The L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) has secured a solid future ahead, following confirmation of a significant funding boost from the Victorian state government.
The festival, Australia's largest consumer fashion, beauty and business event, will enter its 17th year in 2013, when it will once again take place during the month of March, attracting visitors from across the country.
However, the event has now secured its long-term future, following confirmation from the Victorian minister for innovation, services, small business, tourism and major events, Louise Asher, that the Victorian state government will supply continued funding for the event for at least another five years.
The new funding will enable the LMFF to strengthen its reach and foster even greater commercial outcomes for participating retailers and designers via an expanded, publicly accessed program of events.
In addition, it will see the rejuvenation of the business-to-business and networking component of the festival program which includes the full day business seminar and marketing breakfast.
The support will also enable the festival to expand its digital platform, including a new consumer facing website and phase two of its 'Shop the Runway' tool, which engages consumers following the event to encourage shopping.
The initiatives will be supported by the festival's 2013 campaign call to action - 'Here, Today, Now'.
Commenting on the extension of funding, Asher said the collaboration will also encourage more tourists to participate directly in the festival and support local businesses through LMFF's 'Retail Tourism' strategy in cooperation with Tourism Victoria, to promote the festival outside Victoria and attract greater visitation.
“The Victorian coalition government is extremely supportive of the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. The event offers an opportunity for emerging young designers here in Victoria to gain international exposure to buyers and to the public, which can keep them manufacturing here in Victoria. It is also one of the city's major events for which Melbourne is famous,” she said.
LMFF CEO Graeme Lewsey added that the extension of funding from the Victorian government will facilitate further development of the event going forward.
“On behalf of our chairman Laura Anderson, festival board and the festival's many valuable stakeholders, we are thrilled to be a major event on Victoria's prestigious calendar of globally celebrated events,” he said.
“The festival has received strong support from around the world and this commitment from the state government enables us to confidently move into a new chapter of evolution where we are determined to positively impact consumers and deliver economic return for our industry.”
LMFF is a not-for-profit organisation established to promote the Australian fashion industry and drive retail sales.
LMFF 2012 saw 380,000 participants attend ticketed and free activities that included runway shows, a state-wide cultural program and business-to-business networking events.
The 2013 instalment will also feature a full schedule of 'Cultural Program' activities, which will run March 1-31, with the festival's core program to take place from March 18-24.