Executive Summary
Introduction
The Darling Walk of Fame will be an installation like none other ever attempted in Australia and perhaps, the world. Drawing its inspiration from the world famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, it will pay tribute to the people who have helped “build Australia and put it on the map” internationally. Far more than just a homage to famous people, however, it will provide a complete picture of the Australian story that will be as much instructive as it is entertaining.
What is the Darling Walk of Fame?
The Walk
Established on Crown land in the midst of the bustling Darling Harbour precinct, the DWF will be free and open to everybody. A pathway that stretches from the Cockle Bay foreshore, through the area currently known as the Darling Walk and finishing at the entrance of Sega World, it will be divided up into four sections: The Past, The Present and The Future as well as the DWF Time Capsules. In each section of the DWF itself, paving stones will be laid that bear the names and if possible, hand and foot prints (and any other appendages deemed appropriate!) of those people that have made their mark in Australia in a significant way. At the end of the Walk, a series of time capsules will house a number of physical exhibits.
The Past section will honour our early explorers, adventurers and achievers in all fields of endeavour. The Present section will include names that are currently in the news: from Australia’s growing list of international movie stars and sporting heroes, to those people who have made a significant contribution to our community. Finally, The Future section will take visitors into the realms of imagination as we honour our fictional heroes and young Australians who are destined to make their mark in years to come.
Housed at the end of the pathway, the DWF Time Capsules will display a series of objects representing Australia’s multicultural community and honouring the enormous contribution they have made to Australia.
The ‘Virtual’ Monument
A feature that truly sets the DWF monument apart from any other will undoubtedly be the comprehensive package of multimedia tools and collateral material that will identify it in the virtual world. From written and electronic educational packages for school children, to web link-ups with the various paver laying ceremonies and web chats with some of the achievers being honoured in the Walk, the DWF will be a truly modern and multifaceted monument to Australia’s progress.
Funding
Sponsorship Packages
For the most part, the DWF will be funded by sponsorship. Sponsorship packages will be largely broken down into three groups:
Major Sponsorship
One or two large companies will fund a major part of the DWF. Possible candidates include media conglomerates such as Fairfax and ACP (the Packer Group is a major shareholder in both companies) or communications companies like Telstra. There are obvious, ‘in-kind’ benefits that can be incorporated in sponsorship arrangements of this type, particularly media groups that would bring a lot of valuable publicity to the relationship.
Major Sponsorship packages will run at around the $1 million mark. This figure will be broken down and distributed over a three-year period.
DWF Partnership
DWF Partners will support a particular icon and their inclusion in the DWF. Partners’ company names and/or logos will be tastefully engraved on the stone and a package of benefits covering the value of their commitment will be put together.
DWF Partnership packages will be offered for around $50,000 per paving stone and will be contracted for a period of three years. After this time the arrangement will be re-negotiated. With over ** stones in the DWF, we are expecting that at around ** can be raised from these packages.
The DWF Club
The final level of sponsorship that will be made available, the DWF Club is a philanthropic organisation that supports the DWF. Because individual names will not be publicised, membership will be structured in such a way as to allow for a 100% tax-deduction on each individual’s pledge. At this level, the general public can also become involved through personal pledges.
DWF Club members can become part of the DWF for a commitment upwards of $250 each.
Success of Sponsorship Drive
The popularity of the Darling Harbour precinct means that any sponsor of the DWF will enjoy benefits far beyond that which is currently on offer in the sponsorship market. The opportunity for brand recognition both on the installation itself and through the comprehensive media and marketing campaign that will accompany the DWF is proving irresistible to sponsors approached so far.
(Blurb on how Lyndsey is going)
Marketing & Media Campaigns – A Three-Phase Roll-Out
There will be three main phases to the rollout of the DWF. Strategies for marketing and media, as well as the building of the Walk itself will be systematically implemented over these three stages.
Phase One – The Launch
· Marketing at this level will involve advertising and public relations to establish awareness of the DWF and the upcoming launch. The launch itself will be major media and public event involving the laying of stones representing the highest profile icons. Wherever possible, living icons will be involved in the paver laying, imprinting their stones with their own personal marking.
· The Media strategy will begin around a month before the actual launch. Press Releases announcing icons that will be honoured will promote interviews and public debate. On the day of the launch, all major press and all relevant dignitaries will be invited, including the Premier and Prime Minister. Electronic and hard copy press kits will be distributed at the launch as well as being forwarded to media that couldn’t attend. The kits will include:
· Video & print news releases
· CD interviews & soundbites
· Electronic & hard copy photographs of the event.
· The DWF Website will be established in time for the opening and if possible, a live internet link-up will be organised on the day of the launch.
Phase Two – The First Year
· Regular Paver Laying Ceremonies will provide ongoing news
stories that will keep the DWF at the forefront of public attention. A handful of pavers and capsules will be laid at each ceremony, which will in turn be marked by a significant media and public event.
· A limited first release of DWF Merchandise will be marketed.
· The DWF Website will be expanded to include more information about the DWF, the icons honoured and initial merchandise on offer.
Phase Three – Full Development
· ‘Sound & Vision Pods’ can be established along the DWF where visitors can enjoy a more multi-dimensional experience.
· Educational Packages will be ready at the beginning of the second year. These packs will be primarily marketed to school groups, with added viability as merchandise that will appeal to families and tourists alike. The different types of packages that will be offered will include:
· Work books for school groups,
· CD-roms
· Audio guides
· Books
· Once a significant amount of pavers have been laid, the DWF can also then be marketed as a ‘Venue with a difference’ for related functions and corporate events.
Management
(Lyndsey – should this section be about who will be responsible for DWF? This would of course include SEGA and Artist Services agreement, but how should this be presented to Jack Fun?
Who Will the DWF Benefit?
SEGA World
Primarily, the DWF is designed to bring more people in to SEGA World. It will do this in two ways:
1. By Re-directing Existing Traffic Flow
The location of the DWF ensures that it provides a much-needed link between the Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay precincts and SEGA World. The Walk itself is designed in such a way that those who follow it will find themselves completing their journey right at the entrance to SEGA World.
- By Drawing a Whole New Audience
Comprehensive studies conducted by Darling Harbour (*FN) each year show that while the Darling Harbour precinct is the most popular tourist/leisure destination in NSW, there is still a lucrative audience yet to be tapped: those people that put museums, galleries and places of historical significance at the top of their list. This audience represents about 9% of the total number of people engaging in tourist/leisure pursuits.
The DWF is designed to appeal as much to this specific group as it no doubt will to a vast array of other demographics. The educational aspect of the DWF means that it will prove particularly popular with families and school groups, a feature that promises tangible benefits for SEGA World itself.
Darling Harbour
The Darling Harbour precinct will benefit in a number of ways from the installation of the DWF.
· An increase in audience levels to the precinct of around 9% (This figure doesn’t include expected increase in school groups).
· The opportunity for each stakeholder in the Darling Harbour to draw audiences from other parts of the precinct.
· A significant increase in media profile and a shift in the perception of the precinct: Darling Harbour will now also be seen as a place of great historical and social significance.
The Wider Community
The social significance of the DWF will permeate throughout Australian society, gaining momentum as the years go on. Ultimately, the DWF will provide the Australian people with:
· A place to honour their heroes
· A platform upon which the Australian identity can be discussed and
defined
· A means by which visitors and young people can learn some
important facts about Australia
· An example of all that is great about Australia and an inspiration to
further achievement.