The Hook: Does Perth's One Movement For Music justify the public funding?

11 October 2010

Michael Chugg
Founder, Michael Chugg Entertainment

No doubt about it. The return to Perth has been amazing. When you consider last year that 70% of the people who came, including the Australians, had never been to Perth, it was a huge jump forward. Certainly this year there is very little of that going on in Perth (moaning) because they understand what the event is all about these days. After this year’s event, we’ll get even more support. From the corporate area this year sponsorship is up. The whole thing has increased in size, from the amount of showcase clubs. We’re feeling good about it. I’m really excited about that. I’m flying out there on Monday. It’s going to be a great event, a lot of great people coming. Delegate sales are huge compared to last year and the line up of acts are sensational.

John Hyde Member for Perth.
Shadow Minister for Culture and the Arts; Heritage; Multicultural Interests and Citizenship

The Barnett Government’s $3 million handout to the One Music Festival continues to fail to bring sufficient tourism and arts benefits to WA. As a tourism driver, One Movement has next to no presence in Asian or European tourism markets. Iceland’s Airwaves Festival, also running this month, is showing how an isolated city can run a brilliant music festival with great tourism benefits. The One Movement model, which fails to financially support local WA bands properly, is not creating $3 million of real investment in local music creatives. Labor’s model of investing directly in local bands and creatives helped make WA the leading new music State last decade. We want to support local music creatives, not just provide corporate welfare for promoters. The Barnett Government refuses to produce any financial return figures that prove One Movement is providing a meeasurable tourism or music boost for WA.

David Van Ooran
Executive Director, Events Corp

Yes. The event, now in its 2nd year, is part of a longer-term strategic plan from the West Australian Government to foster international events that are anchored and owned in WA. As the event develops and grows, one of its key aims is to raise awareness of and drive visitation to Western Australia – both from a domestic and international point of view. Besides the obvious economic benefits already being generated in year two through visitation to the state, 600 delegates, speakers representing 12 countries, media exposure in the State’s key tourism markets – Asia, UK and the US – in print and broadcast media – the event also provides a great event for Western Australians and adds to the city’s vibrancy. Importantly it also unveils many new artists and exposes them to the international stage, while reinforcing Perth’s reputation as a major music hub and breeding ground for upcoming bands.

Paul Bodlovich
CEO, The West Australian Music Industry Association (WAM )

The thing to realise with One Movement is that the $1 million-plus of government funding (Eventscorp – part of Tourism WA, City Of Perth) secured by the promoters is not tied to achieving music industry outcomes, but rather about tourism, supporting traders in Perth’s CBD and generally creating vibrancy though an event. So, the relevant place to ask about whether there’s an acceptable return on investment would be with bodies concerned with those outcomes, the Tourism Council of WA, Retail Traders Association and others. The funders are interested in any music success stories from a marketing perspective – that is, these will be the stories that will help the event to attract visitors to Perth. Ultimately, One Movement will succeed or fail on the basis of whether it is attracting a level of visitor numbers that warrants a continued investment from Tourism WA, or if that doesn’t continue, replaces it.