Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Economic Development

7 October 2014 Media Statement

Major Events Fund invests in BMW NZ Golf Open

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has announced the Government is investing $700,000 from the Major Events Development Fund into each of the next two BMW New Zealand Open events in 2015 and 2016 in Queenstown.

The New Zealand Open will also receive an additional one-off investment of up to $500,000 split over two years for television production and distribution, to support a live television broadcast of the event for the first time. The ability to broadcast live television will ensure footage of the event can be viewed in New Zealand’s key tourism markets of Australia, China, Japan and North America.

Mr Joyce says the funding will support the event’s continued growth and help ensure it becomes a regular fixture on New Zealand’s major events calendar.

“The New Zealand Golf Open is a home grown event which provides excellent opportunities to promote New Zealand as a premier destination,” Mr Joyce says.

“The event has already delivered measurable net economic benefits to New Zealand by attracting elite athletes and visitors from around the world, as well as allowing active business leverage programmes to be created.

“The additional assistance with live television coverage on a one-off basis is designed to help the event attract more sponsorship so that it can become self-sustaining and independent of Government support in the future.

“The Major Events Development Fund is designed to help create a series of annual and one-off high profile international events that give New Zealand a higher profile in the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, and attract more visitors and business to New Zealand. The Major Events Investment Panel believes that the New Zealand Golf Open is making good progress in becoming one of those high-profile events.”

ENDS

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