News Articles...
5. Acoustic Busk-A-Thon Proves An Absolute Fun-A-Thon
4. Australian Songwriters Conference - The Experts Arrive
3. Grinders Central Coast Italian Festival
2. Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort Finalists in The Central Coast Business Awards
1. Cinema Helps Council Win Award
5. Acoustic Busk-A-Thon Proves An Absolute Fun-A-Thon
In conjunction with the Australian Songwriters Conference, the first Central Coast Busk-a-thon was organised at Ettalong Beach. Gosford Council in conjunction with Raw Music & Media Group, worked together to promote and provide registration for acoustic buskers to perform outside Ettalong CBD and the small shops along Ocean View Rd to Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort.
Winners were announced in the afternoon at the EBTResort’s stunning Italian Piazza. Residents, business staff and visitors enjoyed immensely the talent and skills shown by the amateur singers and musicians and the youngest amongst the bunch proved to be the winners! The atmosphere the soul stirring and enjoyable music provided for shoppers or passers by was fantastic and a few laughs were had along the way with the relaxed buskers entertaining the crowds with their humour shown in their words and music!
The organisers are working on extending the busk-a-thon throughout the coast and incorporating all styles of entertainment not just acoustic buskers.
Join in the fun next year on JUNE 9 to JUNE 13, 2011.
Enquiries Gosford Council or Raw Music & Media Group.
4. Australian Songwriters Conference - The Experts Arrive
The 3rd annual Australian Songwriters Conference was held over the June long weekend at Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort. Songwriters as far away as the US arrived for a 4 day stay and days filled with song pitching and guidance from songwriters whose works have been published and sung by some of the most memorable and famous singers. The public are welcomed to the evening open mic sessions where they can join the conference attendees and show off their talent to an audience, helping build their performance confidence. Each year the number of attendees grows and the faculty are graced with famous songwriters more than willing to share their experience and skills with the participants.
The 4th annual Australian Songwriters Conference is on again JUNE 9 to JUNE 13, 2011.
Join the passionate attendees on your path to stardom! Enquiries: Lisa 0412 149 094
3. Grinders Central Coast Italian Festival
Held at the beginning of April 2010, the inaugural Central Coast Italian Festival was a huge success with Grinders Coffee being the main sponsor and introducing their Gian Carlo Italian coffee. The event seemed a natural progression to highlight the Italian inspired resort containing a 6 screen cinema, European style market and a stunning piazza being the centrepiece, adorned with Italian Renaissance paintings and complete with fountains. The festival celebrated all things Italian such as cars, fashion, dance, sport including Bocce, travel, language and culture, food, wine plus offered cooking and coffee classes. Italian films and singers plus a DJ entertained the masses and an appearance by the “Godfather of Ettalong” to officially open the festival and judge in the pizza topping and pasta eating competition proved a crowd pleaser. It will be on again next year – Saturday April 30 & Sunday May 1, 2011!
2. Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort Finalists in The Central Coast Business Awards
Details coming soon...
1. Cinema Helps Council Win Award
Gosford Council has won a communications award thanks to the help of a local cinema, according to Gosford mayor Cr Chris Holstein.
He has thanked Ettalong Cinema Paradiso for its help in promoting Gosford Council's beach safety campaign.
The campaign has since been awarded an Excellence in Communication Award at the RH Dougherty Communication Awards of the Local Government and Shires Association.
Cr Holstein said the Peninsula cinema had provided financial support in ensuring the success and implementation of the beach safety campaign over last summer.
He said more than 200 cinema adverts of the beach safety message were shown every week throughout the campaign.
"I am very proud to announce council's achievement in winning the award," Cr Holstein said.
"This could not have been done without the generous support of local businesses and organisations such as the Ettalong Cinema Paradiso.
"Council's submission in the prestigious awards was its 08/09 beach safety campaign, which focused on educating the two million plus beach goers who visit the area annually, on how to be safe on Gosford City beaches."
Cr Holstein said that evaluation of the campaign revealed that the beach safety message was not only seen by the target market, but also that the safety messages were understood and acted upon.
"In 2008 rescues outside the flags totalled 1577 and in 2009 that total fell to just 445 rescues," Cr Holstein.
"This 71 per cent reduction in rescues is made even more remarkable when assessed with the full knowledge of the huge increase in beach goers, perhaps due to the better weather experienced in 08/09 season.
"Beach visits rose from 1.2 million in 07/08 to almost double with 2.2 million visiting the beach in 08/09."
According to Cr Holstein, the multimedia campaign featured a message of positive reinforcement of the right things to do at the beach to be safe, rather than a 'do not' approach.
He said judges commented that the campaign featured a very clear and well-targeted beach safety message that had terrific reach, a real impact on safety and awareness and with a very modest budget.
Cr Holstein said he was extremely proud of the efforts of Gosford council staff which contributed to the success of the campaign.
"The Gosford City Local Government Area encompasses some 50km of coastline with magnificent stretches of beach," Cr Holstein said
"Our dedicated team of Professional Council Lifeguards, in partnership with our nine resident Surf Life Saving Clubs, patrol from Wamberal in the north to Umina in the south.
"Together we provide patrols for seven months a year at nine stretches of beach.
"This award recognises the ability, resourcefulness and creativity of the staff that make up our Leisure and Lifestyle Unit and their ability to create value for commercial media partners, who in turn have utilised their resources to get our safety message to a mass market during a period of peak beach usage."
Clare Graham, 7 Aug 2009 Interviewee: Cr Chris Holstein, Gosford Council Press release, 7 Aug 2009 Cr Chris Holstein, Gosford Council
