Brisbane EKKA Numbers Take a Dive, and It’s YOUR Fault!
The EKKA numbers were 30% down this year compared to last year, with reports suggesting that this is due to everyone being scared of getting the flu. Thats about 100,000 people who decided not to go this year.
Dr Vivian Edwards, President of RNA, was quoted, “I attribute (the poor crowds) not to the outbreak of the flu but to the perception of people that you are more likely to get infected but if that’s the perception it’s a very erroneous one”.
If that was the case, why was there a misperception? Is it OUR fault to percieve the EKKA as an event for catching the flu or was it the PR and Marketing companies fault to not sell the EKKA as THE place to be during August 7-18, as opposed to the place NOT TO BE?
I cringe at the thought of the big price hike next year for parents and children to fork out to pay for the exhibitors, sponsors who decided that it wasn’t the people’s fault for not turning up, but instead the organisers.
Brisbane Ekka & Coffee Club Fashion Parade 2007
This year there were two main fashion events which I was hoping to cover here on my website, the EKKA Coffee Club parades and the Mercedes Benz fashion festival.
Unfortunately I was not permitted a media pass to either events as this site isn’t classified by PR or marketing companies as a “bona-fide” media outlet. It amazes me the ignorance of so called “marketing” companies to deny the channel of independent internet publications. Is there not a market for selling the EKKA or Fashion online?
There is a misconception that internet websites/blogs are not an important enough channel to consider them individually to allow to document the event. I’ve documented a fair wack of fashion events and the EKKA previously which is still getting a lot traffic. Most notable was my documentation of the NRA Fashion award finals last year, QUT graduate parades, MSIT graduate parades, plus several other key events in Brisbane. Not only did I document them, but i’ve generated a lot of traffic for those event websites. Try searching for the following keywords in google typically I rank in the top 5.
“nra fashion parade”
“qut fashion parade”
“msit fashion parade”
Most fashion labels I have documented have also benefit from my internet marketing skills, where in some instances my article post about their label ranks higher than their company site for their label name search term.
Here are some traffic stats:
- During the month of July, I had a total 49,707 unique visitors to christianbowman.com.
- More than 17,397 of those visitors landed on my site searching for EKKA or Fashion related content.
- July was a fairly uneventful month in terms of online fashion and EKKA traffic. If I was to use the percentages from the EKKA and fashion season last year where that traffic was at 65%, then I could forecast that during the same season this year I would reach attract over 32,000 unique visitors.
Also note that whilst July was a high traffic month, it isn’t out of the ordinary, i’ve had steady growth over the year, during June this site attracted 43,087 unique visitors.
So my point is, how can anyone in the fashion industry not have me document them when traffic and leads are abundant on this site. I even have a large subscriber base on this site, I know the names of the people who look at my site, I value their support for the EKKA and Fashion events and so should the event organisers!
Anyways, even though I’m a bit disappointed in being restricted in documenting key events in Brisbane, I am still keen supporter of the EKKA and the EKKA fashion parades.
I would hate to see them disappear in the future as organisers refuse to do something different in marketing the event.
Here are the details – ONE DAY TO GO!
Brisbane EKKA
RNA Showgrounds – August 9-18, 2007
Gregory Terrace
Bowen Hills
Brisbane Qld 4006
Ph: 07 3852 1831
Email: enquiries@ekka.com.au
Hot Chicks at Bus Shelters
A couple of months ago, I was approached by the agency who is doing the EKKA campaigns to purchase some fashion photography from a parade I did.
Today I saw the photo at a bus shelter on Gregory Terrace in Spring Hill, then again on College Rd on some street banners heading towards Hale St.
Here is the photo that they chose, it wasn’t one of my best photos, but it did look good with some graphics around it.
Anyways, I was definitely curious as to how it would be used and I think it looks great what Axis Campaigns have done with it.
Transformer Explosion?
Read this vague report about a transformer exploding in New York, why do they persist in trying to keep transformers secret? It was so obvious that they “photoshopped” the transformer out of the picture and replaced it with smoke…
I mean, the movie is out, everyone knows they are here on earth.
Hopefully it isn’t Bumble Bee, because he’s my favourite. But as my good friend lauz pointed out, sif Bumble Bee would explode over a puff of steam? unless that steam had fluoride in it– and we all know how dangerous that is to transformers! Or do we?
I wonder if the other Decepticon transformers were the cause of this?
Hopefully some specifics will be released soon.
EDIT: subsequent to this post, the article CNN has removed any reference to transformers (electrical) and change the title from “transformer explosion”… to something boring…
Why doesn’t anyone take me seriously?
I’m going to put this post in point form to help make this easier to understand.
- I am friends with Glenn who I worked with at RSPCA QLD.
- Glenn went out with Jane
- Jane is best friends with Kimberley and Mila
- Kimberley and Mila Live at East Brisbane with Julia
- This was Julia’s circus themed birthday party
- Glenn and Jane were not in attendance
- I was there with Hayden and Marc (Elephant & Bear)
- I was also there with Beth and Natalie (Beth’s work colleague)
- Beth is the sister of Kate Bugden
- I was dressed up as a bearded woman
- That wasn’t my real beard, or hair
- I didn’t own the dress, nor did i have many options with design
- I did not have matching shoes, i wore thongs
- Rachel (who i went to uni with on the Gold Coast) was there
- I didn’t know Rachel was going to be there
- Rachel works with Kimberley at Freedom
- We drank Jager Bombs, Jack Daniels, Vodka Lemonade
The end. or is it?
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Pinata Party – Ground Level, Substation No4
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Saturday night was my Pinata Birthday Party event, held at Ground Level, Substation No4, Petrie Terrace in Brisbane.
It was an unusual event to have in the first place, let alone a 27th birthday! However, I love throwing parties, and I haven’t had much opportunity to have many this year.
After a few phone calls, looking for places which would allow pinatas, I found Substation No4. Thanks to Bec, my work colleague, I booked the venue for June 23rd.
To pay for the venue, I knew I’d have to have a cover charge of $20. This covered the venue, frozen cocktail machine, spirits for the machine, wine, food, equipment, soft drink and most importantly the pinatas, toys, lollies and fillings!
There were 7 Pinatas in total, including the traditional bull, butterflies, a star, and a fish. Filled with over hundreds if not thousands of lollies which burst into the crowds when cracked open.
There were approximately 140 people in attendance for the evening, a record number for any private party i’ve held so it was great to see that turn-out.
Anna Weatherup and Dale Carmody both played acoustic sets for the guests, whilst Cameron & Patrick gave the crowd a blast from the past rendition of “Ice Ice Baby”.
Mum was at the event helping out (in a big way), taking care of the food, greeting guests, decorating the venue and being the official photographer for the night. Thank you mum!
Amanda and my brother Ellery also played their part, by helping with decorations and checking guests as they arrived off the list.
The frozen cocktail machine consisted of Magarita on one side and Strawberry Daiquiri on the other. This machine was supplied by CitySlush
I had chairs, tables and the bain-marie supplied by All-Well Hire.
Finger food was supplied by Harry’s on Petrie Tce and Pizza was supplied by Pizza Hut.
Wristbands were supplied by AAC Wristbands
Pinata’s were supplied by Spotlight
Lollies and confectionary were supplied by Tom’s Confectionary Warehouse
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