Alice Springs’ renowned light spectacular, Parrtjima – A Festival in Light, this month provided a perfect example of how business events can leverage festivals or major events to create inspiring outcomes.
Northern Territory Convention Bureau (NTCB) recently hosted a group of 11 business event planners from Australia’s health sector, coinciding with opening night of the festival.
Participants gained insights into Aboriginal culture and community spirit and experienced first-hand how an event like Parrtjima can deliver cultural learnings, whilst providing a distinct setting for a conference welcome or social function.
The 10-day Parrtjima Festival was staged across two precincts, Todd Mall and Alice Springs Desert Park, where a two-kilometre stretch of the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges acted as the backdrop for the light show.
During the visit to Alice Springs, the famil participants also visited a range of health sector facilities, including Purple House, an Indigenous-owned and run remote dialysis clinic and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Feedback from delegates was extremely positive, with Samantha Hunter, CEO at Occupational Therapy Australia, saying Parrtjima was a highlight of the program.
“I think the Parrtjima light show was an extraordinary event which showcased the MacDonnell Ranges and the Indigenous culture,” she said.
“I also thought that the famil to the Royal Flying Doctor Service was outstanding and to have access behind the scenes was invaluable in informing our future event planning.”
