Alice Springs Town Council
WHY THEY NEEDED OUR SUPPORT AND WHAT THEY WANTED TO GAIN
Council sought support due to several growing challenges within its events portfolio.
Its capacity to leverage events for broader social and economic value had become increasingly limited due to high demand for financial and organisational support from community groups.
In a regional town, reliance on direct Council funding, rather than more strategic organisational support, can place pressure on resources and restrict opportunities to maximise community benefit. As a result, the delivery and support of events had become less efficient and was not always consistently aligned with Council objectives.
Internal event processes and coordination were also not fully aligned with best practice. Several longstanding community events had begun to exceed their operational capacity, highlighting the need for more sustainable and innovative delivery models. This prompted a review of existing systems, with the aim of developing a clearer, values-driven and strategically informed approach to event planning, assessment and delivery.
External support was therefore essential to assist Council in refining its processes, strengthening internal alignment and building a more focused, future-ready events framework.
WHAT THEY GAINED FROM PARTICIPATING
During the program, Council adopted a more purposeful and strategic approach to evaluating the events and projects it supports. Greater emphasis was placed on understanding the underlying purpose of each initiative and its potential impact on the broader community. This assessment led to several significant internal improvements, including clearer role descriptions within the team and a stronger distinction between organisational motivation and strategic intent.
Council reviewed roles and departmental responsibilities related to event planning and delivery to address gaps that became apparent during the Event Leadership Program.
This process identified opportunities to improve clarity, consistency and workflow for external event organisers. As a result, Council updated its Community Support Guidelines, refined the processes for grant and sponsorship funding, and streamlined the provision of in-kind support. Collectively, these updates have contributed to a more transparent, user-friendly and efficient framework that enhances Council’s capacity to support events in a sustainable and strategically aligned way.
TOP LEARNINGS/OUTCOMES
Council strengthened its approach to event support by shifting towards long-term capacity building, rather than ongoing operational involvement.
A key learning was the importance of empowering event organisers to plan and deliver their own events with reduced dependency on Council. To support this, Council now promotes a three-year event sponsorship model designed to provide stability and encourage strategic planning. This model had often been underutilised by applicants, who perceived it as “too much of a commitment”. As a result of the program, responsibility for a multicultural event previously delivered by Council for three consecutive years was successfully transitioned to local community groups, with an invitation to seek sponsorship and in-kind assistance through established support programs. This shift has increased community ownership while maintaining structured and transparent access to Council resources.
Another successful change in approach involved a partnership with the local Chinese community group. Council will lead delivery of the 2026 Lunar New Year event as a capacity-building initiative, with the intention for the community group to take over full event leadership in 2027.
Council also developed more efficient and consistent internal processes to improve the way events are coordinated and supported. The introduction of mapping tools and an online planning tracker has enhanced oversight, streamlined workflows and improved communication across departments, while helping the team stay on track with smaller tasks.
Council also increased its use of external suppliers for event delivery, contributing to more efficient operations while supporting local small businesses and creative practitioners on an ongoing basis.
