Client: Council of Capital City Lord Mayors 

Project: Measuring the value of Australia’s night-time economy

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What were MAKE asked to do?

Following the success of our NightMix project for Sydney, where we measured both the costs and benefits of the city’s night-time economy (with colleagues from economic measurement specialists TBR), MAKE’s NightMix model was deployed to measure the NTE of Australia’s eight capital cities, as well as seven other key destinations. 

The aim was to understand the spatial trends, economic value, tax contribution and job creation of these cities ‘after dark’, so policy decisions about how to develop the evening and night-time economy could be based on accurate city-level date for the first time.

How did MAKE do it?

  • Our ‘Night-Mix’ methodology was transposed to the Australian national context and populated with data from various sources including the cities themselves, the Australian Bureau of Statistic and private data houses.

  • Crucially, individual areas were geographically demarcated – perhaps for the first time in a pan-Australian context, allowing analysis between competitor locations. So rather than just relying on municipal boundaries for analysis, which rarely fit how economies work in reality, specific ‘real world’ night-time economy catchments had to be built. 

What happened next?

The report highlighted the serious (and previously hugely underestimated) importance of the NTE to Australia’s economy and revealed significant regional variations. NightMix showed the country’s annual NTE sales revenues in 2013-14 to be $108 billion – an increase of 20% from $90 billion in 2009. The broader Australian economy grew by only 14% in the same period. NightMix demonstrated the resilience and future potential of the after dark sector because this exceptional growth took place during the global financial crisis recovery. The work was used by the municipalities in varying ways – creating bespoke night-time economy strategies, including the NTE in updated economic development, destination management and placemaking strategies. 

What unique value did MAKE bring to this project?

When MAKE founder Ali Turnham created the name NightMix in 2008 it was based on his unique understanding of the cultural and economic value of clubland and the importance to it of the DJ ‘mix’. Having DJd at clubs across the UK and as a resident DJ at superclub Gatecrasher, he felt that if millions of people were out enjoying themselves, spending money on a weekly basis, then surely this sector should be seen as more than just a problem in need of ‘control’. The intellectual property of NightMix that we co-developed stands as the only recognised model for uncovering the value of the night-time economy.