Hawkesbury City Council has produced a new Hawkesbury Region Visitor Guide, which features an innovative approach to advertising.
In a joint venture with local business and Western Sydney University (WSU), Hawkesbury City Council has launched the new ‘Discover the Hawkesbury’ guide, which features motivational text and images as content.
The visitor guide moves away from the traditional model where businesses and branding compete for the reader’s attention.
Two local WSU interns created and designed the visitor guide as a promotional tool that reflects the changes in the way print media is used by the market.
The result is a visitor guide that offers readers’ a cohesive vision of the beauty and diversity of tourism experiences in the Hawkesbury area.
With a publication run of 20,000 and funded entirely by advertising, the guide was designed to provide information and content on the many things to see and do within the region.
According to the Mayor of Hawkesbury, Councillor Kim Ford, the visitor guide is a great example of what a collaborative effort can achieve.
“Through this guide, the Hawkesbury is sending a cohesive message about all that we have to offer and especially that we are not Brooklyn – we have so many experiences to taste and locations to visit!
“I would like to particularly congratulate Belinda Mitrovich, our Visitor Information Centre Coordinator who has led this project. The result is not only a magnificent publication but a wonderful professional development experience for local WSU students Anneke Jasinski and Samantha Bell, who were at the time studying Visual Design within the School of Humanities and Communication Arts.”
The document also fits with Council’s vision to foster and support local produce, business and tourism.
Ms Mitrovich said that leading the development of the guide has helped her “make new connections and develop a deeper understanding of how rich the Hawkesbury is, not just in natural beauty and heritage but in the number of boutique businesses and the many trails that you can follow to explore local produce, art and history”.
Cr Ford said the “first edition provides potential visitors to the Hawkesbury region with detailed information to assist with planning their trip and extending their length of stay.”
The guide was officially launched at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery in April by The Hon Stuart Ayres MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport.
The launch was well supported by local producers who supplied catering for the event. Local wines, ciders, biscuits, fruit, vegetables, nuts, cheeses, meats and honey all featured on the menu.
The guide has been distributed through the Hawkesbury Visitor Information Centre, which directly services 17,500 visitors per year and neighbouring regions through Accredited Visitor Information Centres such as Glenbrook, Echo Point, Katoomba, Parramatta, Hunter Valley, Darling Harbour and the Rocks. It will also be distributed at major local events and shows.
