EOI - Event Management Contractor - Float Your Boat 2025

Lake Macquarie’s iconic Float Your Boat Festival returns in June 2025, lighting up the lake and lifting community spirits. Over two nights, a dazzling flotilla of 20-30 boats, each adorned with creative lighting displays are vying for the Mayors’ Choice Award and Newcastle Permanent’s People’s Choice Award for best light display.    

Float your boat is made up of the following elements: 

• On-Water Parade – The Float Your Boat Flotilla

  • Night 1: Friday, 20 June 2025 – Western Lake Circuit
    Departs from Empire Marina, passing through Toronto, Coal Point, and Wangi.

  • Night 2: Saturday, 21 June 2025 – Eastern Lake Circuit
    Departs from Empire Marina, commencing at Belmont and continuing through Eleebana, finishing at Warners Bay.
    
    

• Newcastle Permanent People’s Choice Award
  Voting will be open online for one week, allowing the public to choose their favourite boat. Boats with the highest votes will be awarded first, second, and third place.
  
  

• Live sites (onshore)
  Three (3) foreshore live sites encourage attendance at key viewing points to watch the flotilla pass by.  

• • Toronto Foreshore live site  

• • • Date: Friday 20 June 2025 

• • • Time: 4:30pm - 8:30pm  

• • • Expected Attendees: Approx. 4000  

• • Warners Bay Foreshore live site 

• • • Date: Saturday 21 June 2025 

• • • Time: 4:30pm - 8:30pm  

• • • Expected Attendees: Approx. 5000  

• • Belmont Foreshore live site 

• • • Date: Saturday 21 June 2025 

• • • Time: 4:30pm - 8:30pm  

• • • Expected Attendees: Approx. 3000  

The live sites are free, family friendly events that activate the shoreline, while the community awaits the arrival of the flotilla. Each live site provides food, music, family friendly entertainment and illuminated elements such as lit up trees and roving performers. 

Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC) is looking to contract a suitably qualified local Event Management professional/organisation to assist the Events team in the delivery of the Float Your Boat live sites at Toronto, Warners Bay and Belmont. The following services are required for each live site.   

The Successful Event Management Contractor(s) Will Be Required To: 

• Attend site meetings and online meetings with LMCC throughout planning as required. 

• Manage the inclusion of stall holders and provide on-the-day event delivery and support to the LMCC Events Team.  

• Liaise with LMCC Events Team in the development of the site plan and abide by any LMCC site layout requirements. 

• Uphold the terms of conditions of park hire. 

• Be responsible for any loss or damage caused by their actions and will be required to hold adequate insurance for the duration of the contract.  

• Provide input to the program and in some cases, deliver/oversee a live site activity during the live site running times.  

• Adhere to the risk and emergency response management plans developed by LMCC Events Team for each live site. 

• Advertise/promote Float Your Boat on their own social channels, using LMCC provided marketing collateral. 

• Understand you are part of the Float Your Boat organising team and as such are required to uphold the LMCC code of conduct and the reputation of LMCC Council.  

Manage Stallholders End to End 

• The event management contractor will be responsible for all administration regarding the management of stallholders, including: 

• • Coordinate the Expression of Interest (EOI) process, selection, engagement, and administration of food and drink vendors and stallholders. 

• • Engage an adequate number of food and drink vendors specific to the selected live site as per requested by LMCC Events Team. 

• • Ensure the stallholders have appropriate insurances and permits to operate.  

• • Adhere to Council selection criteria for vendors and stallholders.  

• • Liaise with LMCC Events Team over the site plan and observe this site plan on event day. 

• • Charge the fees for stallholder sites as per the LMCC fees and charges: LMCC - Fees & Charges - Fees & Charges

Event Day - Onsite Delivery

• Provide a minimum of 2 staff to assist with the on the day event delivery (hours advised) from bump-in to bump-out of all stallholders and other contractors as requested by the LMCC Events Team.  

• Report to the LMCC Event Officer in charge of the live site and follow any reasonable instructions. 

• Manage the event footprint allocated to stallholders, for bump in, during event and bump out. 

• Support activity delivery during the event hours of the live site, where applicable.  

• Be familiar with the event site and program and be able to assist the public with their enquiries in relation to the event. 

Post- event 

• Participate in any post-event evaluations. 

• Ensure any payments to suppliers or staff appointed by the Live site contractor are made, as required. 

• Responsible for processing stallholder refunds according to the refund policy outlined in the agreement if the event is cancelled.

Lake Macquarie City Council Will: 

• Provide the event project plan, governance and budget. 

• Develop and manage the event brand, and marketing.  

• Manage all flotilla recruitment and voting. 

• Provide the live site locations and engage all appropriate contractor services to ensure the live site venue is fit-for-purpose e.g. Traffic, lighting, amenities. 

• Oversee the creative and performance elements of the live sites.  

• Provide staffing and services across the entire event. 

• Support the Event Management Contractor to execute and deliver the live site components at each live site of the Float Your Boat festival. 

• Provide payments as per the schedule in the agreement. 

• Will undertake all due diligence and assume full responsibility for risk and emergency response management and obtaining appropriate licences to ensure the safe and effective delivery of each of the live sites, for the 2025 Float Your Boat festival.

Payment for Services 

• Payment for each live site will be as follows: 

• • An upfront payment of $1,200.00 to the event management contractor. 

• • The Event Management Contractor is to retain all fees and charges obtained from stallholders.  

• • The Event Management Contractor will be required to charge at the rate prescribed in the LMCC and uphold the cancellation policy as agreed upon appointment. 

• • The Event Management Contractor is responsible for the management and administration of agreements and contracts with vendors and stallholders. 

We are accepting expressions of interest from suitably qualified event management contractors who can fulfil the requirements for the festival and are available for the dates specified. 

Applicants can nominate to support one, two or three live sites.  

Expressions of interest are open until 5pm, Tuesday 8 April 2025. 

To apply please complete this EOI form.  

In your response, you will be required to outline your relevant experience and competency to deliver the festival, your vision for the festival, and attach your resume for review. 

Key Dates for Float your Boat: 

Contact 

For any questions regarding the requirements or process for Live Site Management, please contact Event and Festival Officer, Jessica Ebeyer via email at jebeyer@lakemac.nsw.gov.au or ph.+61 2 4921 0056 during business hours Mon-Fri. 

Assessment Criteria

By submitting this Expression of Interest (EOI), I confirm to the best of my knowledge that the information provided is true and correct.

I understand the responsibilities, deliverables, and expectations associated with the role of Event Management Contractor for the 2025 Float Your Boat Festival.

I confirm my ability to staff the event as required and provide the necessary resources to meet the event’s operational needs.

I understand if successful, I will be required to enter into a formal agreement with Lake Macquarie City Council and comply with the terms and conditions outlined in that agreement.

Thank you for taking the time to complete an Expression of Interest for Float Your Boat 2025. Applications close 5:00pm, Tuesday 8 April 2025.

All applicants will be assessed by a panel of LMCC staff based on the quality of responses to the Assessment Criteria questions. Every applicant will be advised of the outcome by 5:00pm, Tuesday 29 April 2025.

If you have any questions relating to this application process or would like to discuss the details of your potential involvement prior to submitting an application, please contact Event and Festival Officer, Jessica Ebeyer via email at jebeyer@lakemac.nsw.gov.au or via phone at ph.+61 2 4921 0056.