2: it by their fireworks, so we know it's definitely upon us.
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  Speaker 2: So next Thursday, you know there's going to be our
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  Speaker 2: guys sprinkled right across the two aty putting together some
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  Speaker 2: signature events. And then there's the seventeen locations that people
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  Speaker 2: can get out and see some fireworks and a bit
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  Speaker 2: of local community pieces as well. So look, it's it's definitely,
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  Speaker 2: it's definitely busy. I'll judge me. The tip kat looking
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: forward to the ly too at this point in time.
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  Speaker 2: But it's a lot of fun as well. Right, We've
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  Speaker 2: we missed out on on on blowing stuff up so
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  Speaker 2: to speak, last year, and we're looking to see, you know,
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  Speaker 2: some great fireworks but also some entertainment. Look, the pop
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: up time Machine does a does an amazing job here
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  Speaker 2: in Darwin as well as as well as ESKIMJ. So
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  Speaker 2: it's it's gonna be a lot of fun down at
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  Speaker 2: middle markets. The guys will the guys will push on
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  Speaker 2: and get that prepped up and you can't wait to
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  Speaker 2: cant wait to July one to roll around and celebrate
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: another fantastic territory Day.
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: Mate, what happens after Territory Day? Do you have a
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: shandy and a laydown?
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: I think I might. What do you say a shandy?
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: In events? But now look we've we've got we've got
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: a We're well and trillly into our grant round funding.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: So what we'll do is we'll support our events throughout
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: the dry season, our friends at Darance Festival as well.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: I've definitely been a toun for down Festival, but we'll
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: love support and then from a from a promoted perspective,
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: our next our next tap off the rank is Red
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: Center and acts in the of August. So look, there
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: is a bit of a breeder from the operational guys,
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: marketing and comms and whatnot. Will will continue to put
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: to put the heat on and really try to capitalize
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: on what we have here. We're in a really really
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: in a special spark. Part of the part of the world.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: I'm going to say, we will want to try and
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: sell this to as many people as we can while
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: we can. And I guess the events and events and
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: festivals are really are a conversion item now for tourism.
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: We know that we we can see that. You can
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: see what based on the grass and supercars have done
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: over the past couple of months for the city. I've heard,
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: I've heard anecdotally that Thursday night was incredibly busy through
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: through Mitchell Street in particular. So we want to try
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: and really, you know, really work with our suppliers and
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: industry and try to grow these events, to make them
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: mistaple and a part of the part of their coming
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: going forward, because you wonder how important they are. And
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: we'll try and try to make July July sing And
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: then yeah, they were down in the Red Center to
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: close it all up, rent out of apps.
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: And Tim do you reckon that?
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: Really this represents a new way for us to market
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: the Northern territory.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: I'm going to say that, yeah under scent and I
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: think if if if we can put on events that
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: drives people from from right across the country, they're going
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: to stick around. I was just having a coffee across
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: the road this morning and a couple of drag guys
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: from an official perspective here for ten days they're going
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: down through Atackadoo and doing which field and it is
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: it is events are a trigger of conversion for tourism
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: and that's that's proven. So you know, if we can
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: get someone to come up to supercars and love it
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: and fall and love look, they might have stick around
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: and moved here. Same goes for the base of the
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: grass and same goes for reds down through the through
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: the central Australian area. So I think if if we
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: can keep doing what we're doing and putting on a
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: national scale, yes we're getting some mere time from a
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: broad from a broadcasting and advertising perspective, but yeah, the
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: tourism now comes at are falling out the back of
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: these events now is amazing. So now's the time to shine,
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: is my view. Leading as hard as we can for
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, and you know, hopefully
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: hopefully we're back and bigger and really trying to fill
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: that toid that the last couple of years have left
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: and territories time to shine.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: In my view, Well, Tim, good on you and your
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: whole teammate. Fantastic event on the weekend and we'll get
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: through Territory Day. It's going to be a cracking event,
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: pardon the pun, and then you'll be able.
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: To have a bit of a race.
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: On you. Thank you Tim Wat's for there, the CEO
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: of in Team Major Events, and I tell you what,
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: it's been such a fantastic time around the territory on Thursday.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: Just being down there at the waterfront for that driver's signing,
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: it was phenomenal to see the number of tourists around
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: the place. Fantastic to see and I think that we
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: are all enjoying seeing the Northern Territory and indeed, you
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: know Dar and absolutely a buzz