The Rockhampton Show returns back to the community. What a peculiar way to explain that the Rockhampton Agricultural and Citizens Show Society (RACSS) would be organising the Show next year not the Council. Isn’t the Council an instrument of the community! Anyway it will be interesting to see what changes RACSS will introduce in 2015.
An idea; lower the entry fee and charge additional fees for patrons to access certain pavilions or sections of the showgrounds that they particularly want to see. The days of being all things to everyone are over. People want customised experiences. Customise the show experience. If you are going to feature an expensive entertainment act, charge a separate admission fee for those who want to see it. Lease an area of the grounds to all the caravan, camper trailer and associated businesses on the basis they get half of the separate admission fee on a square metre basis. Showcase Central Queensland at the show but in a more interactive way. Instead of just showing produce let people sample it. Charge a separate admission upon entering a dedicated Food Hall where you can taste test a range of CQ grown food. Want to see the fashion parade but concerned about getting a seat, pay for it, then afterwards try on what you like and buy it, not try to remember what store it came from. Want to know more about information technology, pay to sit in on an information session and then visit the retailers in the dedicated pavilion. If you don’t want any of this just pay the entry fee, watch the grand parade, see the animals, immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of showside alley. Choosing what rides, show bags and games your money is spent on customise the showside alley experience, so why not the whole show. Lower entry prices might attract more people and the separate admission fees to specific areas may make it more attractive for CQ businesses to exhibit there. It’s a new slate so why not organise the Show differently. All the best to the RACSS committee, here’s to the 2015 Show being a huge success.