Item 7.5 - Attachment 7

Report against Council objectives and key performance indicators

ATTACHMENT 5

Note:

· Face-to-face intercept surveys were conducted with 650 respondents during the Parramasala Festival at key venues: Church Street, Parramatta Park, Parramatta Stadium, Riverside Theatres and The Roxy.

· The ‘Parramatta Baseline Perception Survey’ was conducted with 803 respondents via email prior to the Parramasala Festival. The intent is that the survey would be conducted again prior to the 2011 Parramasala Festival in order to measure changes in perception of Parramatta as a place over time.

Data appearing below is drawn for these two surveys as well as analysis of ticket sales.

Council Objectives and Key Performance Indicators	Results
Strategic Objectives of Council’s Investment in Parramasala are:	Parramasala Response
1. Economic Impact
a) Provide a trigger for increased visitation to Parramatta, including from interstate and international visitors.	· 35,280 (estimated) people attended events, both free and ticketed, over the 5 days of the festival · It is estimated that: o 8,000 people attended Masala Nights o 2,000 people attended Kailash Kher and Kailasa in Concert o 1,500 people attended A throw of Dice with Nitin Sawney o 20,000 people attended Deepavali · 86% of tickets were purchased by people living outside of Parramatta · 33% of face-to-face intercept survey respondents were from the Parramatta LGA and 63% were from the rest of Sydney. 4% of the respondents were from regional NSW, Interstate and Overseas · 69% face-to-face intercept of survey respondents agree or strongly agree that Parramasala motivated them to visit Parramatta more often.
2. Strategic Marketing Impact
a) Showcase Parramatta as a unique event destination	· 8 key Parramatta venues – Riverside (4 spaces), the Crescent, Town Hall (and Jubilee Hall), Library, ICE, Elizabeth Farm, Church Street Mall and The Roxy · Marketing focused on efficient transport and ease of location of venues · Marketing focused on diversity and numbers of food options
b) Illustrate Parramatta, and Sydney, as a vibrant, multi-cultural and creative centre.	· 35,280 (estimated) members of the public attended events over 5 days – both free and ticketed · 66 professional international artists from 6 countries took part · 60 professional Australian artists from many ethnic backgrounds performed · 1 x 39 piece local orchestra rehearsed and performed · 40 local volunteers provided advice and assistance to patrons · 23 people were employed directly by the festival · 10 ticketed performances at Riverside and Roxy · 2 major outdoor large scale concerts in the Crescent (Parramatta Park) · 30 free community performances on 2 outdoor public stages · 5 master classes or workshops · 4 artist talks · 1 free cricket match · Association with the major Hindu celebration of ‘Deepavali’ · Outdoor decorations and streetscape makeover for the duration – film, lighting, projections, music and soundscape
3. Community/Social Impact
a) Offer authentic cultural and artistic experiences, while challenging perceptions of South Asian culture and its place in a global context.	· Traditional Rajasthani music and dance · High profile contemporary artists drawing inspiration from South Asian and Western cultures (Nitin Sawhney, Kailash Kher etc) · Traditional community cultural performances · Vibrant contemporary popular music · Artists working across cultures (Chitresh Das, Jason Samuels Smith etc)
b) Provide an inspiring and engaging event for a cross-cultural audience	· 43% of respondents spoke English as their main language at home, 51% spoke a South Asian language as their main language at home and 6% spoke another language as their main language at home. · The program engaged artists from Australia and across the South Asian diaspora, including from New Zealand, UK and USA
c) Provide a positive message for community relations to improve cultural harmony and understanding from the South Asian community	· 98% of survey respondents agree or strongly agree that events like Parramasala bring the local community together
Measures for the 3 strategic objectives of Council’s investment in Parramasala for the 2010 event
1. Economic
a) Economic Development ‘Economic Value-Add’ post-event survey (including expenditure and bed night data)	Preliminary economic data currently under analysis. Detail to be provided in separate memo to Councillors.
b) Additional employment hours in the accommodation/hospitality sectors	Preliminary feedback from Church Street area businesses indicates a 10% uptick in casual hours in the accommodation sector and 15-20% in the hospitality sector.
c) Pre and Post Event Trend Data flowing from Parramatta as an economic/employment destination questions in the ‘Parramatta Baseline Perceptions’ survey	Baseline Perception Survey responses strongly indicate that campaigns which result in improved perceptions of transport connections, safety, and enhanced cultural offerings (particularly community and cultural events, and ‘higher-end’ cultural, retail or dining options) are the maximum impact routes to enhancing positive perceptions of Parramatta as a place to visit, work or live, and as a place where people of different backgrounds get along well together. This is particularly so of the majority of respondents who were ‘Neutral’ or ‘Detractors’ in their perceptions of Parramatta. Respondents who identified ‘parking’ as their most significant issue tended to already be ‘Promoters’ of Parramatta as a place to live, work or visit. On a scale of 1-10, respondents provided a score of 7.5 out of 10 (‘Neutral’) as to how likely they were to recommend working in Parramatta to a friend or colleague – the highest recommendation out of ‘visit’, ‘work’ or ‘live’. This score will be tested for positive movement prior to Parramasala 2011.
2. Strategic Marketing
a) Pre and Post Event Perception Data flowing from perception (parking, safety, amenity, friendliness, channel, destination awareness) questions in the ‘Parramatta Baseline Perceptions’ survey	The Parramasala event is a catalyst of perception change as 70% of face-to-face intercept survey respondents agree or strongly agree that the event has positively changed their perception of Parramatta as a place. On a scale of 1-10, respondents provided a score of 7.4 out of 10 (‘Neutral’) as to how likely they were to recommend visiting Parramatta to a friend or colleague. This score will be tested for positive movement prior to Parramasala 2011.
3. Community/Social
a) Media Metrics – amount of ‘community-generated’ social media (i.e. social media content generated by individuals/groups excluding Parramasala, ENSW and Council)	This data is still being processed.
b) Pre and Post Event Social Trend Data flowing from Community Engagement questions in the ‘Parramatta Baseline Perceptions’ survey	See ‘Economic’, above for a general overview of Baseline Perception Survey results. On a scale of 1-10, respondents provided a score of 6.8 out of 10 (‘Neutral’) as to how likely they were to recommend living in Parramatta to a friend or colleague – the lowest recommendation out of ‘visit’, ‘work’ or ‘live’. This score will be tested for positive movement prior to Parramasala 2011. Baseline Perception Survey data indicates that perceptions of Parramatta’s ‘safety’ do not significantly differ between residents of the Parramatta LGA and residents from other areas in the Sydney Metropolitan Basin. On a scale of 1-10, respondents ranked perceptions of Parramatta as follows on specific criteria: A place to grow and prosper: 7.8 A good place to shop: 7.6 An easy place to get to: 7.4 A place with events you want to go to: 6.8 A friendly place: 6.8 A clean place: 6.6 A safe place: 6.3 A sophisticated place 5.9
c) Comparison with longitudinal results for Council’s Events-related ‘Community Impact Surveys’	This data is still being processed.
The review will consider the following:
a) The level of national and international promotion of the Festival	· Presented in Parramasala Marketing and PR report · Media Monitors Summaries
b) The economic, strategic and community benefits of the Festival	· See above
c) The success or otherwise, and the ongoing business case for the Festival	· 96% of survey respondents agree or strongly agree that Parramasala should be an annual event · Satisfactory response from Parramasala demonstrating progress towards addressing the strategic objectives
d) Branding and acknowledgement for the Council and ENSW	· relevant images from the event
e) A review of the performance of the entity charged with producing and delivering the event	· Audit of first year operations scheduled for late February. Statutory financial statements and audit report will be presented to the March Board meeting · Investors Group (consisting of staff from Council and ENSW) have met to discuss both the outcomes and operations of Parramasala · Investors Group has also met with Parramasala staff · A series of recommendations have been developed for further discussion with the Board and Parramasala staff