Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 2021 has taken out two awards at the Australian Event Awards. The visually stunning 10-night festival held in Alice Springs, Mparntwe, was awarded Best Regional Event and Best Achievement in Marketing or Communications.
At a time when events across the world were being cancelled due to COVID-19, Parrtjima 2021 was a huge success, attracting 15,300 unique visitors and generating a Total Expenditure Stimulus of more than $11.5 million for the Territory economy. Almost $10 million of this was new money.
Parrtjima is the only authentic Aboriginal light festival of its kind, and uses the newest technology to share ancient stories. It is delivered by the Northern Territory Government through Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC) and Creative Directors AGB Events. NTMEC CEO Tim Watsford said the festival is a unique event on the Australian calendar.
“The Territory is home to plenty of experiences you can’t find anywhere else in the country and Parrtjima is a shining example,” he said. “For 10 nights every year Parrtjima takes visitors on a journey of wonder through largescale light installations, including a lightshow on the ancient MacDonnell Ranges, plus a busy program of talks, art, workshops, music, performance and more. It’s fantastic to see this event and all it offers recognised on a national scale.”
The theme for the Parrtjima 2021 marketing campaign, developed with Marketforce North, was ‘Be Changed’. The campaign featured Parrtjima artworks projected onto people, to highlight how the festival is an immersive experience that changes those who visit. It helped attract 15,300 unique visitors, with thousands travelling to the stunning Red Centre from across Australia specifically to experience Parrtjima.
The Australian Event Awards recognise the very best across the nation’s events industry. The judges said it is clear to see how much love goes into Parrtjima.
“Congratulations on a well-executed program and campaign of marketing activity. It’s clear this is a project you have given a lot of love and attention to,” they said. “This celebration of storytelling, art, culture and music is growing year on year and continues to deliver a truly unique event experience. Congratulations!”
Watch the Parrtjima announcements here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0RrG2Y302c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fo2nWxHHkI
