Mardi Gras to reinvent party

New Mardi Gras (NMG) will hold a series of consultations to bring in new ideas for its annual party and future festivals.

The first Project Reinvention consultation is this Saturday at 11am at the new ACON premises, 414 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills.

The process will be run by the organisation’s marketing and communications manager Damien Eames and will seek community and creative talent feedback to benchmark it against other major events.

“We’re really seeking to develop a new model which we can work towards over several years,” Eames said.

“It’s a big priority for the organisation and this project is a key to making that happen by identifying where we can invest in the Party and hope to make a return by drawing in more audiences and improving the experience to bring people back year after year.

“We have extensive surveying and focus group insights to draw from with respect to Mardi Gras Party over the last couple of years. However what we don’t have is a good picture of our audience.

“We want to look at the needs of the young, the female, the alternative, the Bears, the party boys, the retired-from-the-sceners and so forth and try to play with the formula to see if we can get a more appealing balance for as many as possible.

“It’s also clear that we have to pay much more attention to the details. The big scenic and shows are a key aspect of the Party, but we’ve got to pay more attention to the experience of partygoers, wherever they are, whether it’s at the gates, between the halls, toilets, getting a drink and also think in terms of the journey across the night.

info: www.mardigras.org.au/party