AEDA looks back on 2022

Stories Business

Last updated 22 Dec, 2022

As 2022 comes to a close, AEDA reflects on a successful year of supporting the local economy, events and business community. Take a walk down memory lane to look at some of the highlights of the year.

Events

ADL Fashion Week

In October, AEDA hosted the inaugural ADL Fashion Week, which celebrated the fabric of fashion in the city between 6 - 9 October. More than 800 people attended 15 events across four days, which included an official launch lunch at Fishbank, an intimate dinner at Sôl Rooftop at SkyCity celebrating 90 years of R.M.Williams, Adelaide’s Biggest Shopping Event and The Art of Fashion, held at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Read more about ADL Fashion Week.

WellFest Adelaide

AEDA hosted WellFest Adelaide, which celebrated health and wellness across the city in October. The festival incorporated the record-breaking Rundle Mall’s Biggest Yoga Session where more than 385 people moved, stretched and flowed down the entire length of the shopping precinct.

Event support across the city

AEDA’s Strategic Events Fund and Events and Festivals Sponsorship Program was designed to provide financial support to assist in the staging of events and festivals held within the City of Adelaide boundary. In 2022, there were 16 events supported through the Events and Festivals Sponsorship Program, including Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival and Tasting Australia. The Strategic Events Fund supported two new events; Adelaide Polo Classic and Asia Street Food Festival. Existing events funded to grow National Rugby 7’s, CheeseFest, Ebenezer Night Markets and Carols Carnival presented by Experience Adelaide.

Business and investment achievements

Citywide Shopfront Grants

AEDA awarded $900,000 in Shopfront Improvement Grants to more than 130 eligible businesses across the city to enhance the presentation of a building or business. Take a look at some success stories.

ByADL.com.au

In December, AEDA launched its digital marketplace, byADL.com.au. South Australians can now shop at a range of city businesses from just one website and have their items delivered to their door the next day as part of the platform. Read more about byADL.com.au.

AEDA Business Summit

AEDA hosted its inaugural AEDA Business Summit in May, bringing together more than 350 businesspeople to the Adelaide Oval’s William Magarey Room. The keynote speaker was Bernard Salt AM, who spoke about Adelaide’s need to become “outrageously aspirational” to make the most of a post-pandemic world. See the summit wrap up here

Welcome to Adelaide

The Welcome to Adelaide program has supported hundreds of city workers with their transition into new buildings across the city. Through the program, AEDA works closely with businesses, either opening their doors or relocating to the CBD and North Adelaide, assisting with site selection, data and insights, promotional opportunities and executive connections. Learn more about Welcome to Adelaide.

Data4Lunch

The Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) held its first Data4Lunch event, coming off the back of its successful Business Summit in May. The inaugural Data4Lunch was held on 13 September 2022 at the Hilton Adelaide hotel in the city while the second event was hosted by KPMG at its Pirie Steet Adelaide HQ on 16 November.

Campaigns

$30 Eats

$30 Eats, which started in February, put $1.2 million into the tills of CBD and North Adelaide hospitality operators. $30 Eats was funded by the State Government of South Australia and the City of Adelaide, each contributing $250,000 towards the initiative. Diners entered a ballot in February to win one of 25,000 vouchers, with 45 people per minute signing up in the first 24 hours.

$30 Eats Christmas Edition

$30 Eats Christmas edition returned in October 2022, right in time for the festive season. There were 3000 vouchers up for grabs through a public ballot, and they can be used until 1 February 2023.

ADLocal

The ADLocal campaign is a local’s guide to the best and brightest hidden ADL gems across retail, hospitality and other types of small businesses. See videos with small business owners here and top Adelaide business leaders spruiking the small businesses that make the city tick.

ADL Unleashed

ADL Unleashed was an initiative of the Government of South Australia, the City of Adelaide and the Adelaide Economic Development Agency that aimed to stimulate economic activity and attract regional visitation in the city. The campaign spanned from promoting events included street parties across town and surprise and delight activations to highlighting the unique offering for a city staycation.

Rundle Mall continues its premier status

New shops in the Mall

A number of major brands opened flagship stores in Adelaide in 2022, including Dymocks, QVB Books, rebel, Glue, TAG Heuer, JD Sports and Uniqlo. Hundreds of people lined up from the early hours of the morning for the opening of some stores to get a first glimpse into the new retail offerings.

Salvador Dali’s The Triumphant Elephant

After a two-year residency at the iconic d’Arenberg Cube, Salvador Dalí’s three-tonne, seven-metre-tall surrealist masterpiece Triumphant Elephant arrived in Rundle Mall, bringing world-renowned art to the heart of Adelaide. The excitement and buzz generated over $700,000 worth of media coverage for Rundle Mall.

Rundle Mall, shopping's home of sport

Rundle Mall hosted Rugby Australia’s media announcement that two Rugby World Cups are set to come to Australia in 2027 and 2029.  Activity happened across all capital cities at the same time. AFLW winners Adelaide Crows also had its celebration in the Mall with fans.

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Tasting Australia

From 29 April through to 8 May, Rundle Mall hosted Urban Kitchen — part of the 2022 Tasting Australia presented by RAA festival — which returned to Gawler Place, delivering a unique food and wine experience. The event highlighted a range of dining destinations, homewares and cookware retailers available in the Precinct, while providing an engaging and exciting event to attract visitors to the Mall. All Urban Kitchen sessions were sold out prior to 10-day festival, which consisted of three, 45-minute sessions per day. The launch of the event proved to be the busiest day in the Mall for the month of April.

NAIDOC Week

The 2022 NAIDOC artwork by emerging Aboriginal artist Iteka Urkala Sanderson-Bromley was unveiled in the Mall on Tuesday 5 July in Gawler Place. An exciting and immersive schedule of live entertainment and activities followed, which included live music, beading workshops, face painting, native food tastings and the opportunity to meet and hold Australian animals.

Patty Mills Meet and Greet

Legendary basketball player Patty Mills visited Rundle Mall on Sunday 18 September, with the event including live entertainment, a half basketball court set up and a Q&A session. Shoppers went in the running to do a meet and greet with Patty Mills for every $50 spent at rebel. Thousands flocked to Rundle Mall for the appearance.

Christmas in the Mall

This year Rundle Mall’s Christmas decorations and window displays focused on families, with the introduction of Merry the Mall Mouse — a cheeky new character that takes visitors, young and old, on a journey through the Precinct. It brought eight individually themed windows to life, encouraging visitors to explore the entire length of the Mall and interact with the windows.  Merry appears in each window and provided fun, festive activities for children and families.

Throughout the nine-week key trading season for Rundle Mall, shoppers were entertained with music and carols, pop-up activations. Rundle Mall gave away 1,000 crackers to shoppers over Christmas, with $30 Rundle Mall shopping vouchers placed inside some to surprise and delight visitors.  

Black Friday

AEDA revamped its Black Friday activities this year, offering shoppers a free concierge service and a complimentary bag drop at the Gawler Place Canopy to help shoppers move hands-free between stores.