‘Delighted’ to be in national finals
Art Deco and Christmas festivals make the cut
The 2018 Tremains Art Deco Festival and the Cox Partners Hawke’s Bay Christmas at the Park are finalists in the New Zealand Events Association Annual National Event Awards.
The Art Deco Festival, a finalist in Best Regional Event 2018 category has a strong connection to the community, with significant reach to local, national and international visitors.
Attracting 45,000 people in five days and boasting more than 280 events in 2018, the Tremains Art Deco Festival is a nod to the Art Deco era and celebrates the heritage of Napier city.
“Being announced as a finalist in these national awards is an immense honour. The festival plays a vital role in our region’s economic and social vibrancy. Celebrating the 30th festival in 2018 was an outstanding achievement and confirms the value of our heritage and history to our region.” Art Deco Trust acting general manager Vicky Rope said.
Cox Partners Hawke’s Bay Christmas at the Park, a finalist in the Best Community Event 2018, has been operating for 18 years and is the largest free-toenter concert in Hawke’s Bay.
Trustee and organiser David Trim says: “We are delighted to be named a finalist in the Community category for the second year in a row. Community is what we are all about. With the high cost of producing professional concert events, it is only through the huge support of sponsors and volunteer groups that we have been able to maintain holding a free-to-enter community event that attracts 15-20,000 people.”
We have the perfect summer climate for hosting events and we are developing a reputation for doing these extremely well. Kevin Murphy, events manager, Napier City Council
Napier City Council events manager Kevin Murphy says: “It is great to see Hawke’s Bay events being tested against other regional events from around the country. We have the perfect summer climate for hosting events and we are developing a reputation for doing these extremely well.”
The awards’ judging panel is independent of the NZEA and possesses a wealth of experience across the arts, sports, sponsorship and business sectors of New Zealand.
The judges commented in their deliberations this year about the importance of uniqueness, innovation and legacy in events, and how many of the finalists clearly demonstrated these traits.
Sound management, strategic planning, and clear objectives were, as always, important. At times, the scoring was very difficult with great events often ranked very closely.
New Zealand Events Association chairman Graham Rouse was delighted to congratulate the awards’ finalists.
“Our finalists have demonstrated outstanding vision, innovation and results. This, combined with sustained growth in the volume of awards applications we are receiving year on year, is a really positive indication of the strength of the events industry in New Zealand and the positive impact it has on people, communities and the economy. I am looking forward to celebrating with the sector and recognising the finalists’ achievements at the NZEA Event Awards function.” i The awards will be announced at a ceremony in Auckland on March 29, 2019.