AEDA'S 2024 Year in Review

As 2024 draws to a close, AEDA looks back on the year that was, and the milestones that made the year unforgettable. From exciting campaigns, projects, positive economic impact and industry events, there is so much to celebrate as AEDA wraps up an iconic 366 days. Take a look back at the big hits that helped define 2024.

AEDA kicked off the New Year with a booming visitor economy and strong hotel occupancy off the back of a series of high-profile events. The Adelaide International served up a winning start to 2024—attracting 51,117 attendees at The Drive from 8 – 13 January 2024—setting a record for the highest attendance at a single-week event since 2020. It came as overall local spend in January 2024 saw a five per cent year-on-year growth reaching $357.55 million, predominately driven by visitors.

Taylor may have pulled a Swiftie on Adelaide, but the CBD was tickled P!NK with the US superstar’s concert injecting "a considerable financial uplift” into the City economy. Figures were expected to mirror the $7 million economic impact of Ed Sheeran's concert months before. 

Meanwhile, the opening weekend of the Adelaide Fringe drew an impressive 1.5 million visitors to the city— a three per cent increase on the year prior. Rundle Mall, also home to MallFest activations, saw a 24 per cent increase in foot traffic compared to the same time last year.

The Adelaide Fringe secured a $300,000 AEDA grant as part of its Sponsored Events and Festivals.

Here is a list of the 2023/24 Sponsored Events and Festivals grant recipients. AEDA knows how to make a festival experience unforgettable.

Mad March lived up to its name this month, with people flocking to the city for the final weekend of the Adelaide Fringe. It came as Little Amal’s Walk, an Adelaide Festival activation in Rundle Mall, attracted 15,000 people, the Adelaide Motorsport Festival Party pulled in a further 9,000 and 34,000 more for the AFL at Adelaide Oval.

Hotel occupancy rates during the Adelaide Fringe period saw a notable increase compared to the previous year, even with a 5 per cent rise in accommodation supply. This growth in bookings highlighted the festival's strong appeal to visitors and its positive effect on the local hospitality sector.

Gather Round returned to Adelaide, with AEDA kicking goals with activations, foot traffic and economic spend. City-wide foot traffic was 1,861,185, up from 1,691,363 in 2023 – a 10 per cent increase. The East End had a 22 per cent increase in foot traffic whereas Hindley Street was up 48 per cent.

AEDA, together with The City of Adelaide, AFL and South Australian Tourism Commission, leveraged Gather Round through city dressing, activations and promotions. This included initiatives designed to activate spaces, maximise city visitation and visitor retention. It aimed to present the CBD and North Adelaide as vibrant places for dining, culture, and entertainment. 

Overall, Gather Round spend resulted in an economic spend of more than $91 million.

On the subject of football, Adelaide Crows supporter Greg Ratsch was appointed AEDA’s General Manager after acting in the role since 2023. Mr Ratsch said he looked forward to further enhancing Adelaide’s position both nationally and globally.

AEDA hosted its fourth Business Summit at the Adelaide Oval in May, which attracted more than 400 of Adelaide’s best industry leaders, innovators and business enthusiasts. The event, supported by the University of Adelaide, was brimming with forward-thinking discussions, groundbreaking ideas, and networking opportunities. Keynote speakers and panel discussions focused on the city's property sector, sustainable tourism, luxury retail, property, placemaking, AI, and start-ups.

Forget hearing the words ‘Adelaide is so boring’ on city streets, AEDA shattered this misconception through its bold See for Yourself campaign. Authentic, daring and fresh, the campaign used real people, real experiences, and genuine footage to challenge Adelaide’s outdated reputation as dull and lifeless. With striking visuals and powerful storytelling, it showcased the city’s hidden gems, vibrant laneways, and diverse businesses that make Adelaide truly unique. The campaign has sparked local pride and attracted visitors eager to explore everything this dynamic city has to offer.

AEDA also awarded $20,000 to the Games Plus Support Program as part of its push to support the next generation of gamers in Adelaide. It is among the many ways the sector has been supported, with UNWIND, Market Access Support Program and major game studio attraction among other initiatives.

AEDA data showed that between April and July 2024, the Welcome to Adelaide program helped eight businesses either relocate to the city or expand its footprint in the CBD, helping add a further 757 jobs into the workforce.  Welcome to Adelaide provides personalised support to businesses setting up or relocating to the city, helping them grow and integrate their employees into the local community. To ensure a smooth and enjoyable transition, the program includes custom 'Welcome to Adelaide' tote bags.

Across 2023/24 financial year, the program helped businesses including Defence Housing, Zoho Corporation, Marriott Hotel, Pernod Ricard Winemakers, Rising Sun Pictures, Plenti and Lutheran Homes Group.

August marked AEDA’s six instalment of Data4Lunch at the Pullman Hotel, an event where businesspeople can get the best data summarised to fit perfectly into their lunchbreak. ‘The city is so quiet’ and ‘towers and shopfronts are empty’ were among common misconceptions speakers — AEDA Economic Research Advisor Jordon Tomopoulos and .id’s John Kim—aimed to debunk. AEDA data showed the city’s economy had grown at a record rate, higher than eastern capital cities, attracting more foot traffic and sparking a demand for premium office space.

AEDA is also proud to have a number of Strategic Partnership Program grant winners, including Renew Adelaide which launched its 300th venture, Household, on Hindley Street.

In what could be considered a ‘glass act’, AEDA launched its Adelaide Celebrates Glass City Trail as part of the iconic Chihuly in the Adelaide Botanic Garden exhibition. The Adelaide Celebrates Glass trail showcased over 15 local businesses, including retail, education, hospitality, and tourism operators, that offered Chihuly-inspired experiences. Participants could enjoy cocktails featuring Prohibition Liquor Co's limited edition Chihuly gin, special dining offers, workshops, and captivating displays. These events have helped traders capitalise on the surge in foot traffic. More than 500,000 people have seen the exhibition at the Adelaide Botanic Garden so far.

It came as finals football fever hit the city, with night-time expenditure 80 per cent higher than the average evening when Port Adelaide took on Hawthorn at the AFL Qualifying Final. AEDA data showed the final was expected to bring in $5 million, up 77 per cent on the typical Thursday night spend ($2,824,899) in September.

ADL Fashion Week kicks offIconic festival ADL Fashion Week, which run between 11-13 October 2024, pumped more than $36 million into the city economy, highlighting both emerging and established designers and stores. It featured Melbourne-based designers Effie Kats and Lana Wilkinson who used the festival to test the Adelaide market. It was the most successful iteration of the festival, with record breaking ticket sales and spend.

Black Friday was one of the busiest, and most anticipated, days on the city's shopping calendar, with hundreds and thousands of people cashing in on sales ahead of Christmas. There was a concierge where bags could be dropped off to lighten shopping loads, as well as a valet service to take shoppers to their favourite stores. The Mall was open until midnight, with shoppers indicating fashion, footwear, homewares, beauty and electronics on the top of their lists. In an AEDA survey of more than 2,000 Rundle Mall shoppers, more than half planned on spending more than $200 across the four-day sales event.

Shoppers were given the gift of time during the 2024 festive season, with the city granted permission to trade until midnight on 19, 20 and 23 December.

It also marked AEDA’s Business and Insights team completing its 300th request for facts and figures this year.