WOW pumps $30m into economy

Wellington’s economy was better off by $30 million because of last year’s World of WearableArt fashion-meets-art extravaganza, new data shows.

The annual show contributed $30,597,256 to the Wellington region last year, said Warrick Dent, events general manager at regional economic development agency WellingtonNZ.

It was ‘‘undeniably successful’’ for the capital’s economy, he said.

More than 64,000 people came to see last year’s show, which was the first in three years after the 2020 and 2021 performances were cancelled due to the pandemic. It was the largest audience for the spectacle, which has been running since 1987.

Of the $30m, more than $22.6m was classed as ‘‘new visitor spend’’ – money from the 36,151 domestic and international tourists who came to the Wellington region specifically for the show.

On average, those attendees stayed 2.24 nights each.

‘‘Any way you look, it was super successful,’’ said World of WearableArt’s head of marketing Natasha Gordon, who added it was an exciting time for the company given its recent sale to Aucklandbased Still.

The pandemic had been undeniably tough, but it was a ‘‘really exciting’’ time for World of WearableArt, Gordon said.

This year’s revolving categories, which form various worlds within the show, have also been revealed. Gordon said this year’s show would be themed around the idea of the future.

In addition to the mainstay sections of Aotearoa, Open and Avant-garde, the show will also welcome designs under the umbrellas Mars and Beyond, Gold, and Bizarre Bra, which is making a reimagined return after years.

The show runs from September 20 to October 8.