A two-day concert dedicated to showcasing Australia’s legendary rock artists from the 80s needs sponsorship from the town’s corporate high rollers to get the September show off the ground.The event is Whitsunday Calling and artists Jimmy Barnes, the Little River Band, and the Church are poised to sign on the dotted line for the September gig.
Event organiser John "Scratch" Gray says all he needed was community support.
"I have the acts, we just need the community to step up now and come on board as sponsors so we can get the ball rolling," Scratch said.
Whitsunday Calling which is expected to attract some 6000 people will be held on the council’s sports park land on Shute Harbour Road.
Mr Grey, a former Airlie Beach resident of more than 20 years, said the idea for the festival arose after he returned to Australia last year and noticed tourism in the Whitsundays was declining.
He said he wanted to do something to draw visitors back to the region.
He said Airlie Beach also provided an ideal spot for music lovers to travel from throughout the North, including from Mackay and Townsville.
Tourism Minister and Whitsunday MP Jan Jarratt, Whitsunday Mayor Mike Brunker and Whitsunday Regional Council CEO John Finlay have thrown their support behind the exciting event meeting at the entrance to the site last Friday to talk about the upgrade of the road.
"Council has come on board to support this festival by fixing up access to the site ... but cash is king so we need corporate sponsorship," Mayor Brunker said.
Ms Jarratt said the festival would be a major boost for the region’s struggling tourism market.
"2011 has been a very challenging year for tourism so if the organisers can get the Whitsunday Calling event off the ground for 2012, it will be a wonderful opportunity for community spirit to shine," she said.
"Let’s close the door on 2011," she said, adding "this event is what everyone dreams about. A beautiful rural spot in the magical Whitsundays, where families can come and camp for the night and listen to some really good, popular bands," she said.
Ms Jarratt said she was raising the idea of sponsorship with the new-in-town Sucrogen.
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