Queensland Cricket is very proud of the outstanding contribution these volunteers and initiatives make to the success of cricket in Queensland, and the work of these individuals, clubs and associations make at the grassroots level represents a major stake in the overall strength of the game.
The eleventh award Queensland Cricket would like to celebrate is the Technology & Media Initiative award. Congratulations to Bundaberg Cricket Association!
The Bundaberg Cricket Association's partnership with WideBayTv engaged the region's cricket community and even created a new supporter base with its livestreaming of games from the Aussie Bundy Big Bash on Friday night and a weekly broadcast of The Cricket Show.
The aim was to deliver a great product, a great atmosphere, get bums on seats, increase brand & sport awareness and set cricket apart from all the other sports in Bundaberg - which hopefully assists with participation increasing at junior and senior levels. BCA also ran their Junior Blasters prior to the Big Bash to bring families in and some of the players helped coach the next generation.
The WideBayTV weekly roundup of cricket in the Wide Bay region - The Cricket Show - is hosted by Rhys Grills and David Boge, with both local and visiting guests joining them. This was a great way of maintaining the momentum between Friday night matches. Studio guests could be livestreamed in on a panel or hosted in the studio. BCA provided the panellists/presenters and guests.
WBTV provided the space, crew and technology. This initiative is like nothing seen in Queensland before, and it was certainly no two-bit production. There were four cameras, commentary, live graphics on screen. Basically, it put the region's cricket "up in lights". There were huge promotions on social media to pull the spectators and viewers in.
The streaming of games, in a strange way, also help spectator numbers at grounds, as people wanted to be part of the event. The streaming also gave great exposure to association and club sponsors, which helps put extra value on the product and makes it easier to gain partnerships now and in the future. Whether it was the streaming of the games or The Cricket show, the exposure was basically like free advertising, which helped when it came to gaining registrations and volunteers!