Flinders University has won a major South Australian award for its SpringFest event, which has propelled it into the national finals.

SpringFest 2017 received ‘The Public Event of the Year Award’ on 12 April, at the Meeting and Events Australia’s (MEA) 2017 South Australian Industry Awards night. The event will represent South Australia in the national finals, which will be announced on 8 May 2018.

To be considered for the award, an event must be significant with a multifaceted approach, and achieve its objectives through the imaginative use of resources, innovation and creativity.

SpringFest is the University’s signature event and its biggest community engagement event.

The 2017 festival provided visitors with a wonderful opportunity to explore and discover Flinders University at their own pace, getting hands dirty around campus in an almost endless stream of coordinated activities that covered most of the campus. Children enjoyed participating in activities while exploring the University’s beautiful natural setting, or digging for Diprotodon bones in the Paleontology labs.

Partnering with Nature Play SA, Flinders was transformed into an interactive garden of exciting activities that saw more than 7,500 visitors enjoy a truly immersive experience.

Feedback from the event was exceptional, with students, staff and visitors loving the activities and spaces – which successfully proved that education could be fun.

With universities becoming increasingly involved with their communities, Flinders is opening its doors wide to cement it as a place of enjoyment and interaction for the whole community.

SpringFest owed its success to the efforts of Flinders’ Office of Communication and Engagement team; the many academic and professional services staff who collaborated on the event; and its partnership with Nature Play SA.

The award recognised the combined team effort that was required to plan, organise and manage a wonderfully successful public event.