IDEAS FOR 2020

Live music performance by a local band at the Curryfest event.

Either in cooking zone by a spices expert or a separate workshop on the Friday as an option for train people or during the following week (or both) we should do a spices workshop showing people how to grind their own spices and make their own curry powders. We could package and sell a basic spices ingredients pack ...maybe with and without mortar and pestle to add revenue...could hold it in new temple kitchens?

To reiterate Pam, signs at the gate to disclose where the entry fee goes- would take a lot of heat off the volunteers who are questioned. Simply, "Your $5 entry fee supports X Y Z volunteer groups who help make this event happen".

Just inside the main entrance we could have Jane Naidu and some of her dancers do some Indian dancing and teach some basic moves with the crowd for entertainment. This will be instead of roving performers and would add to the drama at the front entrance. A donation to the Dance School as well as a performance opportunity for students so a more cost effective option. They could do this say 3 times like 10am 12midday and 2pm for example.

I was situated on the Queen Street gate and copped a lot of abuse regarding access to Crazy Sams and the chemist. People were not happy they had to pay to access the shops, could easily be avoided with a similar fence set up as Beach Street. Create an alley for people to access the shops. Also the entry desk/ marquee could be arranged like a festival gate. People walk through a narrow lane to get in rather than open slather on the gate. It also rendered the tent, table and chairs useless for the volunteers because we had to stand in the way of the gate opening to stop people walking through.

See if an artisan baker would do a stall selling roti, naan of various flavours, dosa, puri and a range of other Indian breads for people to buy and eat or buy and take home

We definitely need a chai stall or mobile chai wallah...would go well near the stage area with a few chairs and tables around it....not too close...near the VIP area for Bollywood express passengers would be good

An Indian sweets and Indian Kulfi ice cream stall would be a good addition....several people asked if there were any Indian sweets....maybe hard to find

Market stall idea for one of the temple groups or even for the Sikh museum to raise some funds would be to have a stall where people can get their name written in Punjabi script for say $5. This would be a $75 stall and they could fund raise but it would add to the Punjabi flavour of the festival and would be quite popular....they would need their own volunteers but Satpal mentioned this once as something that could be possible. It would be variety re the turban tying tent and could be located next door.

As always, less market and more Indian stalls. Food, drinks, dessert and culture.

To also market local businesses we should produce a flyer with a list of options for people to have a drink and or dinner after the 5pm Curryfest end. Those who advertise on the flyer and social media in this way could kick in an amount of $30ish so we can cover flyer printing. Would be on the website too and maybe the APP as well. The flyers can be handed out at gates as people leave and other areas such as the merch tent and HQ. Participating eating places and pubs could provide their own ad graphic for the "Stay on in Woopi for dinner" flyer.

In order to reduce some of the traffic congestion and parking why dont we see if Forest will run their Woopi Connect service with a set timetable on curryfest day to bus people to and from places like Corindi, arrawarra, safety beach and wherever they currently run the service to Woopi. We would advertise and have the timetable at gates and HQ and they would charge their normal fare but have more passengers so should be happy???would need to talk to them make sure we know how it works etc.

It was discussed with Chamber and at the Curry Fest meetings to hold Eat Street on the same weekend. If the same day is too much for the organisers then the Sunday would work. Have a full weekend of celebrations, Friday- movie, Saturday- Curry Fest, Sunday morning- Temple visit, Sunday night- Eat Street.

This would help keep people in town throughout the whole weekend and support other businesses, not just ones on the festival streets. Having Eat Street on Sunday would mean that you could take away some of the non Indian related food stalls from Curry Fest and still involve them the next day, but keep the Saturday more just for the Indian culture.

The idea of a new local food product Zone is a good one and could be combined with a follow on tour during the next week taking in some farms, blueberry packing shed, etc....people could book there or on line? Tour could be funded by the area of council that support local food harvest programs?

Many people ask at the gate where the money goes. Would be a good idea to have corflut signs as approaching the entrance gates listing the 8 community organisations that curryfest supported with donations in 2019. Something like:
" Apart from paying the bills, the entrance fee helps support local community groups. In 2019 Curryfest made donations to.....etc"

Re options to offer Bollywood Express passengers we could add a walking tour of the heritage walk panels with a knowledgable guide...Rotary could do this and knows relevant people who worked on the 16 panels in the project. Is 2.2km walk one way and starts at top temple so could include the museum, could have chai at the new temple and lunch in town somewhere prior to ending at Beach reserve area...bus to and from woopi required and that could also go up and around the headland before heading back. Would be self funding as an extra option instead of the bus tour or other new options such as cheesemaking workshop or cooking lesson in the new temple or at nourished earth or an art gallery bus tour that goes to Yarrawarra Wadja gallery, Woopi gallery and Coffs Regional gallery as well as past the RSL mural and whale mural on the water tower and the museum...maybe Sawtell gallery too.(Woopi gallery and Wadja gallery can both do lunches for tours.

I wonder if Birch Carroll and Coyle would want to sponsor the Bollywood Movie and promote their upcoming movie programming for the school holidays OR would they see screenwave as a competitor? Another possible sponsor of the movie is a travel agent that organises India travel and tours..would sit well showing a promo of that before a movie set in India. If no sponsor for the movie we will have to move to the Phil at Optus supplier rather than screenwave in 2020 to save money.

I want to try Mahindra cars and trucks as a naming rights major sponsor. Have a list of other new and old people to approach but we will need to work harder to get extra sponsors this year....every $100 helps.

We always need more sponsors, to continue Curryfest at the same level of attention, entertainment and facilities, we need sponsors.. even small amounts from several businesses can help. Suggestions for potential sponsors, or canvasing them yourself is always needed.

Proposal for a yoga session in the Wellness Zone at Curryfest: "Mindful Morning Yoga" - a 45-minute gentle flow class to awaken the body and calm the mind, facilitated by certified yoga instructor, Jane Smith.