Samantha Spedding, C4EM’s Jayden Howe and Campaspe Port Enterprise’s Jarrod Craven pose with the signed memorandum of understanding.
Photo by
Louie Cina
A frenetic three days of the best local food, wine and hospitality the Murray region has to offer is one step closer following the finalisation of a partnership between Committee for Echuca-Moama and Campaspe Port Enterprise.
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For one March weekend next year, Echuca-Moama will transform into a celebration of all things local produce, with the aim to draw visitors from near and wide and shine a spotlight on the people and businesses who help the region thrive.
The festivities will be delivered through a collaboration between C4EM and Campaspe Port Enterprise, with the organisations signing a formal memorandum of understanding on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone for the new festival.
CPE’s chief executive Jarrod Craven called the partnership and wider festival a great initiative for the region.
“We’re both community organisations, and it’s great to be able to represent and give a platform to the wonderful produce in our region over a weekend at the Port and with C4EM,” he said.
“I think we’re key strategic partners for growing and promoting tourism opportunities in Echuca-Moama, so this collaboration just makes sense.”
C4EM Chief Executive Jayden Howe and CPE Chief Executive Jarrod Craven formalise the partnership.
Photo by
Louie Cina
The collaboration leverages C4EM’s extensive network of relationships in the business and community sectors and CPE’s experience in managing the Port precinct and delivering large-scale events.
The celebrations kick off on Thursday, March 11 with a dinner at Junction Moama, presented by C4EM.
From there, attention turns to Echuca’s wharf, with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Longest Lunch on Friday and a showcase of regional hospitality and entertaining taking over the Port on Saturday.
C4EM will run Saturday’s event, and chief executive Jayden Howe can’t wait.
“It’s about highlighting the local produce and telling the paddock-to-plate story,” he said.
“The festival completes the circle from the farm pickers to the growers, to the manufacturers, to the people who make the lunch.
“To be able to sit back and not only enjoy the food, but to highlight everyone who makes it happen is so important.
“And it all goes back to the wonderful Murray, it’s the lifeblood of all our farming and really important for our venues, producers, and manufacturers.”
Both organisations said they hoped the collaboration would help establish the festival as a regular fixture on Echuca-Moama’s already-packed event calendar.
“This festival gives us another opportunity to highlight what we do, and what we do well,” Mr Howe said.
“Not only do we get people to come in for one, two, three, four days, we can potentially get them to move here forever, and it’s a really exciting opportunity we have here.”
To find out more, check C4EM’s Facebook page closer to the date.
