City birthday cost more than $140,000
Porirua City’s big birthday celebrations last year cost more than $305,000, more than half of which was spent in one night.
Figures supplied by Porirua City Council show that the 50th dinner, held at Te Rauparaha Arena on October 3, cost $164,305.
The hirage costs were $99,997, catering was $62,220 and $2088 was spent on ‘‘dinner commemoratives’’ that included special blocks of Whittaker’s chocolate.
However, $100 ticket costs and sponsorship and grants brought in $93,680, so the dinner ran at a net loss of $70,625.
That money came out of the council’s events budget, said Euan Dempsey, the council’s general manager of community services.
Other 50th costs spread throughout 2015 amounted to $141,389, and were absorbed into existing budgets, Dempsey said.
The marketing, advertising and merchandising spending for 2015 all had the birthday theme, he said.
Advertising came to $6162 and marketing and promotions cost $45,030, so the city could sport 50th-themed flags, banners and billboards.
All up, merchandise, including watches, drink bottles and wristbands, cost $12,444.
The 50th medal and pins, given out at the dinner to deserving Porirua residents for their community service, cost $3201, and ‘‘sundry associated costs’’ relating to the 50th birthday were $3927.
It was money well spent, Dempsey said, and oversight was always in place from city councillors, who resolved there should be no over-spend.
‘‘The activities surrounding the celebrations were delivered in partnership with many organisations,’’ he said.
‘‘The 50th dinner was the premier event and it was the focus of fundraising and sponsorship activity to provide an affordable ticket price and reduce the overall cost to the council.
‘‘The feedback and reaction we got from the dinner was that it was a fantastic occasion.’’
The We Built This City and Made in Porirua exhibitions were built into Pataka’s exhibition programme, he said.
‘‘We trimmed our cloth last year, but no other [events or activities] were cancelled. Things just became tighter.’’