Fairfax takes aim at kids market with launch of Essentials Kidtopia Sydney festival
Fairfax Media has made a major movie into children’s events, partnering with Destination NSW to launch the Essential Kids Kidtopia Festival in October.
The move is an expansion of the publisher’s events parenting mix under the Essential’s banner.
The festival, to be held in Parramatta Park, has the backing of the NSW tourism body for the next three years.
More than 6,000 interstate visitors are expected to travel to the event with the festival predicted to be worth $1.43m to the local economy.
The launch of the festival is the latest initiative under Fairfax Life Media & Events managing director Andrew McEvoy.
Last year Fairfax extended its reach into the events sector as an alternate revenue stream to its media business, buying Australian Openair Cinemas for an undisclosed sum.
In 2014 the division also acquired the Baby & Toddler Show.
McEvoy said the new festival was a great opportunity to create something that would lure visitors to Western Sydney from around the country.
“The aim is to build Australia’s pre-eminent kids and family festival in Western Sydney – making it a must visit place for families from regional NSW, interstate and overseas,” McEvoy said.
Attractions at Kidtopia Festival will include live music and entertainment, outdoor cinema, silent disco, fun fair, farmyard animals, sporting activities, arts and crafts, food stalls and masterclasses.
Simon Canning
Fairfax branching into film is a very interesting challenge, keen to see what this “major movie” will be.
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Oh dear. The more Fairfax invests money and resources and energy and focus into these offshoot ventures the more it loses focus on its core product. Maybe Fairfax should just sell of the distracting newspapery bits of its business and rebrand itself as Fairfax Events..?
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Bring it back to the journalism, is it that hard?
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Welcome to Fairfax Dismaland
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Well done, makes sense.
“Nawson” – it’s called a brand extension
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