The very real benefits of events

This month, Penrith Made turns its focus to the significant economic and social benefits of festivals and events, including Council’s signature event, Real Festival.

Now in its 4th year, Real is staged on the banks of the Nepean River. Coordinated and run by Council this arts and lifestyle festival celebrates our river, brings together internationally acclaimed entertainment and art with food, market stalls and a range of workshops.

Last year, the two-day festival attracted 25,000 people. For the 2019 event, Council has partnered with local tourism operators to offer Real Festival accommodation packages to encourage more festival goers to stay and visit.

Penrith Mayor, Ross Fowler OAM, said the family-friendly event doesn’t just bring people to Penrith for the day, it leads to return visits.

“Real showcases the best of Penrith,” he said. “People come to the festival and they like what they see, so they come back to try the nearby restaurants, to enjoy other events or explore what else we have to offer.”

Real also delivers many social benefits to Penrith.

“It’s an opportunity for volunteers and interns to gain experience working in events and provides local artists and musicians with valuable exposure.”

Cr Fowler believes Real has a positive impact on the Penrith “brand”.

“Council and our community is incredibly proud of Real Festival,” he said. “It’s a world class event that puts our talent on show and demonstrates we’re a leading cultural light.”

Not only do highly positive social media posts on the festival reach more than 600,000 people, it receives broad coverage on popular lifestyle websites, which portray Penrith and our river precinct as an engaged and engaging destination.

This includes the independent endorsement of 7travel who ranked Real as one of the top 5 family-friendly festivals in Sydney.

And, by showcasing Penrith’s finest, Real also presents our city as an inviting place to live and work.

“Events like this act as magnets – helping us retain the people who already live here and attracting those looking for somewhere new,” Cr Fowler said.

“We already have a great pool of talented people – who are leading innovative businesses, or waiting for an opportunity to work close to home – but there is a new energy in our city, and it’s being fuelled in part by Real.”

Want to know what’s on? Learn more out about Real Festival.