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Katie Woolf spoke with NTMEC CEO Tim Watsford · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf on Mix one oh four
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: point nine thanks to Joyce main Dar one.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Now we know that we are edging ever so close
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: to the dry season, which means that all of our
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: major events really get underway. And joining us in the
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: studio right now from NT Major Events, it is the.
• 0:17
  Speaker 3: CEO Tim Watsford. Good morning to you.
• 0:20
  Speaker 4: Good morning Katie.
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: How are you very well mate? How are you going? Busy?
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Busy? Yeah, busy busy. We're we're obviously in full steam ahead.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Now we've had a really successful part of mark down
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: through our the springs last week and now it's into
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: I guess game time for a busy dry season ahead.
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: Well literally game time, because we know this weekend is
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: obviously the foot e paramatter Eels taking on the Brisbane Broncos.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: It's going to be a fantastic game, no doubt about it.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Absolutely what to get to kind of kick off Anzac
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  Speaker 1: Day celebrations. So the Eels have launched their special Anzac
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  Speaker 1: Day jersey that will be running around on Tomorrow night,
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  Speaker 1: which is amazing, and they're going to stick around and
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: do the dawn service with us on Sunday. So full
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  Speaker 1: credit to the Eels and the Broncos for coming up
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  Speaker 1: and being a part of dar and further weekend.
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: Oh that's great.
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  Speaker 2: I didn't realize that they was sticking around as well
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: for the whole weekend.
• 1:05
  Speaker 4: Basically, Yeah, absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: I think the traveling continents about one hundred and twenty
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  Speaker 1: of sponsors, players, management, and so there's a big chunk
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: of people go enjoy Darwin over the weekend well, and it's.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: Also wonderful then they get out to all our local
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: venues and stay in our hotel rooms and all that
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: kind of thing.
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  Speaker 3: So it's a good thing for tourism too.
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, that's what we're trying to do obviously, is generate
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: some broader outcomes than just the event and there it
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: was a really really aimed up this year and spending
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: a good amount of time in the territory.
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: What was I going to ask? I was thinking then
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: about something to do with the game.
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: I've lost my train of thoughts, so we'll move along.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: I know that there's been a big announcement this morning
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: as well about the Triple Crown. It's pretty exciting, the
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: Merlin dal and Triple Crown Supercars. It's going to be
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: back to the three day event.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: Back to a three day event. It was really a
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: three day event if we included the Nitro up north
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: for the Friday night that we had penciled in. But yeah,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: the guys are going to come up early and do
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: their practicing with a full track program, so we'll see superbikes,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: supercars and stadium trucks all go around on the Friday
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: in a practice capacity. You hot pass the guys that
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: have bought the tickets already gets you entry to those
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: to that extra day as well. So more content and
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: big thanks for supercars. Obviously everything's quite fluid now in
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: the recovery from COVID.
• 2:14
  Speaker 4: They want to be here longer. We'll have them for longer.
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: Let's make that weekend everything it can be.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: Well, I was going to talk numbers, That's what I
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: was going to ask you about about the footy on
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: the weekend, but I'll do the same as well for
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: the supercars. When we talk numbers in terms of the footy,
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: how many can we now have in TiO Stadium.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: So big thanks to nt Health at the start of
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: the week where we're allowed to effectively have one hundred
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: percent capacity, which is amazing, so that I think it's
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: just a bit north of twelve thousand tickets that effectively
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: or people within the venue can be contained.
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: Still a few to go, but they are moving very fast.
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: So I think with the Eels landing in town yesterday
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: doing a lot of stuff out in public, I would
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: suggest we'll be putting the slide out sign up for
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: some stage tomorrow.
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: So if you haven't got your tickets, better getting quick.
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: So is there tickets at the gate this year?
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: Not really, there will be tickets to the gate unless
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: they're sold out prior. I would probably suggest to everyone
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: getting quick if you can, because they're going to move fast,
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: and like I said, overnight we've seen a big spike,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: so wouldn't be surprised if this time tomorrow we've sold
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: outside up.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree with you.
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: Now, just on that note of the number of people
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: that you're expecting to atteend when we talk about the supercars,
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: how many are you expecting to attend this year?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, we're looking our market in twenty nineteen. Let's say
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  Speaker 1: pre COVID before it all went to dust, was the
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: mid thirty so we had thirty six thousand people. I three,
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  Speaker 1: I think it was, So look that's our benchmark now
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  Speaker 1: and I'll probably be honest and say at the start
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  Speaker 1: of the year we're looking at saying that'd be a
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: really great attendance. Now we're going we will to go
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: past there. So corporate is selling literally like hotcakes. Were
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: probably going to have the strongest corporate attendant since twenty
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: thirteen and fourteen, So that's really really selling well, which
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: is a good sign for our GA tickets. Obviously there's
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: a delay or a lag in terms of purchasing through
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: our volumes in hotels and air capacities and whatnot. We're
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: seeing some really really strong demand, so we're really expecting
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: that event to really rock. And from a program perspective,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: the inclusion of superbikes. We've got Bernard Fanning obviously heading
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: up for Saturday Night, which is a great get and
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: the night roup nor should be underestimated. They bring a
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: really big traveling contingent with them for the drag racing.
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  Speaker 4: So exciting weekend ahead.
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  Speaker 3: So why do you reckon the corporate's selling so well?
• 4:18
  Speaker 4: Good, good question.
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: People don't travel over seas at the moment, so that
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: they're going to spend their money. And I also think
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: from a perspective of entertainment, this is one of the
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: best supercars that has ever been put on from a
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  Speaker 1: program point of view, not just in Darwin, but from
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: across the country. They did the Triple Challenge they called it,
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: which was the superbikes, supercars and tragsters in Orang Park.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: For those that know Sydney many moons ago. Quite successful.
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  Speaker 4: This is kind of where we want to be.
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  Speaker 1: And look, I've got no doubt this event is probably
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: going to be one of the strongest in the calendar
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  Speaker 1: going forward.
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  Speaker 2: Now let's talk about the number of people who are
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: actually going to be visiting or traveling from interstate to
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: attend these events. I know that when you're talking Base
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: in the Grass, you got some great sort of interstate numbers,
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: didn't you.
• 4:59
  Speaker 4: Massive. Look, we had a bit of a strategic direction.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: We all know it well that we moved the event
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  Speaker 1: to Mindle Beach in twenty nineteen to really target an
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: interstate dance audience it's called it, or a festival audience.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: May is a brilliant time in indow and we all
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: know that get away from Yaki Messi, Melbourne, Sydney, et cetera. Look,
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: we're planning on these numbers to really be in effect
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: twenty four to twenty five. But we've literally got nine
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: thousand people or thereabouts coming from in a state to
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: enjoy Base in the Grass, which is huge, and they
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: are going to be literally here for probably three or
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: four days and the town's going to be full.
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: Wow.
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  Speaker 2: And so then how many interstate tickets or do you reckon?
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: There's many interstate visitors or people coming from other locations
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: for the footy on the weekend, and then do you reckon?
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: You'll see that interstate visitation quite large as well. For
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: the supercart one.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: Percent, and I'll state in Parchma as well, we had
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: more than fifty percent and we're still doing our research
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: now that being a free, free event parts more than
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: fifty percent. Alice Springs was literally busting at the scenes
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: in particular at first weekend. So it's really great to
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: see our events driving conversion from a TWISM perspective based
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: on the grass we've spoken about, and once again, the
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: selling from supercars to date has been really really strong.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: I'd like to try and say that we'll be up
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  Speaker 1: at that forty fifty percent and come journe as well.
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  Speaker 1: Red Center that's also back into the year from a
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: registration perspective, people want to bring their cars and bikes
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: well and truly up year and year as well. So look,
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: I'm going to say that the guys in our marketing
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: department are really burning the candle. They have been trying
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: to really capitalize on that exit out of COVID and
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: the back into twenty twenty and now we're starting to
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  Speaker 1: see the fruits. And as I'd mentioned publicly during the week,
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: now's our time to shine. I think it's really our
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: time to capitalize. We want everyone that's coming to the
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: territory over the next six months to enjoy themselves. Then
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: they become advocates and they come back year and year after.
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: So we're working our butts off to try and make
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: sure that everything that everything occurs is great.
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: And Tim, we've been talking this morning about the worker
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: shortage in the likes of tourism and hospitality. Is that
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: something that you're thinking could impact you, guys in any
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: way with the major events.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: From an experienced perspective, we're working really closely with our
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: good friends Alex at Hospitality and Tea. We flagged this
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: early and so as Alex and they've been quite proactive
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: in terms of working on ways to ensure hotels, restaurants,
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: bars have enough staff. Let's say I'm confident from our
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: perspective that will be okay. I think we're fine and
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: we're really hopeful that you know, the work that Alex
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: is doing will really push us up. And I guess
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: where the I'll say we're the first came off the
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: rank from a tourism season. Obviously, Queensland and New South
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: Wales have the summer so they've got a bit more
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: time up the leave to generate workers. It will be
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: hard mating me wrong, but I'm confident we'll make a
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: great experience for everyone that comes up.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: Well.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: Tim Watsford and t Major Events CEO. Good to catch
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: up with you, mate, Thanks so much for coming in
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: and I'll.
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: See you the start. We're playing touch footy against each other.
• 7:42
  Speaker 4: We are it's buster handle.
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: Were playing for this funny hell.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: I hope not.
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: Urt yourself. You've got a very busy dry season ahead
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: of you.
• 7:52
  Speaker 4: We'll try not to, but who knows, who knows.
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: What could happen. Tim Watsford, thanks for your time, Good
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: on your Thanks Katie