Sarah Courtney, Minister for Small Business, Hospitality and Events
23 September 2020
The Tasmanian Government recognises the important contribution that events make to the Tasmanian economy, with more than $13 million invested through Events Tasmania last year.
We also acknowledge the significant impact that COVID-19 travelling and gathering restrictions have had on Tasmania’s events industry, with many being postponed or cancelled.
This is why the Tasmanian Government is committed to supporting our home-grown festivals and events as they adjust to operating in a COVID-19 environment.
Today I am pleased to announce a new round of funding will be made available to event organisers through the Events Tasmania Event Ready Grant program.
Grants of up to $5000 will be made available to organisers of new or upcoming events for the remainder of 2020 through to the end of 2021 and to organisers who are in the process of developing or have developed their COVID-19 Safety Plan(s).
The Event Ready Grant program responds to the goals and priorities outlined in the T21 Visitor Economy Recovery Action Plan 2020-2022 released in August and will be an important tool to help Tasmanian events implement COVID-19 safe practices as well as increase their marketing and promotion capability, such as online ticketing and digital marketing options, within the COVID-19 environment.
As part of the assessment criteria, organisers of events seeking to attract visitors from outside their region and to contribute to the cultural and social fabric of the community are encouraged to apply.
Applications will open from midday today, and close on Sunday 15 November 2020, with assessment on a competitive basis.
While it is difficult to predict exactly how the environment for events will look into 2021, the Tasmanian Government remains committed to supporting the events sector and I am pleased to advise that work is currently underway to establish a framework which will provide clear guidance to event organisers and map a pathway forward to rebuild a strong and vibrant events industry.
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the events schedule in Tasmania, and reduced demand for marketing and other support activities has enabled $200,000 to be redirected to this new scheme.
More information on the program and applications will be available from midday today on the Events Tasmania website www.eventstasmania.com