‘HEART’ work pays off in venue’s first year
The Margaret River HEART has hosted over 140 events and welcomed over 13, 000 visitors through the venue’s doors in its first year of operation.
Over the past 12 months the HEART has presented a mix of events including cinema, workshops, exhibitions and live performances, featuring local community members.
In what has been a challenging and unpredictable time for the event’s industry due to COVID-19, Margaret River HEART General Manager Nicky Hansen said the team has worked closely with community groups including:
- Arts Margaret River
- Margaret River Wine Association
- Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association
- Creative Corner
- Black Cat Theatre
- Margaret River Theatre Group
- Nature Conservation Margaret River Region
- Margaret River Producers Association
- Artzability
- Rotary Margaret River
- Mindful Margaret River
- Intercultural Action Group
- Margaret River Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- and many local schools, just to name a few.
“The community has remained keen to meet and gather despite restrictions on capacity and gatherings,” she said.
“We have such a diverse and talented pool of artists in Margaret River and it’s been a pleasure to facilitate getting them on stage.
“We haven’t had to rely on performers from outside of region to have a robust line up of performing and visual arts, however we have still had lots of interest from eastern states touring live musical and comedy performances in 2021.
Events hosted at the venue have generated around 600 room nights within six months from July to December this year, injecting an estimated $144,000 into the local tourism economy.
This result indicates the venue is already seeing a return on investment for the community in the form of room nights.
“Room nights are a record of people who have come to Margaret River and stayed in overnight accommodation to attend an event at the venue,” Ms Hansen said.
“It’s not only audience members or delegates whose room nights are accounted for, but also the event organisers and performers, as most events require accommodation, food and beverages, and retail outlets to refresh and buy incidentals.”
The venue has already hosted two conferences generating 200 room nights, which is a strong indication the venue will be sought after by regional and Perth based businesses and associations choosing to meet in Margaret River next year.
Over 80 events have been confirmed for 2021, with next year’s gallery schedule nearing capacity as it continues to provide an opportunity for local artists to exhibit.
The venue has also recorded over 40 registered HEART volunteers, who have volunteered more than 300 hours at the hub.
To find out what’s on or enquire about a venue space, please visit www.margaretriverheart.com.au or email [email protected]. Alternatively, you can phone the Box Office on 08 9780 5294 or pop in Monday to Friday between 10:00am and 12:00pm.