Mackay’s biggest festival event set to prosper thanks to five-year deal

Published: 21 Feb 2023

For the next five years, our region’s biggest music and food event will partner with one of our region’s flagship family-owned businesses.

The signing of the naming rights sponsorship agreement for the Wisely Wine and Food Day will ensure the event is able to continue to grow and support local talent while also remaining free to the public.

Wisely Group may be an industrial asset management powerhouse operating across Australia, but their local community roots run deep, and they have a genuine passion for promoting our region.

Wisely chief executive officer Chris Bugeja said this was a unique opportunity to expose the business in the community and support one of the Festival of Arts’ iconic events.

“Wisely Group is committed to supporting Mackay’s most significant event of the year and ensuring our local upcoming talent has a future in the arts,” Mr Bugeja said.

“We are passionate about fostering the vibrant community where our employees and customers live and work,” he said.

Mr Bugeja said the Wisely Wine and Food Day also aligned with their strategy to attract more skilled labour to our region.

“The resource industry is strong, but there is a local skills shortage of people,” he said. “So, part of our strategy is to attract talent from the capital cities to relocate to our beautiful region.”

“Large-scale attractions like the Wisely Wine and Food Day certainly help put Mackay on the map for things to see and do.

“By being naming rights sponsor, we are provided with an exclusive space for our brand to be in front of our community and associated with an event that is both family friendly and a whole lot of fun.”

Mayor Greg Williamson said council and the Mackay Festivals team were delighted to have Wisely inked in for the next five years.

“Wisely have gone from strength to strength over the last two decades and it’s tremendous to see a local company so passionate about supporting their community,” Mayor Williamson said.

“It was also fantastic to see the Wisely team really embrace this Festival event in 2022, when they dipped their toe in as major sponsor,” he said.

“By all reports, the Wisely team turned out in force on the day and loved being able to attend an event that they supported.

“Their positive feedback was overwhelming and, honestly, gives us a whole new avenue of promotion – 500 Wisely team members, all over Australia, who now have an event in our region that they are VIPs at!

“That sort of wide-spread word-of-mouth is invaluable.”

Residents are encouraged to mark Saturday, July 15, in their calendar for this year’s Wisely Wine and Food Day.

Applications for performers for the event are currently open and can be found on themecc.com.au/festivals.

About Wisely Group
Founded in Mackay in 1994 by managing director Bob Wisely, the Wisely Group has grown to a team of more than 500 employees working throughout Queensland and Australia. Wisely Group specialises in end-to-end industrial asset management with a wide range of industry partners across resources, mining, industrial, ports, infrastructure, and transport, with an impressive track record spanning more than two decades.

Mayor Greg Williamson and Wisely Group CEO Chris Bugeja

Image: Mayor Greg Williamson (left) and Wisely Group chief executive officer Chris Bugeja shake hands on the exciting new Mackay Festival of Arts partnership.