The Edinburgh Inquirer’s Post

Thank you BDmagAU. Bring on the North Australian Concert Hall. We are ready. …Similarly, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM), which was born in Townsville three decades ago, continues to be a key economic driver in the region every year. The total spending associated with the AFCM in Queensland amounted to $9.32 million in 2023 and saw a return of $3.28 million in the state. Notably, 80% of this economic impact was felt in the Townsville region. Yet, arts organisations like AFCM are also facing challenges with financial constraints and the need for adequate infrastructure, which Executive Director Ricardo Peach says is vital to sustaining their growth, particularly amidst the current cost-of-living crisis. “Organisations like ours undergo cycles,” says Ricardo. “We receive a set amount of government funding that isn’t indexed. As inflationary pressures persist, our costs rise, so arts industries need local busineses and the broader community to support us now more than ever. “AFCM attracts many visitors not just from across Australia but also internationally. Infrastructure is essential for us and other local creative industries to ensure we can have a bigger piece of the pie and bring artistic and cultural events all year round, which, of course, would have a flow-on effect for the economy.” In the 2023/24 Townsville City Council budget, $45.7 million was assigned to community support programs, libraries, visual and performing arts, galleries, and events. Bolstering this, the Queensland Government allocated $50 million for a new concert hall, adding to the $100 million already granted from the Federal Government in 2021. This pending construction, while promising, highlights ongoing debates about resource allocation and the lack of performance venues for both amateur and professional organisations. However, it is a good indicator that the city is being recognised Queensland-wide for the artistic talent that is being cultivated in the region… Townsville City Council Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts Arts Queensland Townsville Enterprise (TEL)

Arts needs funding, business support of the arts is imperative, but purists are threatening this fragile sponsorship market. Money is never black and white, but this activism may be doing more harm than good. #ArtsFunding #Partnerships https://lnkd.in/guCdQsnq

Taking imperfect action has far more impact than staying idle when it comes to minimising our footprint on the planet. 🌍 We're interested to learn about the steps you're taking to reduce your own or your business's environmental impact. Share your initiatives with us in the comments below! We're continuously seeking inspiration to enhance our sustainability efforts. By collaboratively and exchanging ideas, we can amplify our collective impact and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future. 💚 Let's join forces and make a difference together! #decarbonisation #skdcnetzero #marketingdifference #businessmatters

The UK’s 2024 festival season is off to a rocky start, with over 40 events either cancelled or postponed this year already. This is perhaps unsurprising with the many unknowns that festival organisers face; just think of the good old British weather! Considering the level of uncertainty faced by festival organisers, there has never been a greater need for cash reserves. It is little wonder, therefore, that Glastonbury Festival’s Company Accounts showed cash reserves of over £6 million last year. However, for those businesses not holding an outdoor event for over 200,000 people who are quite literally “saving for a rainy day”, then having too much cash on the books can be problematic as far as inheritance tax is concerned, thanks to the restrictions on inheritance tax relief that apply to “excepted assets”. Read the full article here https://lnkd.in/eQyeFzGJ #PrivateClient #PrivateWealth #InheritanceTax #Estates #Trusts #Wills

Watch out! There will be some noise about. Great article Ben Adler! SLR Consulting

MANCHESTER UNSPUN - WEBINAR 18 JUNE 2pm - 3pm UK TIME (EVENTBRITE BOOKING LINK IN COMMENTS)   Following our March webinar ‘Lessons Learnt from Rock ‘n Roll’ with Tony Michaelides we continue with a session from cultural journalist and PR and communications consultant extraordinaire Andrew Spinoza on the culture of a great city: Manchester, the original modern city (where Tony’s music industry PR and radio work began.)   Why Manchester? It’s an enthralling example of how to resurrect something which is seriously failing - as the city was in the 1970s - and turn it into a successful global brand, buoyed up on a wave of bands like New Order, Joy Division, Simply Red, the Smiths, Oasis and the Stone Roses. A place which thinks ‘tables are for dancing on’   Culture is not just about countries but has many layers – one of which is cities (ask Italians about the importance of this!) Even if you’ve never been to Manchester, its resurrection teaches universally applicable lessons about change, renewal, and branding rooted in an intensely distinctive local phenomenon.   Andy’s 2023 book ‘Manchester Unspun: how a city got high on music’ was described by the Guardian as ‘coolly analytical, exceptionally well-informed, and hugely entertaining’   Make a diary note for 18 June 2pm - 3 pm UK time. #change #renewal #branding

The UK’s 2024 festival season is off to a rocky start, with over 40 events either cancelled or postponed this year already. This is perhaps unsurprising with the many unknowns that festival organisers face; just think of the good old British weather! Considering the level of uncertainty faced by festival organisers, there has never been a greater need for cash reserves. It is little wonder, therefore, that Glastonbury Festival’s Company Accounts showed cash reserves of over £6 million last year. However, for those businesses not holding an outdoor event for over 200,000 people who are quite literally “saving for a rainy day”, then having too much cash on the books can be problematic as far as inheritance tax is concerned, thanks to the restrictions on inheritance tax relief that apply to “excepted assets”. Read the full article here https://lnkd.in/eW5qMM6r #PrivateClient #PrivateWealth #InheritanceTax #Estates #Trusts #Wills

With the sun shining there's one thing on my mind- FESTIVAL SEASON. But with ticket costs at record high, and 36 festivals cancelling/postponing in 2024 so far, with ~100 predicted, the crisis has been cited as worse than Covid (John Roston, AIF CEO). To quell the doom and gloom I wanted to highlight a few campaigns aiming to buck these alarming trends, interested to hear of any others too! Drop the Headliner is one such campaign that's gained some traction, with SGP adopting the scheme this week . When one headliner can easily cost £100,000+, dropping just one big act can either save money or allow for better allocation of funds to improve experience. UK Music, a collective industry voice, are urging the UK government to cut VAT on tickets from 20% to 10% to bring them in line with the average EU rate. Whereas the Association of Independent Festivals is calling for this to drop to 5% for 3 years to offer a relief buffer. https://lnkd.in/eTDPCX-y. https://lnkd.in/eXWXJVXW https://lnkd.in/e3sUtqsj

GigPig is proud to support Michael Kill and the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) as we both champion the hospitality, night-time, and music industries. Amid mounting challenges for the sector, the NTIA is launching the hashtag #TheLastNightOut campaign to demand government action to save the UK's club scene and night-time economy—an essential part of British culture and identity. The Crisis: • UK clubs could vanish by December 31, 2029. • Since March 2020, 37% of clubs have closed—equating to three clubs per week or 150 annually. How You Can Help: • Sign the Petition: Rally support and sign the petition below • Email Your MP: Urge your local MP to advocate for this cause in Parliament. NTIA's Demands: • Long-term financial support for nightclubs. • Cultural protection for iconic venues, akin to galleries or museums. • Policy reforms in licensing and planning laws. Join the movement and help preserve a cornerstone of our amazing UK culture!

Between the millions of vacant square feet in commercial real estate to the now-elusive “third place”, membership clubs are on the rise, and they are starting to look much different than the buttoned up clubs of the past. We’re starting to see an emergence of clubs where ‘exclusivity’ is defined by interest and expertise, rather than size of bank account and social status. A members-only club becomes valuable when it has a purpose - when it’s producing connections and projects. As much as I’d love an Aman membership, I’m excited to see how the future of private clubs evolves, and to see them become a place where ideas are born. Phlote is doing it best: https://phlote.xyz/ Also read:  Members Only Mania: Why Are More Private Clubs Popping Up in New York?  https://lnkd.in/enS9ERMm