Industry resolve to get Sydney’s night-time economy back on track is strengthening following the release of the Committee for Sydney’s 24 Hour City report earlier this week.
The report contained a number of recommendations to government about how to address Sydney’s night-time issues, including the appointment of a Night-Time Minister or Commissioner.
The timing of the report’s release, ahead of the first public hearing into the music and arts economy by Parliament on Monday, is likely to add further pressure on the NSW Government to fundamentally reassess its approach to the state’s night-time economy, including the current lockout regime.
Senior industry leaders from a broad range of organisations spanning arts, entertainment and hospitality are taking the opportunity to come together at the Kings Cross Hotel on Monday from 5pm to get an update on the Parliamentary Inquiry and identify what further work can be done to achieve change.
Organiser Michael Rodrigues, Managing Director, Time Out Australia, told TheShout: “It looks like it’s going to be a meeting of the five families. We are seeing registrations for the event from senior personnel across Restaurant & Catering, Music NSW, Live Nation, the festival sector, Small Bars Association, UNSW and arts organisations including Bell Shakespeare and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre among others.
“While it’s right for us to be asking hard questions of government, industry equally bears a responsibility to ask itself what it could be doing better. How well do our artistic institutions collaborate or communicate with the hospitality sector? Do festival producers work to support existing venues, or do they compete with them? Do all the stakeholders in a night-time experience (transport, hospitality, arts and entertainment) work together to deliver a compelling offering to consumers to get off the couch? Or are they collectively defeated by the ease, convenience and price point of Netflix and a gourmet burger via Deliveroo?
“Growing night-time economies in other parts of the world such as Berlin, Melbourne and Amsterdam are increasingly characterised by cross-sector collaboration, as well as co-operation with government in matters of policing, public health and transport. We don’t have that here. We need it, and Monday night represents an opportunity for industry to have that discussion while we turn the temperature up on the state’s governing bodies.”
Following Monday’s Parliamentary public hearing, the meeting at 5pm at the Kings Cross Hotel is an opportunity for the industry to address the concerns raised by Rodrigues and to formulate plans to work together in order to re-invigorate Sydney’s night-time economy. Everyone with any kind of interest in a vibrant night-time economy is encouraged to attend the meet-up: you can register at RightToDance.