Case Study:
St Nicholas Precinct Ipswich

St Nicholas Precinct, hosted by Ipswich City Council is an annual 10-night event that celebrates the wonder of Christmas as the urban heart of the city dazzles with spectacular light installations.

The family-friendly event includes installations and experiences to enjoy, live entertainment to watch and market stalls to visit. This free event transforms the precinct into an experiential atmosphere of lights, colour and magical moments, and IER has had the pleasure of researching this festive event.

Engaged by Ipswich City Council, IER aimed to understand the overall impact of the event on the Ipswich region. Through a combination of face-to-face and online surveys, the research explores the event’s economic, tourism, social, and community impacts, while also profiling attendees to uncover their behaviours and attitudes towards the event.

The St Nicholas Precinct attracted 48,081 total attendances, which estimated to almost 38,000 individuals across the 10 nights. The results revealed that attending St Nicholas Precinct enhanced their image of Ipswich as a destination, and reported feeling engaged in the experience and a strong sense of belonging during the event.