An unique winery live performance starring a preferred UK singer has triggered a significant public outcry after it was revealed the occasion was funded by taxpayers.
Among the company invited to Sam Smith’s non-public gig on the d’Arenberg Cube in South Australia’s prime wine area final week have been influencers, TV personalities and well-known names from throughout the nation.
However, nearly all of the South Australian public drew the quick straw, as their tax funds went to funding the occasion with out the chance to buy tickets.
On Monday, SA Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison informed reporters the “exciting opportunity with Sam Smith” was a part of a plan to carry tourism ranges again to their pre-Covid glory.
“Obviously, people have some questions about it, but what I look at is this is exactly what we‘re looking at when we’re building back our tourism economy,” Ms Bettison mentioned.
Ms Bettison revealed 205 company have been paid for by taxpayers – together with flights and lodging – and radio stations have been paid to run competitions.
“My job is to build tourism in South Australia,” she mentioned.
“My job is to guide, my job is to go on the market and have a look at nice alternatives. This was a type of alternatives, and we‘re gonna go out there and promote our state and build tourism to get to $12.8bn by 2030.”
Joining the ticket winners were 90 influencers and media personalities.
“This is the new way of marketing,” Ms Bettison said.
“We‘ve got to go out there and do things differently.
“I mean, Sam Smith has 35 million followers on his Instagram, and 714 million people were reached by his time here in South Australia.”
She said the advertising value equivalent was $14m.
“This is a measure of the free media you got that we did not pay for,” she said.
When asked what the gig cost, Ms Bettison said there were confidentiality agreements in place but assured it was “a lot less than the million dollars that has been proposed”.
She said in the last five weeks, people had the chance to win tickets to the event.
Ms Bettison was queried about flights and accommodation for interstate influencers and said about 40 were paid for from tourism sector funding.
“Part of the agreement was to include Sam Smith and his crew, and of course those influencers as well,” she said.
“When we look for different influencers, we look for diverse influencers, people who have significant followings. I think they have a protocol that they follow. It’s not solely simply concerning the quantity of followers and posts, it’s the interactions with these posts as nicely, so there are explicit formulation that they have a look at. But what’s actually vital is having a range of expertise that we join with as nicely.”
She mentioned some meals and drinks have been offered however didn’t have the precise particulars of what company acquired on the occasion.
However, in posts shared on social media by one influencer who attended, sufficient free drinks have been offered to get them “messed up”.
Frustrated Aussies took to Twitter to share their disapproval of the taxpayer-funded occasion.
“How about they highlight other areas in the state? All South Australians apparently paid for Sam Smith so send them somewhere different,” mentioned one person.
“This is unacceptable!” mentioned one other.
“How much of OUR money was used to host an invite-only event?”
Ms Bettison mentioned the “innovative opportunity” was offered by Frontier Touring.
“My focus is on growing tourism here,” she mentioned.
“This is the new way – this is a new way of attracting people here who have lots and lots of followers who post and have that influence. This is what we’ve got to do to get back to where we were and get beyond.”
