Sydney Royal Easter Show Innovative Program nominated for Australian Event Award

Kenvale College is one of the nominees for an Australian Event Award for its innovative educational program at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, ‘Natural Fibre Fashion Parade.’

For many the Sydney Royal Easter Show is an exciting day out, filled with carnival rides, novelty foods and agricultural wonders. However, for Kenvale College students it was also an invaluable learning opportunity. 
 
Kenvale College, a not-for-profit educational institute which runs courses in Hospitality, Event Management and Commercial Cookery in Sydney, worked closely with The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) at the 2018 Sydney Royal Easter Show to create and run the Natural Fibre Fashion parade. 
 
Kenvale College students were given a multifaceted event experience which saw them pull together the Field to Fibre Fashion Parade at the largest ticket event in the Southern Hemisphere while the RAS gained a budget-friendly event enjoyed by all.
 
According to Kenvale College event lecturer Brigid Treloar, working with the RAS was a unique opportunity for her students.  
 
“Our students were able to work in a live space,” Treloar said
 
“It’s everything right from the beginning; brainstorming, creativity workshops, the hard yakka right through to actually doing the event, from bump in to bump out. It really tested their skills in being able to deal with multiple stakeholders while having to be creative and innovative in the moment.
 
“The Natural Fibre Fashion Parade was a unique experience for our students and tied in nicely with the RAS Education program. Our students gained invaluable experience,”  Treloar said. 
 
Kenvale College Events, Innovation and leadership students, Chelsea and Georgia had a similar view on their experience working on such a largescale event.
 
“I personally found the experience really enriching. I got to practice my creativity and innovation so that I was representing the designers in the best way and of course our clients in a way that was professional and reflected well on the event itself,” Chelsea said, 
 
“It really gave all us students a taste of what working in the real event industry is like, being able to see something built from the ground up, being able to see every element unfold,” Georgia added. 

The Natural Fibre Fashion Parade aims to showcase New South Wales natural fibre clothing and sustainable fashion.

Items are donated following the parade to raise money for the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation, the charitable arm of the RAS.