Organising an event for the Australian Heritage Festival?

So, you’d like to organise an event that celebrates our heritage for the future? Welcome aboard. We’d love to have your event be part of the Australian Heritage Festival.

You could be showing a film screening, hosting a book reading, organising a walking tour or a guided tour of an historic place. You may be getting all dramatic about heritage and taking it to the stage with a theatre production. Foodies might be planning a bake off using the traditional ingredients of a particular chapter of history or a food fair that celebrates the diversity of your local community’s culture. Putting on an art or photography exhibition? Terrific. Hosting a seminar or workshop – no problem. Planning on doing any of that virtually? Then organise your Facebook live or Zoom details and we’re happy to bring people to you.

Here’s what you need to know and what you need to do.

What events can or can’t be included in the Australian Heritage Festival?

First and foremost we’re only requesting event organisers to register your event providing you can adhere to the COVID-safe government guidance in your state, please visit your state’s webpage using the ‘festival near me’ tab at the top to see the current restrictions and rules.

To get started we recommend that organisers consider how your event brings the annual theme for the Australian Heritage Festival to life. For 2021, the theme for the Australian Heritage Festival is: ‘Our Heritage for the Future’.

Events must also take place within the dates of the Australian Heritage Festival, which is 18 April – 19 May.

For the first time ever we’re also encouraging digital events that have brought heritage to life and adapted the story of our history into the 21^st Century, to come forward and register. As we are all too well aware, 2021 has been a year of virtual meetings, quizzes, award ceremonies and much more – so if your event is online and still active, let us send you some traffic!

What support does the National Trust provide for event organisers participating in the Australian Heritage Festival?

Registering your event for the Australian Heritage Festival connects you with likeminded organisations and individuals across the nation who see all aspects of heritage as important, enriching, valuable and worth celebrating with the community. As if that isn’t enough – you also get to have your event promoted on the Australian Heritage Festival website, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year looking for heritage events near them.

The National Trust will also promote events on social media and when you tag the National Trust in your social media stories and use the festival hashtag – we’ll like and share your event with the wider heritage-loving community (just a hint, the hashtag this year is #Heritage4Future).

There’s more. This page provides you with all links to helpful checklists, downloads and guidelines. If you do need additional support or have questions, please feel free to contact the Australian Heritage Festival coordinator in your state. Their details are in your Event Organiser’s Guide, or in the contact tab at the top of this page.

What are these checklists, toolkits and guidelines of which you speak? And exactly what can I count on for promotion?

When you register in the Australian Heritage Festival, you will get:

A dedicated listing on the Australian Heritage Festival website, which will open to the public in early 2021.
and the Australian Heritage Festival Facebook page Events section,
Access to a promotional kit, including: a downloadable poster, social media tiles and banners.
A communications kit which includes suggested social media messages for Facebook and Twitter, and a media release template.
A link to COVID safe government guidelines.

An Event Organiser Toolkit.

Media coverage of the festival following the promotion of our National Launch.

Promotion across the Australian Heritage Festival social media pages and feeds.

Signature events or events with ‘something special’ will receive additional support.

Access to logos, posters, marketing and social media tips and a media release template.

Information on organising your event, checklists, guides and much more below.

Support from your State Co-ordinator. You can find their contact information here.

Download and Print

The Official Australian Heritage Festival Style Guide – please adhere carefully to the official Australian Heritage Festival brand guidelines and use the logo as specified.

The Australian Heritage Festival Theme Guide.

Download a copy of the Australian Heritage Festival logo.

Download a copy of the National Trust logo.

Australian Heritage Festival social media tiles.

Planning

Organising an event

Event organiser’s checklist

Getting the Word Out

Marketing your event on social media

Media Release Template for Event Organisers – coming soon

Running Your Event Safely

Safe work method statement