The next installment of the Margaret River Gourmet Escape food festival rolls into town this November, and event organisers are calling for venues to consider creating festival ‘fringe’ events to further highlight quality produce, wine and dining in the region.
Hannah Pike of IMG Culinary, the group responsible for delivery of the festival said taking part in the 3 day event was an opportunity for venues and businesses to capitalise on crowds heading to region, with the chance to feature in promotional campaigns.
“In 2015, more than 18,000 enthusiasts attended Margaret River Gourmet Escape and enjoyed the wonderful array of local gourmet delights on offer,” Ms Pike said.
“We encourage new wineries, venues, producers, caterers and suppliers to get together and create an event that we will then include in our national and international marketing campaigns.”
“This is a great opportunity for local businesses to put themselves in front of their target audience."
Venues must meet criteria to be eligible to be included as an official Gourmet Escape fringe event – the event must be held in November, must be unique to Gourmet Escape, and highlight the produce and dining experiences of Western Australia.
Organisations are encouraged to consider value for money and relevancy of the events to festival patrons to increase eligibility.
Producers and suppliers are also invited to participate in the Gourmet Village, the festival’s anchor event which sees thousands of food and wine lovers converge to sample a range of products.
Stands at the Gourmet Village start from $1210 for wineries and $1870 for producer stands (excluding taxes).
A number of pop up restaurants will sit alongside producer stands providing entertainment and food by chefs keen to dazzle the summer crowds.
This year’s Margaret River Gourmet Escape festival will kick off on November 18 and conclude November 20 and is expected to attract record numbers once again.
According to the State Government, the event has the potential to generate in excess of 30,000 room nights for accommodation providers and in previous years has generated millions of dollars in economic impact for the region.
The festival program, including headlining celebrity chefs and guests will be announced next month with tickets on sale soon after.
Venues keen to submit an application for a fringe event are asked to contact Ellen Ehrhardt-Smith at ellen.ehrhardt@img.com or by calling (02) 9285 8000.
To find out more about exhibiting at the 2016 Gourmet Village and various options for producers, contact IMG’s Will Oliver at will.oliver@img.com
Nicky Lefebvre
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
