Tasmanian State Government - Multi Purpose Events Venue
The Client's Requirements
The Tasmanian State Government refurbished a historical waterside wharf ‘shed’ into a venue that they hoped, through a range of events, would maximise community engagement while meeting the needs of their return on investment objectives. The ‘shed’, situated on Hobart’s waterfront, was to be a choice location for conferences, exhibitions, concerts and a whole range of diverse events that would re-engage the community and maximise utilisation within the confines of the planning permit. They wanted to achieve all of this while establishing a sustainable revenue stream from venue operations.
The Challenges
After refurbishing the venue, the State Government had a platitude of challenges including:
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Establishing the “shed” into a choice venue suitable to an array of events, including conferences, exhibitions and concerts.
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Ensuring the events held at the venue appealed to a wide range of the community, business and private event requirements all within the constraints of a restrictive planning permit.
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Working with, and ensuring the happiness of, a range of stakeholders all with conflicting interests.
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Ensuring compliance for a public assembly venue
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Ensuring the programming of a diverse range of events when the venue was not built with any particular event style or sector in mind.
The Solution
Our objective was to ensure that each challenge the Government was facing was solved.
We did this through:
Expert Management and Consulting
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The provision of holistic venue management expertise.
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The creation and implementation of all venue operation and compliance documents, and all legal venue documents including venue hire terms and conditions.
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Forming relationships with the venue stakeholders, including the State Government representatives, the Local City Council, past ‘shed’ hirers, local community groups and local businesses.
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Providing the venue hire clients with high-level event management expertise in the execution of their event, conference or performance.
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Ensuring that there was a diverse range of venue hire use, particularly between local businesses and community groups
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Providing an accredited panel of suppliers, which was an essential element to ensure the consistency of quality of service to venue hirers, through establishing a local panel of suppliers (including caterers, decorators, audio-visual companies, equipment hire, etc.)
Financial
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Maximising sales and meeting return on investment objectives through the establishment of a sales process and system.
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Provision of a financial management system that provided tax compliant quotes and invoices to clients, venue hire terms and conditions hire documents, collected revenues and provided a mechanism to engage and pay suppliers for venue operation.
Technology
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The set-up and implementation of a venue booking and administration management software system.
Marketing
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The design and creation of all marketing collateral, including the logo, brochures, business cards, website (including ongoing maintenance and content creation), and social media implementation.
Cleaning
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Contact cleaning services
Final Results
After five years, we handed back a fully functioning, operationally successful and surplus producing venue, and provided a fully trained, locally engaged Venue Manager to continue the operation of the venue.
A full suite of venue operation documents was provided, including venue operational manuals, work health and safety manuals, staff induction and training manuals, venue operational and cleaning checklists and menu guidelines.
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“The State Government cannot fault the service provided by Venue Management Services in the management of our State’s premier events facility Princes Wharf 1.” ​
Deputy Secretary, Tasmanian State Government
