Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / NT Events CEO Tim Watsford says the record breaking Bass in the Grass was a big success

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NT Events CEO Tim Watsford says the record breaking Bass in the Grass was a big success · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well did you head along to Base in the Grass.
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  Speaker 1: It was an absolute cracker from what I'm told thousands
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: of party goers or festival goers I should say turning out.
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  Speaker 1: I think it was close to sixteen thousand. But joining
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  Speaker 1: us on the line right now to tell us more
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  Speaker 1: is Tim Watsford, the CEO of NTA Major Events. Good
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  Speaker 1: morning to you, Timkatie. How are you very well mate?
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  Speaker 1: How many people ended up at Basing the Grass on
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  Speaker 1: the weekend?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, we had a tick under sixteen thousand. I think
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  Speaker 2: their final the final entry count was fifteen eight five eight,
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  Speaker 2: I think it was. I came through and enjoyed everything
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  Speaker 2: that we threw at it.
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  Speaker 3: It was a day my boat of the thing straight.
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  Speaker 1: But yes, truct good time time, I bet you did.
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  Speaker 1: How did it all go? From?
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  Speaker 2: You know?
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  Speaker 1: From that management perspective, it sounds like was that the
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  Speaker 1: biggest crowd we've ever.
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  Speaker 3: Had, ever had? So we went we had at fourteen
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  Speaker 3: thousand last year.
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  Speaker 2: From the tumble beginnings in the Amphitheater to now putting
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  Speaker 2: close to sixteen thousand through that venue is quite an achievement.
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  Speaker 2: But look it went. It went brilliantly operationally. Thanks to
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  Speaker 2: everyone that came out and effectively behaved themselves in its
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  Speaker 2: purest form. We had minor, minor incidents. It was hot
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  Speaker 2: like it was hot, and the guys are in there
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  Speaker 2: early doing what they do big thanks to all our
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  Speaker 2: emergency services including St. John's and the guys at the trauma, so.
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  Speaker 3: We didn't have many presentations at all.
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  Speaker 2: Everyone was really really well behaved and enjoyed everything that
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  Speaker 2: we did for.
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  Speaker 3: Over twelve hours. It was unbelievable, so much fun.
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  Speaker 1: What was some of the highlights from the day.
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  Speaker 3: It has to be activating the beach.
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  Speaker 2: Not many places in the world can you effectively now
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  Speaker 2: boogie on the beach. So we put a bit of
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  Speaker 2: time into doing a really special welcome to Country with
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  Speaker 2: Richard Fij and the Lead Brothers at Sunset, which is amazing.
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  Speaker 2: It was just spectacular. But then if you come back
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  Speaker 2: inside Hilltop Woods just they just keep doing it getting older.
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  Speaker 2: But jus a comparty, so plenty of guys. Plenty of
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  Speaker 2: guys came to that stage and then all the activations
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  Speaker 2: through you can get a haircut, all.
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  Speaker 3: The the dazzling stuff they do so on on disco went off.
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  Speaker 2: The literally the whole festival experience you mentioned partygoers at
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  Speaker 2: the start, and they then correct itself at festival. It
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  Speaker 2: is a festival. It's a true festival. People get out
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  Speaker 2: and just enjoy the day. And it was pretty special
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  Speaker 2: to do what we did.
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  Speaker 1: Oh how wonderful. Do you have any idea how many
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  Speaker 1: people were here from other states?
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  Speaker 2: And teret trace good question. So we've definitely had over
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  Speaker 2: seven thousand tickets purchased, so we know that by linking
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  Speaker 2: it to where their postcode comes from. But look in
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  Speaker 2: saying that we're going to go to our research now
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  Speaker 2: and are doing our research around how many how many
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  Speaker 2: locals have bought for a friend, Because I can hand
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  Speaker 2: on heart, I can say that we're probably up there
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  Speaker 2: mid eight's. Maybe nine thousand people came from in the state.
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  Speaker 2: They were everywhere there was. It was such a such
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  Speaker 2: a big drawing crowd from right across the country. A
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  Speaker 2: lot of people I spoke to from from all corners,
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: a lot, a lot out of w A actually, which
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  Speaker 2: is which is good. But I think anyone that saw
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: the city over the weekend as well noticed the sudden
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: influx of party revelers or festival goers that that joined
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  Speaker 2: us over the weekend.
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  Speaker 3: But big hit and a big economic driver as well.
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  Speaker 2: They spend a lot too when they come, So the
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  Speaker 2: event's doing what it's doing.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I was going to say, what does it mean,
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  Speaker 1: you know, when you when you look at the economic
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  Speaker 1: activity then for the rest of Darwin, when you've got
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  Speaker 1: such a large number of people here and plenty of
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  Speaker 1: them from interstate, what does it mean for Darwin in
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  Speaker 1: terms of those economic drivers.
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: That's and that's that's what we're trying to do here.
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  Speaker 2: And I think since I since I've been in the
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  Speaker 2: chair Katie for the last four years, I mean, I'm
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  Speaker 2: really trying to say that events are a catalyst for conversion.
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  Speaker 2: So to get those tourists up here, what's that trigger point?
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  Speaker 2: To get them on a plane and based in the grass?
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  Speaker 3: Is that trigger? So I've heard stories.
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  Speaker 2: Around people now sticking around doing kakado. We're going to
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  Speaker 2: drive back down through the center on their way back
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  Speaker 2: to Adelaide. It's stilling, hostel rooms, restaurants, the whole works.
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  Speaker 2: We've got to work now with industry to make sure
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  Speaker 2: that that's a sustainable long term. I guess time and
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  Speaker 2: the diary that people can plan and book ahead. But
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  Speaker 2: we had we had a we had a really great
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  Speaker 2: Travello partnership, and so a travel package was put on
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  Speaker 2: that you could get a VIP ticket and then go
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  Speaker 2: on a boat yesterday and do the site. So we'll
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  Speaker 2: start developing those offerings with industry now from a tourism perspective.
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  Speaker 2: But look, I guess from literally Thursday night through to
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  Speaker 2: through to today have packed and even going down to
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  Speaker 2: watch the Dregs play at Mindle Markets last night, there
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  Speaker 2: were there were people with their bags packed ready to
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  Speaker 2: get back on the plane last night. So they've spent
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  Speaker 2: all yesterday and hanging around and dropping their hard earned
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  Speaker 2: in town. So they're significant, significant times for the town
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  Speaker 2: and I'm glad we're doing what we're doing. Yeah, it's
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  Speaker 2: our partner to develop.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it is good stuff. I'll tell you what as well,
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  Speaker 1: So have I is it right that tickets have already
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  Speaker 1: gone on sale now for next year?
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  Speaker 3: So we have. Yeah, we did it.
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  Speaker 2: We did an early bird sale literally as if you
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  Speaker 2: walk down on the venue on Saturday night at twelve
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  Speaker 2: thirty and cut a couple of beers, you could log
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  Speaker 2: on and buy your ticket. We've only literally got about
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  Speaker 2: one hundred left to be honest, of early bird tickets
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  Speaker 2: so getting quick if you want to grab them for
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  Speaker 2: eighty five bucks.
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  Speaker 3: So that's well over a thousand have already been sold,
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  Speaker 3: which which is pretty spectacic.
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  Speaker 2: We haven't announced their line up yet, so that's a
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  Speaker 2: testament to what people what people witnessed and went through
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: on Saturday.
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  Speaker 3: And look on I think I've said it before. We'll
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  Speaker 3: go bigger again next year.
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  Speaker 2: We just need to need to work out how do
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  Speaker 2: we continue to grow. Middle Beach is only a certain
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: site and we'll want to do that. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: whether we try to activate the Fridays or the Sundays,
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  Speaker 2: let's see what the heaven's now in a wash up.
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  Speaker 2: But yeah, they put me, but you can't smile off
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  Speaker 2: my face, that's for sure.
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  Speaker 1: Well, and mate, you've got a new minister as well,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Paul Kirby just been announced as a new Minister for
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Major Events.
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  Speaker 3: I have just yeah, just got the quadra of the call.
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  Speaker 2: Looking forward to working with Minister Kirby and continuing kind
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: of what we're trying to achieve with it with those
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  Speaker 2: tourism outcomes. So obviously we've we've really enjoyed working with
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: Minister files and today and she's been really supportive in
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  Speaker 2: terms of what we want to do, both from a
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: tourism and a major events perspective. So yeah, let's see if,
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: let's see if we have some fun with curbs.
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  Speaker 1: Now, keep going, well, it's always good to catch up
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  Speaker 1: with you. We'll let you go and rest your voice
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  Speaker 1: for a little while there. Tim watsonth CEO of been
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  Speaker 1: two major events. Thank you for your time.
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  Speaker 3: Good on, Ni Katie.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: Thank you