State will benefit from Gabba grand final
Aussie rules fans are not the only winners after last week’s AFL grand final announcement.
USQ academic Professor Jane Summers believes Queensland as a whole will benefit in the long-term from the exposure created by the showpiece event.
“There’s definitely great business and tourism opportunities for Brisbane, the surrounding regions and Queensland as a whole in the short and long term,” the USQ MBA Director and Professor of Marketing said.
“There will be benefits from the grand final itself and plenty of ancillary opportunities for businesses near-by.
“No doubt fans who can’t make it to the game will be celebrating the occasion at hubs and clubs.
“I imagine some Brisbane residents might also use it (the grand final) as an opportunity to enjoy a holiday out of town – to explore other parts of Queensland.”
The Gabba grand final also provides some great opportunities for the AFL.
“It’s a perfect storm for the AFL right now,” Professor Summers said.
“The combination of the Broncos and Cowboys not doing so well in the NRL and more games being played in the state means more people are engaged in AFL.
“There’s an opportunity to strengthen and grow the game through strategic development at the grassroots level.
“The AFL can also use this opportunity to test out some new ideas.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about the start time of the grand final – now is a golden opportunity to implement ideas like a night time start without major ramifications.
“If it works, they can keep it. If it doesn’t work, they can shelve it without any major ramifications on the game long-term.”