Linda Tillman: Why Regional Events Are Struggling (And What Needs to Change)
Episode Description
In this episode of Tourism Matters, Carmen Bold speaks with Linda Tillman - Managing Director of Tilma Group and co-founder of the Australian Centre for Regional Events - about the realities of building tourism and events capability in regional Australia.
Linda shares how a university assignment on rural tourism resulted in a 20-year career working alongside regional communities, and how she built a business focused on helping destinations grow through tourism and events.
The conversation explores the critical role events play in regional economies, why so many events are under pressure, and the persistent challenges that haven’t changed in decades.
Linda also introduces a bold idea for the future — regional support hubs designed to take pressure off event organisers and allow them to focus on what actually matters: creating great experiences.
What You'll Take Away From This Episode
• Why events are critical to regional tourism and community development
• The three core challenges facing regional events: people, money, and compliance
• How outdated operating models are contributing to burnout and “same-same” events
• Why volunteering models need to evolve to attract younger people
• The opportunity to rethink how events are supported through shared services and regional hubs
About Linda
Linda Tillman is the Managing Director of Tilma Group, a consultancy she founded in 2008 to support regional and rural communities through tourism and events.
She has spent nearly 20 years working across Australia on destination development, event strategy, and industry capability building, partnering with government, regional tourism organisations, and local communities.
Linda is also the co-founder of the Australian Centre for Regional Events, which focuses on strengthening the long-term sustainability of events through training, mentoring, and capability development.
Her work sits at both the strategic and grassroots level — helping shape big-picture tourism strategies while working directly with operators and communities on the ground.
Connect with Linda on LinkedIn
Organisations Referenced
Tilma Group: https://tilmagroup.com.au/
Australian Centre for Regional Events: https://australianregionalevents.com.au/
Episode Chapters
01:48 Getting to Know Linda
06:10 Early Career Interests in Tourism
11:33 Discovering a Passion for Regional Tourism
15:05 First Role in Local Government
16:26 Travelling Australia and Career Direction
19:28 Breaking into the Industry Through Networking
24:06 Starting Tilma Group
33:29 The Role of Events in Regional Tourism
36:39 Launching the Australian Centre for Regional Events
37:38 Challenges Facing Regional Events
41:34 Workforce and Volunteering in Regional Communities
44:11 Skills, Capacity and Capability Gaps
46:09 Rethinking the Event Model