While Maitland’s recent Aroma Festival was a resounding success, some visitors said the experience was spoiled by a weekend survey.
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Maitland City Council engaged an independent, professional research company to undertake a survey over the two-day festival.
The aim was to gauge what could be done to improve the event and measure the economic value of the festival.
While thousands attended the annual coffee show, some people contacted Fairfax Media to complain about being quizzed.
One woman who did not wish to be named said she was asked a number of questions ranging from her postcode to how much she was likely to spend at the event.
Another visitor said she found the interview experience extremely formal, intrusive and personal and was gobsmacked she was approached four times over the two-days. Council’s marketing and communications manager Rachel MacLucas said council had engaged the company to undertake surveys of five of the council’s flagship events over the next 12 months.
Given there were a number of research staff undertaking the surveys it would not have been possible for them to know whether a person had been approached more than once.
- Maitland City Council spokesperson Rachel MacLucas.
“The results will assist council in understanding community attitude towards the events, what could be considered to improve the events as well as measuring the economic value of the events to the city,” she said.
“At Aroma between 300 and 400 surveys were undertaken by employees of the research company.
“This number is required to ensure a representative sample is obtained. The questions ranged from demographic to economic and perception information, the results of which do not link back to individual respondees. Participation in the survey was voluntary.
“This year event attendees seemed to spend longer at the event enjoying the entertainment, activities and weather which may have lead to some people being offered the opportunity to participate in the survey multiple times.
“Given there were a number of research staff undertaking the surveys it would not have been possible for them to know whether a person had been approached more than once.”
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