Tourism Talk MarchPlease select a story from the list below or scroll down to view all.
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> News from Tourism
TASTE ALPINE; YOUR GUIDE TO LOCAL PRODUCE
A new pocket-sized guide has been developed to promote local produce in the Alpine Shire. The Taste Alpine guide aims to encourage residents to source local produce as well as showcase the Alpine Shire's extensive culinary offerings to visitors. Growers, makers, sellers and restaurateurs are all featured covering everything from small farmgates to award-winning restaurants. A business directory and area map has also been included. The publication has been designed to complement the North East Valley's Seasonal Indulgence Guide and highlight the Alpine Shire as an exceptional food lover's destination.
The guide is the first of many initiatives taking place as part of the Taste Alpine project, which is also set to include an online store, PR campaigns, event development, training and development opportunities for local businesses and other industry support.
Printing is expected to be completed by mid-March and the guides will then be distributed locally. The Taste Alpine guides will be available from the Visitor Information Centres in Bright, Myrtleford, Mount Beauty and Dinner Plain as well as various businesses, cafes, restaurants, wineries and breweries in the area. If you would like copies of the guide for your business please contact your nearest Alpine Visitor Information Centre or call Sara Bailey at the Alpine Shire on 03 5755 0522. An online version of the guide can be viewed on the Alpine Shire and Great Alpine Valleys websites or click on the following link to view Taste Alpine:
http://issuu.com/reneepaolagraphicdesign/docs/taste_alpine_final_ol_low_res?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222
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THE 2012 ROUND OF TQUAL GRANTS IS NOW OPEN
The 2012 round of TQUAL Grants is now open. All applications must be submitted by 5pm on 19th April.
Information on the grants is contained here:
www.ret.gov.au/tourism/business/tq/tgrants/projects/Pages/TourismQualityProjects.aspx
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EVENT WRAP UP
Adventure Travel Film Festival
The inaugural Adventure Travel Film Festival was held in Bright over the weekend 24-26 February. The event consisted of presentations, workshops and the screening of films. The event organisers: Rupert, Austin and Lois (all from the UK) were very pleased with how the festival went with adventure seekers coming from as far as South Africa to attend the festival. The starlight screenings were the most popular with approximately 200 people enjoying the film in Howitt Park on Saturday night. The organisers are already planning the 2013 event. Visit www.adventuretravelfilmfestival.com/australian-festival/ for more details.
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UP AND COMING EVENTS
Maton Guitars Presents Long Way To The Top
Labour Day Weekend 10-11 March will be a buzz with the Dinner Plain Festival of Rock!
Saturday 10th March | Mt Hotham
8pm Nudgles hosted by The General
Sunday 11th March | Dinner Plain
1.30pm Andrew Wishart at Rundells
3-5pm Ricky Wood at The Hamster Bar, High Plains Lodge
3-5pm Gin Joint at Mountain Kitchen
5.30pm Big Al at The Hamster Bar, High Plains Lodge
9pm Msargo followed by Andrew Wishart followed by the Glenn Shorrock Band at Dinner Plain Hotel
11.30pm Big Al Jam Session at The Hamster Bar, High Plains Lodge
TICKETS ON SALE NOW Adults all access $50 and Children FREE (17 yrs & under)
Visit www.longwaytothetop.net.au
The Geebung vs. Cuff 'n' Collar Polo Match
An annual event whereby the 'High Country Cattlemen' take on the 'City Slicker' team in a polo match, named after the Banjo Patterson poem 'The Geebung Polo Club'. This flagship event is certainly one not to be missed and like the poem it has a continual history of 23 years! The event is bound by tradition and the Australian competitive sportsmanship, in the long running rivarlry between city and country. After last years success with crowds of over 3000 people on a beautiful sunny April Easter day will keep the Geebung Polo in the picturesque setting of Cobungra Station. Heaps of activies throughout the day, tickets on sale now!
www.geebungpolo.com.au
High Country Harvest Festival
The High Country Harvest Festival will be taking place across North East Victoria from May 18-27. Many operators will host events, with the Alpine Valleys hosting Alpine Brewer For A Day (Bright Brewery), Pedal to Produce, Autumn’s Bounty Long Lunch (Boynton’s Feathertop Winery), Alpine Craft Beer Harvest Lunch (Simone’s of Bright), Lessons from the Autumn Table (Patrizia Simone’s Country Cooking School) and La Fiera Myrtleford www.highcountryharvest.com.au/
Autumn Calendar of Events
The new look Autumn Calendar of Events from the Alpine Shire Council is out now. These have been delivered throughout the Shire, and if you would like some for your business please drop into a Visitor Information Centre to pick up a stack. Key events for the autumn period are: The Myrtleford Festival, Cycling Australia Junior Road Mountain Climbing Championships (Mt Buffalo), Geebung Cuff ‘n’ Collar Polo Match (Cobungra), Mount Beauty Music Festival, Bright Autumn Festival, Wandiligong Nut Festival, Mount Beauty Marathon and La Fiera Myrtleford. For a full list and more details of our events please visit: www.greatalpinevalleys.com.au/events_monthly.asp
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RETAIL, DINING AND EXPERIENCE GUIDE
The Alpine Shire Council Economic Development will be focusing on 6 pieces of key collateral over the coming years. Produced last year, the Official Visitors Guide for Bright & Surrounds and the township maps (tear off maps) were the first pieces released. In 2012 the Taste Alpine Guide will be released, being a guide to local produce in the region. The Retail, Dining and Experience Guide will also be released early this year providing a ‘where to go, what to do and where to eat’ solution for visitors. A new walks and trails map will be produced which will focus on township based walks and will provide visitors with a comprehensive look at the walks across the Shire. Our newly developed calendar of events was launched with the autumn edition, which ties in with the look of our other guides.
few hours of your time (whilst immersed in the cream of Australia’s Rockabilly music and culture) will gain you a weekend ticket to the rest of the festival AND entry to the ‘After Party/ Jam’ at Porepunkah Hotel on Sunday Night (4th March). We’ll even shout you a drink or two as a thank you!
Don’t put it off – commit NOW to a fabulous weekend! Give Susie Ross a call on 5752 2942 (Susie is on the RIO Committee) and help your school, your community and your social life!
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RACV 2012 VICTORIAN TOURISM AWARDS PREPARATORY WORKSHOPS
VTIC is running a series of preparatory workshops to assist businesses in entering the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards in 2012, one of which will be held in Wangaratta.
Don't miss your chance to gain valuable tips and suggestions from judges, mentors and past winners to give your business the best shot at winning this year. The workshop details:
Wangaratta
Wednesday 21 March
2.00pm – 4.00pm
Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre, Cnr Ford & Ovens Street, Wangaratta
Register by clicking here
Your registration is essential for these workshop as places are limited. For further information, please contact VTIC on 8662 5425 or email info@vtic.com.au
For more information on the 2012 RACV Victorian Tourism Awards visit www.victoriantourismawards.com.au
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NORTH EAST VICTORIA TOURISM BOARD UPDATE;
- NEVTB’s High Country snapshot visitation for the year ending September 2011 now available.
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> News from Economic Development
YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE WORKSHOP
Wednesday 14 March 2012, 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Make the most of the internet!
This workshop is ideal for business owners wanting to increase their online presence and utilise the internet to manage and market their business more effectively. You will learn more about how to increase traffic to your website, using social media to achieve your business aims, the art of blogging (and why you should use it), and other strategies to market your business in online. This workshop is designed for business operators who already have a website.
For more information, please download the flyer.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
$30.00 per person (light supper provided). This seminar is subsidised by the Alpine Shire and DBI. All seminar material will be provided.
HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?
Register and pay via credit card at the Business Victoria website. Alternatively you can register and pay at the Alpine Shire office, 2 Churchill Avenue (just off Great Alpine Road), Bright. Please register at least one day prior to the seminar.
LOCATION: Mount Beauty Sports Cluster (rear of Visitor Information Centre), 31 Bogong High Plains Road MOUNT BEAUTY
CONTACT: Sara Bailey on 03 5755 0522 or sarab@alpineshire.vic.gov.au
**Please note the change of day for the seminars and workshops in 2012; due to numerous requests they will now be held on Wednesdays.
VECCI INFORMATION SESSION; THE CARBON PRICE AND YOUR BUSINESS - RISK AND OPPORTUNITIES
How will a price on carbon affect your business? What are the challenges, what are the opportunities? What support and resources are available? How can your business operate more efficiently, and what tools are available?
With the Federal Government's "Clean Energy Future" package coming into force on 1 July 2012, it's crucial that employers are prepared for the impacts the new carbon tax legislation will have on their business operations.
Small and medium-sized businesses are reporting a lack of clarity around the new laws, particularly as they relate to their own costs and profitability. However, more than two thirds (69%) of SMEs believe the carbon tax will impact their business financially. They're right. The carbon tax can't be ignored. In order to survive, compete and grow in a carbon-constrained economy, understanding the carbon price is essential.
Dealing with the commercial implications of the carbon tax is at the core of the carbon price and your business - risks and opportunities, VECCI's state-wide briefing series, which will cover:
An introduction to, and overview of, the Government's "Clean Energy Future" package.
A breakdown of the carbon tax.
How to survive and prosper in a carbon constrained economy.
Strategies to assist SMEs address issues with the new tax.
What is a low carbon economy?
The impacts to your business.
The risks and opportunities for your business.
Government assistance, initiatives and grants.
What your business needs to look out for from 1 July.
Who should attend?
This forum will be of benefit to business owners and managers across all industry sectors including, directors, senior managers, CEO's, CFO's, accountants/finance, office, operations and facilities management.
For briefing dates and registration details, visit:
www.vecci.org.au/Training/Briefings/Pages/Carbon_Tax_Briefings.aspx
EQUOTATION - NEW ONLINE PROCUREMENT PROCESS
DBI recently introduced a new online procurement process called eQuotation. This is an initiative to improve small to medium enterprises’ (SME) access to, and participation in, Victorian Government procurement. The key objective of eQuotation is to improve the visibility and access for SMEs to win government contracts, thus improving participation, promoting competition and contributing to better value for money in DBI purchasing. eQuotation will help to publicise low value and non-complex procurement opportunities, and simplify and standardise quotation procedures for businesses.
The following link will take you directly to the eQuotation website where you can register and gain information on the latest Request for Quotations: www.evalua.com.au/etb/vicdbi
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