It’s an entertainment precinct which is down on its luck. The most visible sign of that is, um, the signage. Barricaded shopfronts, peeling paint, old decaying signs. Not to say there aren’t some well-presented businesses; the Dome, Oliver’s Restaurant, The Elephant & Wheelbarrow, the Brass Monkey all have attractive street presentation. Yet well-established businesses like Kakulas Bros, the Greek Taverna, Nandos, Cinema Paradiso, The Re Store and Tony Barlow, have faded signs, missing letters and facades that signal neglect and indifference. To me, those businesses degrade the precinct; they have the capacity to lead and they don’t.

Without a strong commercial interest group or re-development authority there is only local government to rely on and the City of Perth probably have other planning priorities. Left to its own devices it will continue its slow decline as the City of Perth foreshore develops and the western suburbs snare all the stylish restauranteurs.

If you had a brief to market the area you would need the authority to compel businesses to conform to presentation standards. This would include making signage fit its surrounds. Ageing brick buildings can accommodate painted signage, but big tin signs just look crap.

From presentation standards you would progress to coherence and then ambience, events and promotion. Let me just deal with coherence. I’d create 4 destinations. The Backpacker’s Quarter, The Mediterranean Quarter, The Asian Quarter and the Arts Quarter (which would include fashion).

Now you have four identities you can build on, each in a defined area, each of which can be separately marketed. You’d theme each quarter; street furniture, signage, art and walk trails.

Yes, it’s possible. Yes, the government would need to spend some money. But without an intention to create a focus, the slow decline will continue.

Proof reading? We put it through the spell checker. Not my fault Microsoft think ‘dinning’ is a word. Probably means making a big noise. Anyway, we sent it to the client and they signed off on it, so NOT problem belong us.

The Official Visitors’ Guide to Melbourne in Spring is published by Destination Melbourne, the peak body for tourism in Melbourne and Regional Victoria. Soon to be renamed Destination Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

Looks like they’re targeting the American market: they spell “splendour” the American way; “splendor”.

The booklet is written in co-operative marketingesque. “There is so much to see and do in Melbourne that it’s almost overwhelming. Just as well the city is cleverly planned, making getting around and about a breeze”. It goes on to point out that it’s easy to travel on Melbourne’s extensive transport network. I guess you just PAY YOUR MONEY and GET ON BOARD!

Will the shopping cater for your every need? Will the restaurants be many and varied? Will the city have unique character? A full spectrum of activities? Great food and wine? Then I must be in, err, any city in the world.

Tourism promotional copy in Australia is predictable and awful. This publication is no worse than any other. The bureaucracy churns them out, businesses advertise with precious little return and the tourists wade through 128 pages of crap thinking, please, mercy, just tell me the interesting bits.

This is the sign which announces the charming little town of Gingin, where I currently live.

The sign is conspicuously positioned on the Brand Highway. Visitors to Gingin and residents of Gingin drive past it in great number. What signal does it send to a potential visitor? *Scratches head*

Signs provide information but they are also advertising. With a positive or negative effect. Here are the Free Beer newly invented guidelines for country signage.

1. Remove old signs. Clue: make someone responsible.
2. Make signs legible.
3. Don’t let a committee design your sign.
4. Use a professional graphic designer. More people will probably see the sign than any other form of advertising you do.
5. Have a theme for your signs, ideally one that relates to your positioning. Timber towns use wood, mining towns use ornate wrought iron. The Pinnacles could use ant hills.

You should come and visit Gingin (Motto: On the Move). There are four events listed under Tourism on the Gingin website one of which is Seniors’ Week. Look out Margaret River, here we come!

I can’t say I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts but I’ve listened to some. We can only hope that people improve over time.

People are used to listening to well-produced programs on radio. They are the quality benchmark. If you expect to get an audience you better make sure your content is damn good because the chances are your broadcast quality is not up to scratch.

Some people will invent compelling content and slowly rise to prominence. They will have to claw their way over numerous no-talents.

The truth is, this is not broadcast radio. I say that despite the fact that public broadcasters like the ABC are raising awareness of the medium by allowing listeners to time-shift their favourite radio shows; Radio National is up to 200,000 downloads per week in Australia.

Podcasting is closer to what’s called narrowcasting; catering to a specific audience who subscribe to a service.

One of the things that distinguishes podcasting is context and this is where the opportunities lie. I’m not interested in tourism information unless I’m a tourist. If I’m a tourist in a new city and there is a good menu-driven podcast covering major tourism facts and destinations, I’m into it. When I’m walking past the Bell Tower in Perth, no that’s a bad example. When I’m walking around the Sydney Opera House I’d be quite interested in a podcast about the history of the building.

You’ve used audio aids in museums and galleries. They really add something. More general tourism programs can be developed that colour the tourist’s experience of a whole destination, not just one of its museums.

A second example of the power of context. Buying real estate. I’m walking around a Home Open. My iPod has a menu that says, “kitchen, backyard, neighbours …”. Each of these menu items contains a short podcast by the home owner or the real estate agent describing the features of the room. “The Louis XIV commode-scriban has a solid cherry inset with burl walnut panels and is inlaid with floral marquetry and cross-banding. Unfortunately it’s not included with the house.”

The new and powerful applications of this medium will be those that augment the visual experience of the mobile user. Think tourism, thing training, think shopping.

Multiplex wants the State Government to find $86M for a new indoor entertainment stadium at Burswood or $102M for the same thing in Northbridge. These complexes would seat 12,500 people in line with the brief from the Government. However, a re-vamp of the Perth Entertainment Centre would cost $51M for 11,500 seats.

So Mr Tax Payer, would you risk an extra $35M/$51M for an extra 1,000 seats? Would you pay an extra 69% for an extra 9% seating? Remember that the last 9% will only be used when the venue is full. It’s a no-brainer. Re-furb the Perth Entertainment Centre. $50M buys a lot of hospital beds.

I must admit to an emotional bias here; my father Brian Treasure championed the building of the Entertainment Centre when he worked at TVW 7. At the time there was no adequate venue for the large stage shows that TVW and Edgley’s were travelling around Australia (Disney on Parade, Moscow Circus etc) and Perth was missing out on international acts. It was more attractive financially for promoters to bring acts over to the east coast only. Now, 32 years after the building that fixed this problem we are faced with the same situation.

The WA government and environmental groups seem comfortable with the recently proposed Coral Bay development near Ningaloo Reef. $60 million for a 260 bed hotel run by the Hilton chain. It looks like no EPA study will be sought. Contrast this with the hostile reception to the rejected Maud’s Landing development, to be the subject of legal action against the government. Wait a minute.

$60 million; 260 beds. Does that add up? It’s a cost per key of $231,000. The industry rule of thumb is your cost per key divided by 1000 = the actual room rate you need to break even at 70% occupancy. $231 per room.

But the actual room rate is only half the “rack rate”. In other words, to break even the hotel would need an advertised room rate of $460 a night. Good luck with that. Something’s fishy in Ningaloo.