I spoke last weekend to two busloads of Year 2 medical students from the University of Sydney who were considering where they might like to live during their third year of study – and Dubbo was a popular choice. In trying to convince them they should nominate Dubbo as their number one choice, I told the group I had arranged free tickets for them to an upcoming concert in Dubbo. Their excitement was evident, but stifled laughter quickly spread throughout the group when I invited them to Dubbo on 13 April with free entry to the triple j One Night Stand. They were all immediately aware that everyone had free entry to the One Night Stand (ONS). What has amazed me in the past 24 days is that, no matter where I have travelled, I have not come across a single person in the 15-30 age bracket who wasn’t aware of the ONS and the fact it will be held in Dubbo on 13 April.
I have previously written about the bid process that went from the first phone call I received on 24 January this year through to the announcement by triple j on 6 March. Those 41 days were extremely busy for our staff, in particular our Marketing and Communications Services Branch. It was a real team effort and there was a huge amount of excitement across the City when the announcement was made.
Of course for many people at Council – and throughout the community – the announcement date was the signal for the beginning – not the end – of the work required. I often attend events and think of just how much work goes on behind the scenes and the ONS will be no different. With only 38 days from the day of the announcement to the concert, Council staff, along with many organisations, will be incredibly busy.
Councils across the state are often involved behind the scenes in an event to benefit their community. In the case of the ONS, there are a range of items that need to be organised. Council is already coordinating a range of community organisations and developing various opportunities so the benefits will flow through the community. We have involved the Local Emergency Management Committee, the Police, the Ambulance, Fire and Rescue NSW, the Hospital, the Show Society, accommodation providers, The Harness Racing Club, the Youth Council and more.
There are several logistical aspects that are often taken for granted when we attend events of this magnitude. At the moment there is a traffic management plan being created to allow for additional traffic expected at the event. There are skip bins, toilets, fencing and other services to organise. Cleaning crews for the night of the event and again the next morning are being engaged. In conjunction with the Dubbo Show Society, the catering around the event is being organised. We will need to communicate the scale of the event to the restaurants and cafes so they have time to prepare rosters and be ready for the influx of visitors. A ‘Play and Stay’ program (supported by 42 businesses) has been created to try and keep the visitors in our City for an additional night.
During the week we had our first of many visits by a production crew to gather information about our City. These visits are being coordinated by our staff to ensure the very best aspects of Dubbo are shown to triple j and ABC2.
We have had planning and information days attended by many of the organisations that will be in any way involved.
The interest in Dubbo at the moment is unbelievable. Our website has experienced a 403 per cent increase in accommodation searches and attractions have increased by 161 per cent.
With the event being streamed via triple j and, for the latter part of the concert, on ABC2, there will be millions of people focused on Dubbo for that day.
It is fair to say that when 13 April arrives, there will be some exhausted people in our community who will be very keen to sit back and listen to Flume pump out Sleepless and more of their hits across the Showground.
This event – albeit a large one – is an example of a Council investing in something (not in payment to triple j but in the organisation of logistics) that, although impacting its bottom line, will pay back the community many times over in terms of increased opportunity for financial return for local business and exposure for the City. The expected injection into the economy is a minimum of $1.32 million and the advertising value of the event for Dubbo is worth more than a million dollars. None of this would be possible without an organisation such as Council to facilitate and coordinate all of the hidden, behind-the-scenes components that are essential to make an event like this work.
Tell me how you are involved in getting ready for the ONS at mayor@dubbo.nsw.gov.au
Clr Mathew Dickerson
Mayor of the City of Dubbo