As Border visitor economy booms, Barlens strikes gold with national award

Disasters such as bushfires, the COVID pandemic and last year's floods have not been forgotten, but the success of events such as the Aurora light show, Albury's Gold Cup and Big Bash Cricket, and last week's Roam Rutherglen Wine Walkabout are "repaving the way", councils on both sides of the Murray said.

The Aurora Luna Light Journey, which kicks off next week, last year drew an attendance of 62,000 racking up $4.14m; the Gold Cup attracted 10,400 and made $3.88m, while 7500 went to see the Big Bash League cricket match on New Year's Eve which contributed $2.25m.

Event organiser Barlens, which had a hand in all of these occasions and was last week named best event hire company in Australia, said it was delighted to see the resurgence - but it would never forgot its roots as a fledgling operator 58 years ago.

Its chief operating officer Morris McKeeman said the key was to move with the times - the company is even finding storage space for online merchants in the lead-up to Christmas, a big business that snowballed during COVID.

"The sign at the front says major events, weddings, exhibitions and parties," Mr McKeeman said.

"Yeah, well, pretty much you could wipe most of that off and just leave major events at the top."

Barlens provides marquees, stages, lighting, seating and fencing for rock concerts and festivals, to structures for offshore detention centres and 90th birthday parties.

"It's just what we do," he said. "We still will go around and do your grandma's 90th birthday, that's our bread and butter, that's where we came from and we're still happy to do that."

Mr McKeeman said winning the Hire and Rental Industry Association's gong didn't come as a shock, but there were still some nerves on edge at the awards night.

"I think it started off with six or eight companies that were voted for hire company of the year then they start to narrow it down," he said.

"And then it gets down to two, then the judges fly in, pull your business apart, have a look at why you should win.

"They pull it all apart, have a really good look at what you're doing, and then on the night there's a dinner.

"And then with luck, and if you've done everything correctly, you find out on the night, and no one knows beforehand, not even the judges.

"We were a bit nervous, but we're confident in what we do, we don't copy anyone."

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