The inaugural Blayney Hay Bale Art Challenge stoked creativity in the regional New South Wales area and attracted impressive exposure across the web.
Local property owners from Blayney to Barry and Hobby Yards reportedly sighted at least 50 vehicles a day bringing sightseers to view the creations designed for the first ever Blayney Hay Bale Art Challenge.
Coinciding with the annual NAB Blayney to Bathurst (B2B) cycling route, the event was initiated by Blayney Shire Council and the Blayney Town Association (BTA).
The Council said feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from thousands of cyclists, visitors and residents who have viewed the hay bale art sculptures, with many locals interested in getting involved next year.
Mayor Scott Ferguson said a number of factors contributed to the success of the event, including the amazing spirit and commitment of the entrants, strong promotion on the back of the growing B2B cycling event and community and business support who shared in the excitement via social media.
“We always believed this event could generate exposure for Blayney and our villages, but who knew hay bales could be so popular? The level of interest has surpassed all expectations.
“With the right support and passion, even the wildest ideas can lead to something worthwhile. Just like the Tour de France, every event has to start somewhere.
“Many people have commented on how impressed they have been by the imaginative, creative and humorous displays.
“The realistic-looking castle complete with moat and drawbridge that took the Mendham family over three weekends and 300 hay bales to build has definitely set the bar high.
“Captain-Risky was a favourite, as well as the effort and fun spirit captured in the tractor, café latte set and slingshot sheep. The friendly creatures that popped up in paddocks including the giant snail, bees, sheep and very hungry caterpillar were also very popular!”
The Council was pleased to discover that social media played a big part in helping to promote the event and encouraged people to visit the region.
A searchable hash tag (#BlayneyHayBaleArt Challenge) was added to Facebook posts and the value of the local community sharing Blayney Shire Council and Blayney Town Association posts resulted in an online reach of over 25,000 views and over 330 shares on just one Council photo album.
As a result, President of the Blayney Town Association, Tamara Miller reported Facebook page likes increased by over 120 or 15% in one week and there was at least three times more engagement and reach on the BTA page than usual.
This followed Council’s free Social Media Workshop held in the Blayney Community Centre on Monday 4 April where more than 60 local businesses and community groups from across the region took away valuable practical information about the benefits of engaging with each other’s online content to build connections.
Council encourages local businesses to continue to share and connect with others online and offline to maximise business opportunities, become more prosperous and continue to develop.
“Blayney Hay Bale Art Challenge is definitely a winner and one that is expected to become part of the landscape for years to come,” Mayor
Ferguson said.
