News Release: Taranaki Arts Festival Trust/WOMAD NZ
13 August 2008

WOMAD WINS AGAIN!

The accolades continue to pour in for WOMAD NZ, its partners and the dynamic Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT) that administers New Zealand’s premiere world music event, after picking up its latest award in Dunedin on Thursday night.

“Winning ‘Best Partnership for Event’ for the WOMAD NZ Festival Partnership at the 2008 New Zealand Association of Event Professionals Industry Awards (NZAEP), has capped off a brilliant fortnight where we have seen WOMAD NZ also awarded a national tourism award,” says a delighted Suzanne Porter, CEO of TAFT in New Plymouth.

The Awards were announced at a function in Dunedin at NZAEP’s annual ‘Eventing the Future’ Conference on 7 August 2008.

Ms Porter also accepted two further awards on the night:
1. Runner Up for ‘Best Established Event’ for ‘The Taranaki Rhododendron & Garden Festival’
2. Runner-Up for ‘Best Environmentally Sustainable Event’ for the WOMAD NZ Festival’s ‘Zero Waste Project’.

In 2007 TAFT won the NZAEP ‘Best Marketing of Event’ for the WOMAD NZ Festival 2007, and was a Finalist in the ‘Best Established Event’ Award for WOMAD NZ Festival 2007.

“I believe the reason for this outstanding and ongoing success has to be the superb partnerships we have in place. The support of our partners is crucial to all that we do freeing us up to stage incomparable events that continue to grow in popularity and reputation,” says Ms Porter.

Richard Tweedie, Managing Director, Todd Energy says, “I am delighted WOMAD NZ and its partners have been acknowledged with this NZAEP award. It is a very important partnership for Todd Energy, who has been active in the Taranaki community for over 50 years and a major partner and supporter of WOMAD NZ since 2003. In this time I have seen WOMAD NZ develop and grow into a world-class event and Todd Energy is very proud to be a part of such a dynamic and innovative festival that brings New Zealanders and superb international artists together every year in Taranaki.”

The continuing national and regional successes of the Festivals are due to the critical support of the event’s partners, funders, sponsors and supporters. The WOMAD NZ Partnership Strategy has been in place since 2003 and whilst some programme and event partners have changed, the core partnerships have not.

Colleen Tuuta, Chairperson, TSB Community Trust says, “The recent award to TAFT for their ‘Best Partnership for Event’ brings to mind the whakatauki (proverb), ‘Na tau rourou, na taku rourou, ka ora ai te manuhiri’ – By your gift and by my gift – the people will be resourced. As you can see the concept of partnership is not new, but it is a very important concept from a resource and sustainability point of view. Taranaki is small, resources are precious. Creating quality relationships that lead to partnerships with a high level of trust can create all kinds of magic!”

“These partnerships are highly valued and continue to be vital to the development of the WOMAD NZ Festival events. The quality of the managed Partnership Programme has been intrinsic to the success of WOMAD NZ, with particular emphasis on the basis of the partnership being an understanding and respect for mutual outcomes,” says Ms Porter.

The 2008 WOMAD NZ partners were:
Event Partners
Todd Energy
Shell NZ
Core Funders
TSB Community Trust
Venture Taranaki Trust
New Plymouth District Council
New Zealand Major Events
Programme Partners
Tui Ora Ltd
Hooker Pacific
The Radio Network
Boon Goldsmith Bhasker – Team Architecture

Event Supporters
95 bFM
South Taranaki District Council
Produced by
WOMAD
TAFT

Information about Runner Up awards gained by TAFT:
Best Established Event Award
Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival - In 2007 TAFT celebrated the Festival’s 20th year. Since TAFT began managing the iconic Taranaki Festival it has been revitalised and is now recognised as one of New Zealand’s finest Garden Festivals. In October 2008 the Festival ‘Comes of Age’ as it turns 21 and is now established as a highly regarded and well-visited national and internationally renowned garden event.
Best Environmentally Sustainable Award
With strong support from a number of organizations, TAFT put in place a highly successful and thorough waste-minimisation system at the WOMAD NZ Festival in March 2008. The results of the project saw almost 75% of the 15 tonnes of waste material that left the site diverted from landfill to composting or recycling. The resultant success of this system has now set a national benchmark for events waste management.
Information about NZ Association of Event Professionals
The NZAEP Event Industry Awards recognise excellent business practice in the events industry and encourage industry professionals to raise the overall standards of practice in New Zealand. The Awards judging panel consists of industry specialists selected across various event disciplines throughout New Zealand. The awards, presented annually by NZAEP, recognise outstanding achievement in five categories:
Best Emerging Event
Best Established Event
Best Marketing of Event
Best Partnership for Event
Best Environmentally Sustainable Event - NEW TO 2008


Information about general partnerships
Between 2003 and 2008, TAFT and WOMAD NZ, in partnership with WOMAD (World) Ltd and partners, sponsors and community supporters, have organised four successful WOMAD Festivals in New Plymouth, Taranaki. The WOMAD NZ Festivals have grown in popularity to the extent they have become New Zealand’s most successful outdoor music festival. WOMAD NZ Festivals are recognised now as premiere events providing leverage for regional development in the economic, social, tourism and creative sectors with substantial contribution to key regional development goals
It was identified from 2002 that in order to establish and sustain the WOMAD NZ Festival in Taranaki, TAFT and WOMAD NZ identify, secure and strategically develop a range of partners, funders, sponsors and community supporters. TAFT sought broad social investment from leading public and private organisations operating in Taranaki through a public/private sector partnership which became known as the WOMAD NZ Partnership.

ENDS

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