We must acknowledge the Facebook streaming without which the event might well have been charactorised as just 'so much tosh'. Unfortunately, the audio quality was less than adequate but draw that to anyone's attention and your comment will be dismissed as 'so much tosh'. An even handed response in these contentious times while so much responsibility ducking is going on.
Launceston, in public 'forums etc.' generally do not do sound well and typically based on the observation that "I can hear well enough" so let's assume everybody can. It's not that the expertise and the equipment is not there its just that's its a detail among a lot more important stuff. If someone complains they are the only ones doing so and you're off the hook ... apparently!
If Launceston is to 'get better at tourism' getting good at organising events with spot on sound and all the bells and whistles is a must. The Chamber of Commerce must know this but are they, along with The Examiner, are used to delivering 'second best' cum 'good enough' outcomes and deeming themselves to be out performing their opposition the outcomes a preordained.
The cabal here spooked last night’s event as a debate and sometime as a forum. Apparently, they had no idea what they were up to but we are here to tell them it was not anything like a debate or a forum. The audience twigged eventually and quite a few got 'a bit toey' as they worked out that they were not to get 'a chance to tell one or two speakers their fortune'.
It was then that they realised they were not going to get that chance that they worked that it was a lowest common denominator orchestrated, closely moderated and a something-or-other that they had been conned into going to.
Given that there were no ideas being challenged, exchanged or tested with ‘audience participation’. Selling your audience short brings its own rewards.
By default, a couple of ideas got away – interesting ideas that is.
In summary, the event was a travesty and nothing whatsoever to do with ‘best practice’ – if that was being attempted ... an abject failure.
On the up side is the Facebook streaming of the event as that may just unwittingly fill a gap. Yet near enough is never good enough.
Curiously, the organiser's riding instruction for the evening was, seemingly, to 'talk up the Gorge' as Lonnie's premier 'tourism asset'. What misguided and vacuous nonsense. That is an insult to the businesses out there investing in tourism in a much broader context. The businesses likely to be the foundation for the city's economy.
The Gorge is important and mostly good for one visit and maybe a day. Anyone living in the city will know that if they host interstate or international visitors. After that tourists are looking for cultural experiences and the opportunity to feel at home elsewhere.
The incumbent candidates on show finished up looking a bit flatfooted and defending their achievements of the last 4 years of most which have arguably been fiscally inept and leaving the city, thus the ratepayers, functionally in debt with pay-up-day about 5 years hence. The number is, apparently, approximately $20Million - even if contested.
The second last Council meeting in this Council's term will need to clear that up if voters are gong to be able to assess all this in the clear light of day, out in the open rather than in closed Council. Maybe just maybe the Examiner Chamber of Commerce have orchestrated something that did kick some arse – albeit an unintended consequence.
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