How to Leverage Off Local and Major Events

Local events are brilliant for bringing a burst of energy into our towns and villages. From food and wine weekends to markets, exhibitions, open gardens, festivals, and live music, they showcase our region to fresh eyes and new audiences.

Likewise, Melbourne’s major festivals, sporting events and the like are also big drawcards for the city.

But here’s the catch: plenty of visitors come for the headline moment and then head straight home once it’s done or they linger around the CBD looking for activities to fill their itinerary.

That’s where the opportunity sits for you. With a little planning, you can turn event-day foot traffic into day trips, longer stays, extra bookings, stronger spend, and visitors who come back (and bring friends and family next time).

Below are just a few ways to make local as well as major events work harder for your business.

Think beyond the event day

Events are the drawcard, but the real win is what happens before and after.

Stretch the stay: Offer a ‘stay an extra night’ incentive, a midweek add-on, or a bonus for multi-night bookings.

Make exploring easy: Share a simple ‘before you go’ mini-itinerary with nearby places to dine, browse and wander.

Match the mood: Create an event-inspired special, a ‘next day recovery’ option, or a small takeaway keepsake that helps visitors remember their trip.

Work together to create bigger value

Collaborations with other businesses can turn a nice idea into a can’t-miss package.

Bundle up: Pair your offer with another local experience, tasting, workshop or tour. Activities can also team up with accommodation to create stay-and-play packages that make it easy for visitors to book the whole getaway in one go.

Cross-promote: Swap social shoutouts, share each other’s event-week offers, and pop flyers or QR codes on counters (easy wins, low effort).

Be visible to visitors

A lot of event decisions are last-minute, mobile, and made between one venue and the next. If you’re hard to find, you’re easy to skip.

Keep your social media and Google presence fresh and accurate with correct hours, updated photos, and clear location details. Don’t forget to share your event-week specials, availability, and ‘walk-ins welcome’ messaging on socials.

Stay on the radar locally: Make sure visitor information services and local networks know what you’re offering during key weekends.

Capture new customers and keep them coming back

Event visitors are already in discovery mode. Help them stay connected and give them a reason to return. Encourage them to join your mailing list, offer a bounce-back voucher or future booking discount.

Follow up while the glow is still there. A friendly thank-you email with a ‘make sure to come back in autumn/winter/spring nudge and a thank you discount code or special return package can work wonders.

Share your local story

People come to the event, but they remember the place. Showcase what’s local: feature regional produce, makers, creatives and flavours where you can.

Create photo moments: A small backdrop, a special view, a playful sign, a ‘tag us here’ spot, or something seasonal that guests want to share.

Get the whole team involved: Encourage staff to offer genuine recommendations and suggestions. Local pride is contagious.

Plan ahead (future you will thank you)

The best time to prepare for an event is well before it begins. Line up your offers, tidy up your online presence, and brief your team so you’re ready for event day.

Events can absolutely deliver a short-term spike, but with a bit of intention, they can also spark long-term loyalty, repeat visits, and stronger local connections.

Ask yourself, what can we do to keep visitors exploring just a little longer? Even small tweaks can make a big difference.

**adapted with thanks, from resources created by Murray Regional Tourism