Wa's Great GrazeSuccess showcasing WA’s local food and beveragesBY GEORGIA THOMAS FRESH CREATIVE MANAGEMENT ON BEHALF OF SOUTHERN FORESTS FOOD COUNCILThis April, all West Australians were invited to join in a cross-regional celebration of WA agriculture by enjoying a locally sourced grazing platter and beverage.WA’s Great Graze featured an extensive program of grazing events and offerings, curated market and a major competition.The celebrations were brought to life by Genuinely Southern Forests and key partner Buy West Eat Best, along with sponsors, Pomewest, WA Potatoes, Carnarvon Visitor Centre, Gascoyne Food Council, Farmer Jacks, Gilbert’s Fresh Market and City of Swan.Delicious grazing experiences were offered across 21 venues from Carnarvon to Albany for holidaymakers, families and foodies alike.Those who couldn’t make it to an event were invited to make their own locally sourced platter at home, or order online through WA’s Great Graze partner Dinner Twist.Grazers were also encouraged to share an image of their platter on Instagram to go in the draw to win a trip for two to Carnarvon and Coral Bay, including flights and accommodation, plus a scenic tour with grazing board to share.Southern Forests Food Council Chairman, Kieran Kinsella, said the idea for WA’s Great Graze was sparked by the cancellation of many of the State’s events due to COVID-19 in 2020.“We sat down with our committee and decided that we needed an opportunity to unite and celebrate our State's food and beverage sector,” Mr Kinsella said.“So, with a bit of creative thinking and collaboration across industry, the inaugural WA’s Great Graze was developed.”WA’S Great Graze featured an extensive program of grazing events and offerings, curated market and a major competition.Delicious grazing experiences were offered across 21 venues.“The outcomes from the celebrations are still being tallied but are extremely positive so far.”Organisers were targeting audience impressions of 2 million from campaign activity, however, final results indicate the figure achieved is closer to 8 million.That means that the target audience of grocery buyers and foodies were able to see the content many times.The program achieved: 13 articles13 articles in local newspapers, news websites and blogs including The West, The Sunday Times, Community News, Urban List, Perth Is Ok, Have A Go News and others across WA (some shared multiple times on various platforms for each article)1.3 million followersContent shared via social media accounts with over 1.3 million followers in total700,000 impressionsConfirmed impressions of nearly 700,000 from WA’s Great Graze social media1.5 million listenersRadio interviews and advertising reaching a combined total of 1.5 million listeners700,000WIN TV campaign reaching over 700,000 viewers.The program culminated in the first ever WA’s Great Grazing Market at Perth City Farm on April 18, where the Hon Minister for Agriculture Alannah MacTiernan was able to attend and mingle with the vendors and visitors.The event showcased incredible local products and included a grazing styling demonstration by Kate Flower Food.Feedback from attendees has been very positive, with requests for more vendors and more food in the future.Showcasing incredible local products, including a grazing styling demo by Kate Flower.GRAZERS were encouraged to share an image of their platter on Instagram to go in the draw to win a trip for two to Carnarvon and Coral Bay.MORE INFORMATIONTo register your interest in the event for 2022, please contact Southern Forests Food Council marketing@southerforestsfood.comFull program and event information: www.wagreatgraze.com.au