Decision About Conference Centre And Town Hall To Be Managed By Go Nelson

Mayoral Candidate Aldo Miccio says if he is elected mayor he will set up a new depoliticised organisation called Go Nelson in order to forward the process towards a Conference Centre and Town Hall for Nelson and ensure all Council events venues are profitable.

In October 2008 Cr Aldo Miccio initiated a workshop with a group of city councillors and various agency representatives to discuss the management of Nelson City Council’s event venues. An informal recommendation for council was put forward asking staff to look at a depoliticised organisational structure, dubbed /Go Nelson;/ a new umbrella structure that specifically manages event venues, to improve venue utilisation, free-up resource for higher levels of marketing activity and increase exposure outside of the region.

Council staff considered the proposal and initiated an Arms Length Review, which includes _all_ council-owned infrastructure, but Miccio maintains that the events venues need to be managed by a separate structure.

“I agree that all Council assets need to be looked at collectively, but it is clear that specific significant efficiencies of our events venues could be gained through a co-ordinated, commercial approach to asset and venue management, linked to an integrated regional event marketing strategy,” Miccio says.

“Nelson holds some spectacular events in various council-owned venues, but in addition to providing enjoyment, these assets need to be managed, marketed efficiently and run cost effectively to maximise their potential revenue return.

“With this in mind, if elected mayor, I wish to put in motion an immediate plan to set up Go Nelson separately from the Arms Length Review,” he says. “Once Go Nelson is set up, the organisation will have a strategic bird’s eye view of all existing venues and projects, including Trafalgar Park, Saxton Field, the Trafalgar Centre upgrade and the potential Conference Centre and a Town Hall. It can then undertake refreshed consultation on our conference and performing arts and civic needs as of 2011, and develop cost benefit analysis that councillors and the public can evaluate.

“Under Go Nelson, I envisage the savings and benefits to ratepayers would be immense as it would allow the Nelson City Council to take a more strategic approach to event management and marketing so that facilities can better pay for themselves in terms of ongoing maintenance and operating costs.

“Let’s stop the drain on rates from our existing various sporting, arts and community venues and ensure they are being run, managed and marketed as efficiently and economically as they should be, so we can enjoy the fabulous events hosted in our region, and attract lucrative conferences, knowing that our venues won’t be costing us down the line.”

Making it happen:

1. Council staff to meet in November 2010 with Christchurch’s VBASE, and Dunedin Venues Management Ltd to analyse these management models.

2. The Go Nelson structure to be developed (separate to current “Arms-length organisations” review) and workshoped with appropriate councillors, and key industry and economic development stakeholders and a recommended model presented to Council by April 2011.

3. Go Nelson to consult initially and then regularly with stakeholder councillors and relevant tourism, conference, and economic development agencies and businesses on all existing and potentially new venues, including conference facilities and a new Town Hall/Civic Centre.

4. By the end of FY11, Go Nelson to review and develop a gap analysis that informs both the management and marketing strategies of existing venues and the cost benefit analysis of any new infrastructure.

What this means to ratepayers:

- Well marketed and utilised council-owned venues, reducing the impact on rates

- The timely completion of the Trafalgar Centre

- A decision on the required conference facilities in 2011

- A decision on a Nelson Town Hall/Civic Centre in 2011

- Increased economic development due to an increase in events and conferences

- Nelson becomes known nationally and internationally as a region offering premium conferences and events

To see a copy of the policy click here: http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1007/Go%20Nelson%20Policy.pdf

ENDS

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