How To Achieve An Engaging Community Event!

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How to Achieve an Engaging Community Event!
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• How do you create a successful community
  event if it doesnt engage the community? Is it
  really a success for the community, if it doesnt
  engage them? Here at ENGAGE, we believe the best
  community events engage the local community
  authentically and sensitively from the very
  initial stages. Like the noodles in a Laksa soup,
  the two combined is where the magic happens! The
  two needs to be together for an engaged community
  (or if we are still talking about Laska, a happy
  tummy!)

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• Eco World, a Malaysian property developer
  came to ENGAGE to create a Malaysian festival to
  celebrate the iconic Anak Anak festival for the
  local Malaysian community in Melbourne.Our first
  thoughts went straight to delicious Malaysian
  food....doesnt everyone? We are blessed to live
  in multicultural Melbourne and have an abundance
  of cuisines at our fingertips (hellooo Taco
  Tuesdays and Fancy French Fridays).

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• But what we really wanted to achieve was an
  authentic Malaysian community event. We wanted to
  get the Malaysian locals living in Melbourne
  involved. Small restaurants that know their
  cuisine or friends of friends who are known for
  their mouth-watering Malaysian desserts.

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• Of course, as event organisers, authenticity
  can come with its challenges, particularly when
  we're used to working with our trusty suppliers
  that do events and do them well. Our new
  Malaysian friends know their cuisine but are they
  event ready? Do they have those painfully boring
  but crucial requirements? We put our OHS and Food
  Safety hats on to ensure the two can come
  together...like the Malaysian community came
  together for this event. As a result, we had a
  market of hawker style Malaysian food stalls each
  offering their perfected traditional Malaysian
  dish. The smell and atmosphere drew the community
  in resulting in a queue half way down the street!
  For a property development event, that queue is a
  sign of success and it could not have been
  achieved without the Malaysian community coming
  together.

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• Here at ENGAGE, we are just a little bit
  attached to our suppliers... just as you are with
  your favourite hair dresser. You know they are
  reliable, amazing at what they do and are always
  able to squeeze you in the last minute.

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• So once the fundamentals of the event were
  created - the large clear marquee, the jungle of
  plants, the power and AV - we were on our own and
  had say a temporary farewell to our fabulous
  suppliers and put trust in our new client, Eco
  World and their friendly contacts within the
  local Malaysian community. This was key to
  achieving a community engagement event. And when
  we say we engaged the Malaysian community...we
  mean it! From all of the volunteers, the MC, DJ,
  entertainment through to Diana Chan, 2017
  Masterchef winner, on top of the local food
  stalls, this event was an authentic community
  engagement event! As authentic as the aromatic
  Nasi Lemak that was served all wrapped up in an
  adorable Banana leaf package!

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• Underneath the large clear marquee was a
  lush pop up garden of Magnolias, Bay trees and an
  abundance of citrus trees. We created a space
  that would be inviting and an escape from the
  concrete jungle of South Yarra.

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• We printed large cut outs from quirky
  Malaysian Cartoonist Reggie Lee to characterise
  the playful side of the festival. Theres nothing
  more authentic then the community socialising
  over a laugh! Entertaining (and extremely messy)
  food competitions were a highlight of the event,
  and created an interactive layer that united
  visitors. Traditional Teh Tarik tea-pouring,
  poured more over the floor then into the tea
  cups, but when it brought laughter and created
  community engagement it was absolutely worth it!
  The Patong Ice Cream competition had older men
  giggling like young school girls, lifting the
  atmosphere of the property development event and
  creating a fun and silly environment for the
  community to get together and celebrate their
  culture. Even the ENGAGE team were surprised as
  the Malaysian acapella group started beat boxing
  in an unexpected, yet welcomed twist! 

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• So, to answer our own question, the key to
  achieving a community engagement event is to
  include the community through as many aspects of
  the event as possible. We delved into the
  unknown, said farewell to our trusty suppliers
  and gave the Malaysian community a time to shine
  and shine they did! Everyone involved in the
  event were all rewarded with the successful
  outcome and an even greater sense of achievement.
  It still never ceases to amaze us what can be
  achieved when the community get together!

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• http//www.engageatdisegno.com.au/