Council Funding to Bolster Morpeth Marketing Efforts
- intouch Magazine
- Aug 2, 2022
- 2 min read
Maitland City Council will provide $25,000 in funding to the It Must Be Morpeth Incorporated (IMBM) business association, to support the growth of Morpeth’s profile as a destination hub for visitors.
The funding agreement, signed last week, will bolster the marketing efforts of the volunteer run business group over the next 12 months, and aligns with Council’s plan to build awareness of Morpeth as a destination, highlight key experiences and showcase the township’s historical significance.
Maitland Mayor Philip Penfold said Morpeth was ‘one of five priority destination hubs outlined in Council’s Destination Management Plan’, and the funding would afford IMBM the opportunity to work in partnership with Council to ‘build and broaden Morpeth’s reputation as a must see daytrip and overnight destination in the Hunter’.
‘Famous for boutique shopping and dining options, as well as its rich history and heritage, Morpeth is a popular escape for those in the know,’ Mayor Penfold said.
'This funding, will support a range of marketing initiatives that we hope will attract people from the wider Hunter Region, the Central Coast, Sydney and beyond, to see all that Morpeth has to offer.’
It Must Be Morpeth President Lisa Simmonds-Webb said the group’s goal is to ‘increase visitor numbers to Morpeth, support local business operators, and make Morpeth a premier tourist destination in the Hunter region.
‘It Must Be Morpeth Incorporated represents 33 local Morpeth businesses who have been working together for quite a long time to make Morpeth a great place, and we are really grateful for the support from Maitland City Council, which will enable us to do so much more to promote our town and our local economy.
‘This funding will go a long way to highlight the sights and sounds of Morpeth, the events and activities we have coming up in the next 12 months, and the wonderful businesses and retail outlets that visitors can discover.’
In addition, Council is also working with Morpeth businesses and the community to commemorate the township’s bicentenary later this year, on 19 and 20 November.
Council will mark the occasion with a weekend of events and activations, and is delivering long term infrastructure projects, such as the recent lighting on Morpeth Bridge and the construction of a shared pedestrian and bicycle path between Morpeth Road, near the sandstone culvert, and Queens Wharf.
