NZAEP Events Update July 2016

EventsUpdate JULY 2016

editorial@nzaep.co.nz ­— New Zealand Association of Event Professionals, c/o P O Box 3798, Auckland 1140 ISSN 1179-3678 — Subscription is a member exclusive benefit — contact info@nzaep.co.nz for details

THE CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN BEGINS — See page 5

WELLINGTON’S SPECTACULAR TEST MATCH ACTIVATION — See page 9

ROTORUA GETS $1.5M FOR MUD FESTIVAL — See page 8

FROM THE CEO

Awards and Scholarship entries impress What a pleasure it has been to see the breadth and calibre of Events delivered in this country as we prepare to announce the finalists in the New Zealand Event Awards. Entries in this year’s Awards have doubled so the competition is fierce.

Finalists will be announced July 8th. Make sure you have booked your tickets to attend the Awards Dinner on August 4 at the Auckland Museum as we’ve had great sales already even before finalists have been announced.

Also pleasing to see is the article on page 3 demonstrating, in very digestible fashion, the positive impact of events on regional economies. Whilst this comes as no surprise to us in the industry, statistics such as these reported in mainstream media can only serve to support the popular perception of events as vehicles for economic growth and worthy of continued investment from central and local government.

Last week we announced the

recipient of the inaugural New Zealand Major Events Scholarship. The deserving recipient being Janette Douglas of Cycling New Zealand, who is profiled on page 7. Entries were assessed by myself and Devorah Blumberg of New Zealand Major Events. We were heartened to see, from the quality of the entries, that the future of our industry is definitely in good hands.

Finally of course, the Eventing the Future conference is just a few

weeks away and we are certainly looking forward to reconnecting with many of you who we may have missed at our seminars throughout the last year – and of course meeting many of our new members too.

Early bird registrations are only available for a few more days so please don’t delay in confirming your spot at this important industry event.

Vicki Watson CEO, NZAEP

Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Association of Event Professionals All members of the NZAEP are invited to attend our AGM. Thursday 4 August, 1.10pm to 1.30pm The Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland Click here for online registration

COVER: Millions attend the Boryeong, South Korea Mud festival annually. CREDIT: Steamnmud.co.nz Events Update, July 2016

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Decline in visitor spending in Marlborough down to impact of events, says tourism boss SOURCE: Stuff.co.nz, 19 June 2016

Marlborough economy.

A decline in visitor spend for April shows the impact events have on the regional economy in Marlborough, the head of a tourism body says.

An economic assessment report of the 2013 event conducted by the Marlborough District Council showed it contributed $3.1 million to the region.

New figures from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment show Marlborough recorded the second largest drop in the country for visitor spending in April.

Annual spend recorded by the new database showed Marlborough had been trending upward since 2013, when it posted $293.79 million in visitor spend in the year to April.

The monthly regional tourism estimates, a new database released by the ministry, show Marlborough dropped 6 per cent compared with visitor spend in April 2015, the second largest drop behind the Hawke’s Bay with 8 per cent.

This climbed to a high of $342.3 million in the year ending April 2016.

Destination Marlborough general manager Tracy Johnston said the decline in visitor spending was expected as the region hosted the Omaka Classic Fighters Airshow in April last year.

“The revised database now excludes holiday home revenue and only partially captures cruise expenditure so probably a conservative estimate of the value of the visitor economy to Marlborough,” she said.

“This demonstrates the impact of a large event in the region on the economy,” she said.

The airshow was the biggest tourism drawcard for the region, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and pumping millions into the

Johnston said she had been advised by the ministry that the revised data was still provisional, and said it recorded a more conservative estimate of spending.

Marlborough Tour Company general manager Scott McKenzie said the decline in April spending did not correspond with the increase in trade they had seen this year.

Figures from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s monthly visitor spend estimate database show an increase in visitor spending in Marlborough. CREDIT: Fairfax NZ “It’s something I certainly haven’t seen in the business we’ve had coming through,” he said.

The company had seen strong trade in April and May, something which would have been unusual in past years when the shoulder season started at the end of March, he said.

McKenzie attributed the extension of the shoulder season to the promotional work of Destination Marlborough and Tourism New Zealand.

For the amount they were funded, McKenzie said the regional tourism organisation was doing a good job promoting Marlborough.

“You can’t influence a mass market without a massive budget, so you’ve got to work with what you’ve got and bringing over trade and media is key to that,” he said.

The Marlborough District Council funded Destination Marlborough for $859,476 in 2016-17, an increase from $722,535 the year before.

Council support services manager Dean Heiford said the organisation’s 2014-14 annual report showed a strong performance, meeting or exceeding 94 per cent of its performance criteria.

These were set out in a business plan which was approved by the council.

4 August 2016 Auckland Museum BOOK NOW!

Events Update, July 2016

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The Conference Count Down Begins… by the capable Crackerjack Promotions event company and will celebrate the Conference’s 15th Anniversary too.

Major players in the event industry will be coming together in Auckland for ETF16, don’t miss your chance to be part of the gathering.

Check out our exciting line up of speakers, and the challenging session and panel topics that will give insights into the event industry’s future… and prepare for two days of extreme networking!

Learn more about the next age of sponsorship, leadership and engagement techniques; gain insights into lessons from events globally, tech trends and get a view of the innovation that will reinvent the event industry in coming years.

Get to know your peers The conference networking social function on Wednesday 3 August will provide an informal chance for you to network and get to know your event professional peers over drinks and nibbles. The evening is being organised

Head for the Atrium Lounge after Day One sessions end.

5.15pm -7.30pm.

Prepare for the future In keeping with looking to the future our keynotes all focus on what trends in consumer demand, delivery, services and revenue generation might look like in the future. One of our recently announced speakers is profiled below.

Sponsorship and Revenue Generation - Mike Keech Sponsorship and event funding is always a hot topic and we have secured, Mike Keech from Impact Sponsorship, to share his 25 plus years experience with us.

A true business developer and commercial partnerships matchmaker, Mike is an exceptional communicator with outstanding vision and focus. Mike has an amazing ‘nose’ for finding ‘win/win’ opportunities where few would think to look and having the drive to bring

CAREERS CORNER We’ve recently advertised following roles: • Conference Manager, Conference Innovators • City Events Coordinator, Hutt City Council • Project Coordinator, Auckland Arts Festival • Events Coordinator, ProMag Publishing NZAEP members receive email notifications of career opportunities as they are listed on our website.

If you would like to advertise your vacancy, request for proposals, tender or sponsorship opportunity to our 900+ membership base, please email info@nzaep.co.nz

Events Update, July 2016

them to fruition. He is a 360° Sponsorship professional with over 25 years across events, experiential marketing and brand engagement with strengths in B2B and B2C across regional and global markets. Experience includes events from the Olympic and Commonwealth Games to NRL through to local events and includes venue management of both the Olympics and stadia including Leichhardt Oval.

Sharing insights from the recent International sponsorship conference and applying this to his experience working in NZ and Australia, Mike understands the scale and market in Australasia to bring learnings to all levels of events and across sectors.

Mike will cover: • Where is sponsorship heading and what changes are there in the sponsorship market?

• What is happening in the NZ market and what are the opportunities and challenges for the sector?

• What are some new and exciting initiatives across different sectors • How to value your sponsorships both as a property/rights holder and as the sponsor/brand.

EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT DEALS END ON 12TH July Don’t miss out on $100 +GST savings with Early Bird rate - closes 12 July!

Rendezvous Hotel special conference offer $200 +GST – rooms selling out fast!

The annual conference continues to be a valuable opportunity to get new information, industry updates, future trends, and to network with leading professionals and others who operate in your space.

Check out the exciting two day programme online at www.eventingthefuture.org. nz and register today!

Where can I get great Guidelines?

Resource Bank Page 5

Official Suppliers

Spark Business – Get your business sorted We’re a local service with one aim: to find the right communication tools for your business. You’ll deal with one person for all of your needs and get great advice to make sure you have the right mix of phone, mobile and internet. Plus, you’ll get regular tech-checks so you’ll always be on the right plan or package.

For any information relating to your Business Telecommuncation needs you can reach your local hub on 0800BUSINESS or www.spark.co.nz/business/contactus/business-hubs/ or to check out what Spark has to offer www.Spark.co.nz/business If you’re just not sure who you need to speak to you can email NZAEP’s Partner Manager willa.hand@spark.co.nz and she’ll help you out too.

Contact our official supplier for Insurance, Marsh, to receive details of your membership only offer: stuart.hartley@mmc.com

Every day 195,000 PwC people in 157 countries work hard to build strong relationships with others and understand the issues and aspirations that drive them. Over and above our traditional service offerings, PwC New Zealand also has a strong industry focus, with multi-discipline teams dedicated to key industry groups in both global and national markets. For our clients, this means the best local knowledge combined with the broadest global experience. Our partners and staff are dedicated to solving the complex problems businesses are facing in today’s changing market place. Now, more than ever, we have the resources to meet these needs through our truly integrated global network. www.pwc.co.nz

Visit our website for all details on all our supplier members for AV/Technical, Business/Insurance/Legal, Entertainment, Equipment Hire, Security, Signage/Marketing, Staging/Stands/Setup nzaep.co.nz/suppliers

Events Update, July 2016

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NZ Major Events Scholarship recipient: Janette Douglas

Janette Douglas Last week, NZAEP announced that Janette Douglas, Events Manager with Cycling New Zealand, is the inaugural recipient of the New Zealand Major Events Scholarship.

The scholarship includes free registration to the ETF16 conference and to the New Zealand Event Awards dinner as a guest of the NZAEP Board.

Janette has nine years management experience covering domestic and international sporting events such as Ironman and more

recently with Cycling New Zealand, with the delivery of their national events and the successful UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Cambridge.

She says, ‘This is a valuable opportunity to observe, learn and develop further skills with the support of peers and leaders within our events industry. Receiving this award is a valuable professional development opportunity and my thanks go to NZAEP and NZME for the recognition and support they have provided.”

Devorah Blumberg, Manager at New Zealand Major Events (NZME), says “Janette has achieved some admirable wins in her events career to date and stood out as an inspiring professional with an aim to contribute to the New Zealand events industry in the long-term. ”Our aim with the scholarship is to support the continued professional development of the next generation of ‘major event’ stars coming through

the events industry pipeline.”

NZAEP has almost 1,000 members now, with membership growing by over 70% in the last two years. As a result, applications were always expected to be strong, meaning further credit to Janette for rising to the top.

“The New Zealand Major Events Scholarship is just what is needed to further motivate and encourage professional development of our members. It provides some new opportunities and deserved recognition for the recipient,” says Vicki Watson, Chief Executive of NZAEP. “We believe the added benefit of attending the New Zealand Event Awards Dinner will provide additional motivation for Janette for the next phase of her career.”

Further information on the scholarship, the New Zealand Awards Dinner and ETF16 Conference are available on www.nzaep.co.nz

Linked In NZAEP Group

Over 250 members have already signed up to the Linked In exclusive NZAEP Group.

Visit www.linkedin.com/ groups/nzaep-6934807 to get involved.

NZAEP Facebook Page

See what over 380 of your colleagues are liking! Like our Facebook page HERE.

Free Health Check With the new health and safety regulations now in place, take a free health check of your insurance cover.

For personal service contact Stuart Hartley.

Currently seeking volunteers • ILT Kidzone Festival, Invercargill, 13-18 July • WUU2K, Wellington Urban Ultra Marathon, 17 July 2016

Note: NZAEP benefits from all insurance cover purchased through Marsh.

Visit our website. stuart.hartley@mmc.com 021 570 478

• Taupo Winter Festival, 15-17 July Contact Stu Hartley for your free insurance health check.

Visit the Marsh Health Check Clinic at this year’s Eventing the Future Conference for a one on one insurance check-up

Events Update, July 2016

• Storylines Family Days, Nationwide, 20-28 August • North Shore Half Marathon, 11 September • World Masters Games 2017

volunteernet.org.nz Page 7

Rotorua gets $1.5 million for mud festival SOURCE: Waikato Times, 22 June 2016

signed a partnership agreement last week.

Rotorua Lakes Council has signed a partnership agreement with Boryeong​ City in South Korea that will bring a Mud Festival to Rotorua next December.

“When we are looking at what events fit the Rotorua destination and what is missing, then a mud festival proposal is very exciting,” said Chadwick.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has also announced it is backing the venture with a $1.5 million investment via the Major Events Development Fund.

“In Rotorua, culture, dirt and steam is what we are about and mud fits our proposition.”

Boryeong in South Korea runs an annual mud festival which attracts more than three million visitors a year.

Rotorua Lakes Council wants to establish a similar event in Rotorua based on the city’s 150-year history of using mud as both a therapy and treatment.

Rotorua and Boryeong mayors Steve Chadwick and Kim Dong-Il along with International Festival and Events Association president, Professor Gang Hoan Jeong and a director of the Boryeong Mud Festival

Rotorua mud is very high in minerals due to its contact with the volcanic gases and minerals from the earth’s centre and it stores heat easily when it’s warmed which makes it ideal for heat treatments.

A relationship with the Boryeong festival will allow Rotorua organisers to leverage some of the intellectual property around festival management as well as build both trade and tourism alliances between New Zealand and South Korea.

“This will be a very good cultural exchange and open another tourism market.

Millions attend the Boryeong, South Korea Mud festival annually. CREDIT: Steamnmud.co.nz It’s adding diversity into the cultural mix here in Rotorua.

It’s quite delicious, the idea of a mud festival. There will be some other collateral. Mud as an art form, mud as an expression of this place,” said Chadwick.

MBIE Major Events manager Devorah Blumberg​said the investment would help seed the event’s growth over its first five years.

“Inviting the world to

immerse themselves in geothermal mud is a unique opportunity to showcase Rotorua’s distinctive volcanic and geothermal environment to an international audience,” she said.

“Over time, the event is forecast to attract a significant number of domestic and international attendees, which will generate strong economic returns for both Rotorua and New Zealand.”

Coast to Coast launches new academy prize SOURCE: Stuff.co.nz, 28 June 2016 The Coast to Coast’s new sponsor is determined to give high school students a taste of the iconic multisport race.

Kathmandu is encouraging high schools and sports clubs nationwide to nominate a three-person team for the chance to receive the ultimate package for the annual 243km event, which traverses the width of the South Island.

For the first time in the race’s 33-year history, the company has established an academy

Events Update, July 2016

prize to provide selected groups and individuals with resources and mentoring they need to compete.

Kathmandu gear, Salomon shoes to the value of $5000, race entry, a grade two white

water kayak course, plus the use of a road bike and kayak while training and competing.

They will specifically focus on the schools section to support ambitious young athletes with a range of packages offering support from training right through to the race days.

The winning team will receive the school’s academy package, including an exclusive coaching session with nine-time winner Steve Gurney, a $3000 cash prize to help with race expenses,

The Coast to Coast academy has been launched for the first time, providing students with an opportunity to compete in the annual multisport event. CREDIT: Supplied

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Adding Event Value – The Wellington Way

IMAGE CREDIT: Jon Baxter Wellington City Council’s Penny Mitropoulos talks about He Putanga Tupua, Wellington’s spectacular All Black vs Wales stadium activation.

Three words - Creative, Digital, Innovative - formed the initial brief, sparking a city activation concept that was about enhancing the visitor experience, creating a uniquely Wellington point of difference, and amplifying the atmosphere during international rugby tests held in Wellington.

It was important to bring the right people with the right skills together to create something in the digital space. We put out a call for proposals and a

number of companies came back with submissions ranging from holograms to interactive projected games.

The successful submission came from Perceptual Engineering, who proposed projection mapped creatures representing clashing cultures, battling in large scale on the outside of the stadium.

As the digital content needed to represent Wellington, we worked with Iwi from the planning phase through to execution. Building a strong Wellington story that could be used for future events influenced the content that transpired along the way.

That is when He Putanga Tupua (the emergence of the ancient ones) was born. He Putanga Tupua represents the story of two Taniwha, Ngake

and Whataitai, who were responsible for the creation of Wellington Harbour. The audio used featured the haka Ka Mate from Wellington iwi Ngati Toa, providing added depth to the story. It was resolved that the creature to represent NZ would be a Taniwha originating from Wellington and for the test against Wales, the opposing creature would of course be a Welsh Dragon.

The result of all this work was that as fans approached the stadium along the Fran Wilde walkway, they were confronted with a Taniwha and a Dragon battling on the stadium wall – a spectacle that built the excitement for the game ahead. The first segment began with the mighty Taniwha crashing through the stadium wall. His

luminous Moko glowed as he waited for the Dragon to appear from behind the moon.

Each creature representing a culture and a team, circling, breathing fire and lightening…

The sound of the mighty Welsh anthem echoes as the wall lights up with beautifully crafted Celtic designs acknowledging the Welsh team. This is then answered by the call of the Haka and emerging Koru designs from Te Upoko o Te Ika a Maui (the head of the fish) representing Wellington Poneke and the All Blacks.

Work has since begun on resolving the Taniwha’s next opponent for the Bledisloe test in August. www.perceptual.engineering/ He-Putanga-Tupua

Show Me Wellington rescheduled SOURCE: PWV Release, 10 June 2016 Wellington’s biggest conference and events expo, Show Me Wellington, has been rescheduled to March 8, 2017, as part of an evolution designed to increase the value of the event to all participants.

Show Me Wellington, which has been run since 2011, is owned and managed by Positively Wellington Venues, a business unit of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency

Events Update, July 2016

(WREDA).

David Perks, WREDA General Manager, Venues and Projects Development, says Show Me Wellington will remain a unique showcase for the capital’s Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) industry.

“Business Events are a major driver of the Wellington region’s visitor economy, and a key focus area for WREDA. Show Me Wellington is an important component of our promotional and business development activity in the

sector. WREDA is committed to ensuring Show Me Wellington continues to deliver high-value outcomes for the industry and the regional economy.”

“Rescheduling the next Show Me Wellington event to March moves the event away from a cluttered time of year, and allows us to showcase Wellington in ‘clearer air’.

We’ve also received clear feedback from across the Tasman that the new dates will assist us towards our target of attracting more

Australian buyers to Show Me Wellington.”

“We’ll also be using this opportunity to review all aspects of how we deliver Show Me Wellington. Our approach has always been about continuous improvement, with the goal of hosting a tradeshow event that is unmissable, distinctively Wellington, and most importantly, rewarding for all participants.”

Registrations for Show Me Wellington will now open in October.

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display & merchandise are in the right place, at the right time, providing a complete transport, materials handling & storage service from your

door right through to your exhibition booth.

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Rotorua set to welcome 2000 international conference delegates SOURCE: Excerpts from TNZ Release, 15 June 2016 Rotorua has won the bid to host the world health promotion conference of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) in 2019, thanks to the combined efforts of Tourism New Zealand, Destination Rotorua and the Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand.

The conference is a significant win for the Rotorua region and will see 2,000 international delegates enjoy the tourism hot-spot

Events Update, July 2016

- bringing an estimated $4 million to the New Zealand economy.

Tourism New Zealand Director of Trade, PR and Major Events René de Monchy says it is a great win for Rotorua and demonstrates the significant value international conferences bring to New Zealand.

“The conference will be held in April which strongly supports Tourism New Zealand’s strategy to spread visitors across the off-peak season helping to support employment and grow the

economic benefit to the country.”

Destination Rotorua Business Events Manager Craig Murray says that this is the largest conference that Rotorua will have ever hosted.

“Winning such a large scale event is testament to the quality convention infrastructure that Rotorua already has in place.”

“This coupled with the region’s rich Maori culture, natural beauty and unique geothermal landscape makes for an extraordinary

proposition for world-class business events,” says Mr Murray.

“Certainly, Rotorua as a location was a significant factor.”

Mr de Monchy says, “Tourism New Zealand has significantly increased its activity in the business events sector in the last few years, and this result is a great example of our focus to work collaboratively with industry to grow delegate numbers and value.”

Tourism New Zealand have bid for 58 international conferences for New Zealand since July 2015 - if successful this will see an estimated $77.5 million injected into the New Zealand economy.

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Move for a new arts strategy for Christchurch welcomed SOURCE: Creative New Zealand Newsletter 2 June 2016 Creative New Zealand has welcomed Christchurch City Council’s move to review and update its 2001 Arts Policy and Strategy Submitting on the council’s Draft Annual Plan 2016-2017 and amended Long Term Plan 2015-2025, Creative New Zealand said the council was “fortunate to have a passionate, engaged [Christchurch] arts sector which will be able to provide vital input”.

“Since the earthquakes the arts have played a vital role in providing Christchurch people with opportunities to build community. The initiative and wit of the arts community’s response to the loss of most of their physical infrastructure

has demonstrated how the arts can make lives better,” said Creative New Zealand chief executive Stephen Wainwright.

“The welcome return of some cherished institutions makes it timely to plan for a better future in which the contribution of the arts to social cohesion, economic growth and cultural progress is charted. We’ve seen elsewhere that an arts policy and strategy can play this role, particularly where it is informed by the collective wisdom and experience of the arts community,” he said.

The submission noted the council’s vital role in reopening the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Wiawhetu.

“The outpouring of public emotion and affection at the gallery reopening showed the transformative powers that

the arts have on people’s lives.”

The submission also noted that the beginning of work on the Performing Arts Precinct in 2018 was exciting and a “ready-to-go” activation which would “bring much needed vibrancy and activity to the city”.

While acknowledging the council’s rich support for the arts, the submission also expressed concern that arts and culture was becoming less of a priority, as the council focused on rates reduction while also increasing spending on roads and footpaths.

“Fiscal responsibility is of course very important to the council, but this shouldn’t be at the expense of developing a vibrant, livable community in which arts and culture play a fundamental role,” the submission said.

The council wants to return the city’s infrastructure and facilities to pre-earthquake conditions and improve these, where possible, but priorities for the council’s capital programme include no mention of arts or culture facilities apart from libraries.

The submission also recommended that the council not proceed with proposed fee increases for community and not-for-profit events held in the Central Business District and Hagley Park.

In 2014/15, Creative New Zealand invested $3.7 million in the Canterbury region including funding of individual arts projects and arts organisations as well as $400,000 for community arts through the Creative Communities Scheme (CCS), which is administered by local councils.

NZ Golf still chasing the dollars for proposed LPGA tournament in Auckland SOURCE: Stuff.co.nz, 2 July 206 New Zealand Golf’s $6 million plan to serve up a Lydia Koheadlined LPGA tournament in Auckland remains on course, despite major funding challenges still in place.

It is understood that both the key central and local government funding agencies have indicated they are keen to support the event and are pushing heavily for it to be held in October or November.

The LPGA have also indicated a general willingness to bring a tournament to New Zealand and it is thought they have no major objections to the timing being pursued.

Though NZ Golf is not commenting at this stage on any of its plans for the event, it is understood that both Ateed (Auckland Tourism Events and Economic

Events Update, July 2016

Development) and Major Events NZ have made it clear that their full support was contingent on it being held in the October “shoulder” season.

NZ Golf chief executive Dean Murphy said the ambitious mission to convert the New Zealand Open into an LPGAsanctioned tournament in Auckland remained very much a work in progress.

“We’re still working on funding and we’ve still got some big hurdles to get through,” he said.

It’s understood major sponsorship support, still in the millions of dollars, remains the last key hurdle left to clear, and NZ Golf has engaged a promoter to chase that backing.

Murphy would not comment

NZ Golf would love the world’s best players to come to Lydia Ko’s backyard for an LPGA Tour event. CREDIT: Getty Images on their negotiations with potential sponsors.

“We are continuing to work on it and hope to have a resolution in the next month or two,” he said.

It is also understood that a course in Auckland has been identified as the preferred option to host the event.

NZ Golf and government agencies believe Ko’s status as the world’s No 1 golfer and her global appeal are deserving of a showcase tournament in this country.

The last NZ Open, which Ko won for the third time, was held at Christchurch’s Clearwater course but was not televised and attracted few of the world’s leading golfers.

The LPGA Tour has tournaments in China, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia and Japan through its October schedule.

It is estimated that as much as $6 million in backing could be required to stage an LPGA tournament in New Zealand.

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NEWS BRIEFS Queenstown to host 2017 GODZone SOURCE: Excerpts from 100% Pure Racing Release, 1 June 2016 The world’s number one expedition adventure race, GODZone, has today launched chapter six of the event that will take place in New Zealand’s leading tourism destination, Queenstown, next February.

The seven-day event is set down for the 25th February to the 4th March 2017. GODZone Race Director Warren Bates says Queenstown will deliver the most exciting and dramatic location the race has ever seen.

“The expansive mountains

and lakes of the Southern Lakes Region provide the most stunning backdrop for an adventure race of this nature and competitors are going to be wowed at every turn. The course is being designed to make the upmost of the mountainous terrain that surrounds the resort.”

Shorter event ‘sensible option’ SOURCE: Otago Daily Times, 4 July 2016 As the dust settles on the final 10-day Queenstown Winter Festival, organisers say next year’s edition will be an”action-packed’’ four days that will better suit visitors, commercial partners and the media.

An estimated 45,000 locals and visitors have sampled more than 60 events at this year’s festival, which culminated in a colourful Community Carnival in the resort yesterday.

But a shock wave ran through the resort on Thursday when festival owner Destination Queenstown announced it would squeeze the festival into four days next year.

Festival director Lisa Buckingham said she did not view the decision as a sign the event was ailing.

“Any good event has to be assessed and reassessed every year, and we’ve taken the opportunity to look at what makes this festival sustainable going forward.’’

Commercial partners could focus their resources into the shorter period and “do some great things’’, Ms Buckingham said.

“I think all-round it’s a really sensible option and not a sign of a failing festival, but a sign of being adaptable and making it a better festival for the next 42 years.

IronMaori recognised for encouraging health and fitness among Maori

Richie McCaw,Ben Meyer,Sarah Fairmaid, Rob Nichol complete GODZone chapter five. CREDIT: 100% Pure Racing

SOURCE: Maori Television. com, 26 June 2016 IronMaori and its immense

contribution to improving the health of Maori have been awarded the Te Tupu-a-Rangi Award for Health & Science at the Matariki Awards 2016.

Heather Te Au-Skipworth and Missy Mackay created the first IronMaori half ironman race in 2009 as a way to tackle obesity and promote healthier lifestyles among Maori.

It quickly surged in popularity and the IronMaori brand has expanded rapidly.

It now encompasses the quarter iron man race as well as IronMaori TamarikiRangatahi event for youngsters and the major half ironman race - a 2km swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run.

Other IronMaori events have also flourished as a result, such as the IronMaori Duathlon in the Wairarapa, the IronMaori Kaumatua event in Napier, IronMaori Taranaki, and IronMaori Whakate Nelson. In 2013 there was an IronMaori Gold Coast event; and in 2016 Tamaki Makaurau had its turn.

Over the past seven years, more than 35,000 people have taken part in IronMaori events, leading more than a thousand of those through to Ironman New Zealand.

4 August 2016 Auckland Museum BOOK NOW!

Events Update, July 2016

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