VAS Ltd Show Awards - Best Innovation Finalists
/Best Innovation Small Section Finalists
Cohuna Show – Fair Lemonade
The innovation was created to raise funds for the show society through selling lemonade at the local Cohuna Farmers Market. It was an opportunity to advertise the show at a different event and sell a local product. They created a brand and marketing material and had a team of volunteers over six markets making lemonade. It was a great opportunity for the volunteers to engage in a different task outside the show event while raising money for the show.
Numurkah Show – Town Scavenger Hunt
The innovation was designed to boost community engagement through an interactive, family friendly experience in the lead up to the show strengthening connections with local businesses. With just under 160 participants taking part in the scavenger hunt in the September school holidays the participants completed riddles or clues while visiting local businesses to get those clues to complete the scavenger hunt. It was a low cost idea that created engagement around the upcoming show and providing a no cost activity for families to get involved in.
Best Innovation Medium Section Finalists
Boort Show – Ute Show
The innovation was made possible by a local group of people aged 17 – 21, with the objective the Ute show would be an opportunity to address the grief and vulnerability that had recently been felt by the community after the tragic death of one of their own. Partnerships were engaged with HeadSpace and HALT (Hope Assistance Local Tradies), which were apart of the Ute Show on the day to start the conversation and create a safe space. With over 50 Ute entries the innovation of the Ute Show created a new audience involved in the event with an important purpose and awareness.
Dandenong Show – Kids Korner
The innovation was created to use some empty space within the Sheep Pavilion with the aim to create free and engaging activities for kids. There were craft stations, mini-golf, magician and Pigeon Society with hands on experience with the birds and ability to release them. The entertainment created a great atmosphere and engagement with the children. Sponsorship was gained with prize bags for the kids, which contained a drink bottle, cap and stress ball. The feedback from this area was supportive with one parent highlighting she had spent two hours in the area without spending a cent.
Donald Show – Shining a Light on the Health & Wellbeing of our Community
The innovation aimed to put health and wellbeing in the spotlight with adding inclusive and engaging entertainment into the show event. It included onsite health services such as health checks and skin checks as well as practical first aid demonstrations and interactive activities like the smoothie bike to promote healthy living. A guest speaker was also engaged sharing powerful mental health message and this was paired with the traditional entertainment such as fireworks. This was made possible by financial and in kind supports but the innovation made a difference through early detections along with multiple people needing further medical investigation due to having these services available.
Nathalia Show – Dinosaur Theme
The innovation is a centralised theme that is then used across the show sections, competitions and entertainment, which the theme was Dinosaurs. The committee added new classes with a dinosaur theme such as Lego, floral art, decorated cupcakes, which all sections were embraced by the community. The society engaged entertainment that was dinosaur themed along with some of the sponsors donating metal-built sculptures as dinosaurs. The theme was really embraced by the community, which resulted in the Nathalia Show being nominated for the Event of the Year in the Australia Day Awards, which they received the honour of winning the award.
Best Innovation Large Section Finalists
Berwick Show – Discovery Trail
The innovation of the discovery trail aimed to engage young children to enjoy all agricultural and horticultural values of the show by having 10 stations on the trail for them to see and engage with as they made their way around the show. The trail idea got traction and ended up getting great support through local businesses and volunteers that brought the trail to life on show day by keeping the stations manned and engaging with families handing out the bucket to start the trail. The idea provided an overwhelming and positive response that can be built on for years to come so that all aspects of the show are engaged with by young families attending the show.
Foster Show – Back to Back Wool Challenge
The innovation of the Back to Back Wool Challenge is a world wide recognised competition aiming to beat the world record time set with a team of people including a shearer with the aim to spin and knit the wool shorn from the sheep on the day to create an adult sized jumper. The show society was asked to consider holding this competition, which they worked towards the idea with two teams competing on the day, which provided a great source of education and entertainment on the day for show goers watching the process. The challenge also stemmed a theme across other sections within the show having a sheep and wool theme, which was well received by exhibitors and create overall good engagement with the challenge.
Wangaratta Show – Dinosaur Discovery
The innovation of Dinosaur Discovery was aimed at families to combine entertainment, education and exploration through the hiding of five dinosaur figures throughout the show, which families followed the passport to find these dinosaurs. This then got families engaged with exhibits they may have otherwise never visited if they didn’t have the passport to follow. Once the passport was completed the child would go into the draw for one of the six prizes to giveaway. The discovery seamlessly integrated with the headline act of entertainment engaged and the idea became quite popular with families remarking how focused the children were on the discovery trail.
Whittlesea Show – On-The-Go Marketing
The innovation was to try a range of different on-the-go marketing items that would be a constant reminder to people that used the items that the show was on. The items developed were air fresheners for the car, coffee cups delivered to local cafes to hand out filled with coffee and drink coasters to be placed on the table at local venues with a QR code leading to the website, which they can access the most up to date information. The items were a constant touchpoint that kept the show present in everyday life and was very beneficial instead of relying on people to actively engage with either a newspaper or a visit to the website.
