AWBF Event Stats and Deadlines

Festival Stats and Deadlines

It’s the largest wooden boat festival in the Southern Hemisphere and it takes two years to organise, but it continues an upward growth rate supported by the entire community, including Government, corporate sponsors and a tide of enthusiastic volunteers. Here are some of the latest facts and figures:

• The Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania agrees to an increase and continued funding for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival for 2017, 2019 and 2021.

• Hobart City Council continues its support for the AWBF with a cash grant and in-kind support for the 2017 event.

• The Commonwealth Government, through federal MP Andrew Wilkie’s office, grants infrastructure funding for a new purpose-built ramp for Constitution Dock.

• The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, through its Dutch Culture program and the Abel Tasman Cultural Exchange administered by the Dutch Embassy in Canberra, agrees to support the Dutch Project for the 2017 festival.

• Returning principal sponsors TasPorts, MyState, Wrest Point and Blundstone renew their support for the event.

• By August 2016, more than 260 boat owners have registered expressions of interest (EOIs) for water berths at the 2017 festival, six months in advance of the event.  EOIs for Boats Afloat close on 17 October.  Registrations for Boats Ashore continue to 12 December and Model Boats to 9 January 2017.

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  © Terry Sims | Australian Wooden Boat Festival

  Over 100 commercial maritime exhibitors, food, beverage and clothing vendors have registered to participate in the festival by as of August 2016.

• The projected operating budget for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2017 tops $1.4 million. The festival is confirmed as entirely free to the general public, as it has been since 2011.

• Attendance at the 2015 festival is confirmed at 220,000 over four days. In a comprehensive post-festival survey, statistics reveal that 40% of attendees are from interstate or overseas, driving a $60 million contribution to the Tasmanian economy.

• The 2015 AWBF attracts the largest corps of festival volunteers to date, with 435 registered volunteers.

• The festival wins Best Major Event in the 2015 Tasmanian Tourism Awards and is named one of Australia’s top three Major Festivals or Events in the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards 2015. In the 2015 Australia Day Awards, the festival is voted the Best Community Event of the Year by the Hobart City Council.

• Registrations for Not For Profit organisations will open on 29 August and registrations for Festival volunteers open on 3 October 2016. Both are accessible on-line.