When Mirvac took over what is now the South Eveleigh precinct in south Redfern, it was an evocative and somewhat tumbledown warren of cavernous locomotive workshops and tired office spaces. Pubblico! (then Decode Media) were charged with activating the precinct during its redevelopment.
The Brief:
Client: Mirvac
Years: 2018-2019
Location: South Eveleigh
Concept ideation and event development to generate excitement and reinvigorate community value in the area
Active placemaking, engaging the developers with their community during construction and in various stages of the precinct reopening
Activating the rich heritage value of the site
Introducing new audiences to a vibrant new community space in their city
Strengthening community connection to this privately owned, public space
Choo Choo Festival
October 21st, 2018
The rich transport and train heritage of the Locomotive Workshops deserved a proper party and we decided to kick things up a notch with Choo Choo Festival; a free train heritage fun day for train lovers big and small. A rainy forecast saw our Plan B swing into action, and the festival was realised inside the Workshops themselves.
With over 5000 attending on the day, smashing previous attendance records 10 times over, this was a resounding success.
Deliverables
Site specific research and liability analysis
Creative direction and concept ideation
Branding and artwork development
Marketing strategy and PR
Site activation across the Locomotive Bays and South Eveleigh north precinct.
Community outreach through engaging community partners from Alexandria Scouts and local preschool
Site specific rail history activations with volunteer run walking tours
Stakeholder engagement with Transport Heritage NSW
Tenant activations through the Blacksmiths Studio Live Works
Photography ~ Yael Stempler
Turn Out - a fete for grownups
26th - 27th October, 2018
With the wrecking balls all but poised, Turn Out - a fete for grownups was to be the very last public event to take place in the enormous Locomotive Workshop bays. With soaring ceilings and a floor space that could fit several olympic sized swimming pools, we created an immersive, eclectic space where grownups could turn up and lose themselves for a few happy hours, glass of pinot in hand.
Deliverables
End to end event management
Concept ideation in collaboration with Mirvac
Site analysis and liability study
Event programming including DJs, ticketed talks and workshops
Creative direction and adaptive set design, working within the Heritage constraints of the space
Artwork development and branding
Creative marketing strategy and PR covering digital and traditional outputs
Site activation within the Locomotive Bays
Unique and high end retail delivered in pop-up format through premium Australian brand collaborations
Photography ~ Yael Stempler
Play Day
25th May, 2019
With the South Eveleigh precinct nearing completion, and most of the hoardings down, we planned an event to reinvigorate interest in the area, introducing local families to the new spaces designed with them in mind. Through creative placemaking, we aimed to bolster the existing connections between the local community and this once off-limits space.
The sun was shining, the balloon arch was up and the bubble disco was in full swing!
Deliverables
Dynamic site-wide activation, creating opportunities for community engagement across the entire South Eveleigh precinct.
Creative direction and concept ideation
Marketing strategy and PR
End to end event management
Community partnerships including collaborating with Totem Skateboarding with demonstrations and free skate lessons
Tenant engagement and activations with Yerrabingin native garden and local Cafes
Engaging local artists to create playful interactives to encourage community engagement
Public art launch within the footprint of the event
Community outreach through engaging community partners from Alexandria Scouts and local preschool
Photography ~ Stephanie Simcox
Welcome Party
May 24th, 2019
Time to meet the neighbours!
With countless new tenants and workers coming to South Eveleigh every day, it was time to ditch the Australian Technology Park moniker and bring the South Eveleigh rebrand to life. It was a balmy Friday afternoon in May as the sun slipped away and the festoon lighting turned it into a real *mood*. This networking mixer brought together both the tenanted businesses and the workers, presenting a wonderful IRL opportunity to market and mingle. The event was a home-run, with numbers of RSVPs eventually capped at 650.
Deliverables
Creative direction and concept ideation
End to end event management
Dynamic site activation, creating opportunities for community engagement across the entire South Eveleigh precinct.
Niche marketing strategy to activate local tenants and site workers
Event programming including DJ and Welcome Games concept
Creative direction and adaptive design to create a bespoke open air bar, custom-built on the new Eveleigh Green
Tenant engagement and activation including Yerrabingin native rooftop garden and Egg of the Universe cafe.
Community outreach to create engagement opportunities between tenants
