Funding helping Henty Machinery Field Days evolve with new visitor experiences

Henty Machinery Field Days will step up its promotion of agritourism in the Riverina-Murray region and further increase its visitation reach thanks to NSW Government funding.

The nation’s single biggest agricultural event is one of 66 music, sports, food and cultural events across NSW to receive a share of $1.3 million in funding under the Regional Event Fund.

The fund, managed by Destination NSW, bolsters event organisers with equipment hire, venue hire, market research, photography, videography, publicity and marketing to attract out-of-region visitors.

Henty Machinery Field Days is one of the largest events held in the Destination Riverina Murray NSW region, contributing significantly to the region’s agritourism strategy through its promotion of agriculture. 

Henty Machinery Field Days chief executive officer Belinda Anderson welcomed the funding announcement, saying the $20,000 grant would be used to increase profile and encourage visitation to the 2024 event on September 17-19.

“HMFD provides an opportunity for growth of the region’s agritourism through its marketing plan which aims to attract visitors who have not been before,” Mrs Anderson said. 

“Alongside these visitors to agriculture, this marketing approach also provides opportunity to promote the region and the agritourism experiences available to visitors.”

Mrs Anderson said HMFD collaborated with Greater Hume Council on its aim to enhance economic activity by encouraging visitors to stay and spend locally, capture traffic on the two major highways, promote the shire to residents and visitors alike, and expand visitation from Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga and beyond.

“HMFD is a significant event in the Greater Hume Shire, promoting the region to all who visit the field days through their experience, along with the engagement of local businesses and fundraising opportunities for community groups.”

Mrs Anderson said it was important for the field days to continue to evolve by broadening its reach to visitors outside the agricultural sector.

She said the grant would assist in an increase in targeted marketing and promotion in the digital space, to encourage visitors to focus on the social connections experienced at the field days. 

Market research conducted in 2022 by Ballina based company, Destination Research found 45 per cent of visitors travelled more than 100km to the event, and 78 per cent indicated they had been to the event in previous years an average of nine times. 

“Henty has an established foothold on the agricultural calendar and receives strong support from businesses and visitors each year, however we do not rest on our laurels and aim to remain relevant and continually evolving,” Mrs Anderson said.

“We are broadening our appeal to those who may have never visited the field days and to plan their day off work to coincide with a visit to an event considered as a ‘must see’ by around 60,000 visitors each year.”