ATEED funds strong major events portfolio

15 July 2013

ATEED funds strong major events portfolio

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) today announced an exciting and diverse portfolio of events for the 2013/14 year.

General Manager Destination and Marketing, Rachael Carroll says the enviable list reflects ATEED’s mission to constantly review and expand Auckland’s programme of major events.

“We are investing in an exciting mix of sporting, art and cultural events which will help to make Auckland the most liveable city in the world,” she says.

The portfolio includes 15 events that have received sponsorship from the 2013/14 contestable Major Events Fund, with the remaining 20 being multi-year sponsorships and confirmed one-off events. Auckland has also bid for a number of major events which are yet to be confirmed.

Rachael Carroll says all the sponsored events meet the strict criteria of Auckland’s Major Events Strategy.

“Applicants events are assessed for their ability to generate new money (GDP) for Auckland, grow domestic and international visitor nights, build awareness of Auckland internationally, and provide Aucklanders with the chance to enjoy world-class events.”

ATEED received 54 applications requesting a combined value of almost $6 million for the 2013/14 contestable Major Events Fund.

Nearly $5.65 million was allocated from the Major Events Fund in 2013/14 as part of multi-year sponsorships and confirmed one-off events. These include: NZ Fashion Week, ASB Classic and Heineken Open, Fast 5 World Netball Series, FIM Speedway World Champs, ITU World Series, the IRB Junior World Championships, ITM 400 Auckland, and the hugely popular annual Pasifika, Lantern and Diwali festivals.

“We’re confident the new events season will build on the success of the 2012/13 year. While data from that period is not yet finalised, we’re well on track to exceed our major events performance targets,” says Rachael Carroll.

Visitor nights are likely to exceed 300,000, more than triple the target of 95,000. The GDP injection is expected to be 39 million, 30 per cent above the $30 million target.

The Major Events Strategy contributes towards the transformation of Auckland into the world’s most liveable city, and helps to position Auckland as both a gateway and a destination for visitors.

A complete portfolio for the 2013/14 year appears here.

The 2013/2014 sponsored event evaluation panel included representatives from ATEED, New Zealand Association of Event Professionals and Covec. Recommendations on the applications were approved by ATEED’s Board of Directors.

All ATEED sponsorship funding for major events is subject to ongoing negotiations with event organisers and confirmation that events will go ahead as planned.

ENDS

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