Strong result from Fieldays
It’s confirmed, the 2017 Fieldays at Mystery Creek smashed all records.
The event’s 2017 Economic Impact Report showed it had generated more than a half billion dollars in sales revenue.
The details of the report were announced at a special meeting at Mystery Creek.
In his summary of the report, Waikato Business Management School Director Frank Scrimgeour termed Fieldays ‘‘an event of national significance’’.
‘‘It is a pathway in which knowledge and technology are absorbed into the community and has a major impact.’’
The results of Fieldays were analysed every year and ‘‘without a doubt, this year’s figures are a good news story’’.
New records with revenue resulted in higher levels of spending driven by a record number of attendees, 133,588 visitors.
The average spend by attendees increased by almost $100 per person on the previous year and according to Scrimgeour, this had a flow-on effect outside of Fieldays.
A 28 per cent increase in equipment sales reflected economic confidence following a lean 2016.
Scrimgeour said based on exhibitor residency this allocated $53 million in direct sales to Waikato firms.
‘‘The long-run growth and success of Fieldays does depend on the worldwide economic environment,’’ he said
‘‘Politicians can do their bit by keeping this country’s economic environment appropriate.’’
The future will depend on ongoing investment and by doing things better.
His advice for businesses was to co-operate using the platform Fieldays provided.
‘‘This event provides regional and national businesses a chance to maximise their returns they must continue to engage in Fieldays.’’
Fieldays offers benefits for regional, local and central govern- ment and he called upon them to invest in Fieldays over the coming years.
Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation said he was proud of the contribution the event made to the Waikato and New Zealand economy.
‘‘We’re constantly looking for ways to improve in an ever changing market and these findings are just going to drive us to deliver better results,’’ said Nation.
Fieldays’ brand value has increased from $380m in 2016 to $465m in 2017, signalling the Fieldays platform is increasing in value for manufacturers selling to primary producers.
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
For every one of the 133,588 visitors through the gate, $4000 in sales was generated.
Sales at Fieldays increased by 30 per cent per site in 2017.
81 per cent of patrons rated Fieldays as the most important or equally important annual event in New Zealand.
Exhibitors estimate that 9.1 per cent of sales made at Fieldays would have been lost if Fieldays did not exist.