Build a community of advocates and never spend another cent on event marketing!
Engagement
People are invested in Birdsville’s Big Red Bash (4,300km is the average distance people travel to attend). People are coming from every corner of Australia. Repeat visitation is at 25%.
Greg Donovan, director of the Big Red Bash, says build a community for your event, and focus on creating a feeling of belonging:
The Travelling to the Big Red Bash Facebook group has 15,000 members which helps facilitate discussions and connections amongst the community.
Group participation activities brings people together and allows them to have some fun: Nutbush City Limits dance world record, Outback Air Guitar Championships, a drag race (what man doesn’t want to dress up in drag?), Big Red Rumble for kids and youth
Exceed expectations and ensure every has an absolutely fantastic experience - it is about the event experience and nurturing our community (We listen to our community and action what we can).
“I never set out to create a rock concert in the middle of nowhere - if I did I would have had rocks in my head….but look at where we are.”
Why Big Red Bash works
It is totally unique
The team strives for relentless pursuit of excellence - having a passionate and experienced team is key to success.
Commercial event model - Born to Run is a small family company with 5 staff. They contract out logistics and operations to Event Safety Services in the Blue Mountains and work alongside this team.
500 volunteers at event time
Good communication to survive COVID’s impact on events
Good communication and supporting your community is so important in a crisis.
Festival Director Greg posted a long and well-thought through communication and explanation on their decision to postpone making a decision about the 2020 Bash:
“Big Red Bash is nearly four months away – and we are not going to rush into making any final decisions about this year’s event. Our team is working calmly through a wide range of issues and assessing the COVID-19 situation as it evolves day-to-day... A final decision will be made on the 24 April, 2020, at the very latest... We hope April 24th, which is over 10 weeks before the event, is a reasonable timeframe for most people.”
When the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 festival, only 10% of ticket holders opted for a refund. It took less than five minutes for Big Red Bash 2020 'refund tickets' to be snapped up to be used at the 2021 event.
Event marketing by Big Red Bash
In this podcast on event marketing, Greg shares his insights into the power of events to promote and build a brand for a destination, providing tips on how other regional events can more successfully market their event and build the profile of their destination. He talks about understanding your ideal attendee and what he believes to be the most effective marketing channels for his event.
The power of events to drive visitation and position destinations
What’s next for Big Red Bash? It’s about building a better experience every year - watch this space...
