How ‘creative collision’ turned into train wreck
Acouple of weeks ago I read a press release announcing that, regrettably, the WLG-X festival, planned for this September in Wellington, was cancelled. The announcement seemed to pass under the radar here, though Auckland website The Spinoff ran an excellent article about WLG-X’s demise.
The WLG-X story is a sad one. Two enthusiastic entrepreneurs, inspired by the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, thought a festival of ‘‘creative collisions’’ – where people from the film, music, technology and design worlds ‘‘collide’’ – would produce great ideas. When the WLG-X idea was first floated, some in Wellington’s creative community were excited. A feasibility study was very positive – though it was carried out by the eventual organisers.
WellingtonNZ – the ratepayer-funded agency previously known as Wreda (Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency) – also thought it was a great idea and stumped up some cash. The problem was that, though many potential sponsors in the various industries talked positively, no sponsors came through with money.
Though there was a launch party – apparently with more sizzle than sausage – the festival had to be postponed last year due to a lack of time to secure venues, acts and speakers. Then this year, tickets went on sale – for a whopping $799 – and international speakers were announced. As late as May 20, it was all on. ‘‘New Zealand’s most creative and innovative minds are set to collide in Wellington,’’ it trumpeted. ‘‘WLG-X is an event unlike anything else in the country,’’ gushed WellingtonNZ chief executive Lance Walker. ‘‘It brings together a range of creative talents to ignite ideas, innovations and passions.’’
Trouble is, no major sponsors were secured, apart from WellingtonNZ, and ticket sales were dire. A couple of weeks later, the website was down, and WLG-X was all off, leaving, I’m assuming, some furious international speakers cancelled at short notice.
Then the limited liability company organising
WLG-X went bust, owing unsecured creditors at least $186,000. I feel sorry for the ‘‘gutted’’ organisers who had a lot of passion – perhaps too much – for the event. But I can’t help thinking WellingtonNZ could have been more careful about the project, given how financially troubled it ended up being. I also find it hard to believe that it didn’t know of the financial problems with WLG-X when the May 20 press release went out.
Was it deliberately ignoring the financial plight of the limited liability company it was supporting, or was it genuinely ignorant of the situation? Either way, it’s not a good look for a organisation supporting economic development to be backing a company that is now bust.
The debacle raises questions about WellingtonNZ. For example, Walker was not able to tell me, apparently because of ‘‘confidentiality’’ clauses, how much WellingtonNZ had contributed. Really? I’m conservatively guessing WellingtonNZ shelled out between $150,000 and $200,000, though I look forward to being corrected.
Confidentiality is fine for projects, such as WOW, that might be poached if other cities knew how much local bodies contributed. But for a failed project with the company involved in liquidation?
I can’t help thinking WellingtonNZ could have been more careful about the project, given how financially troubled it ended up being.
Some creative Wellingtonians feel aggrieved that WellingtonNZ picks and chooses who it supports, rather than having contestable funding. WLG-X was similar to other successful Wellington events, such as Webstock, TED-X and the international arts and film festivals. Perhaps more funding for what is already working well is a better strategy than reinventing the creative wheel?
Given that WOW started in a tent in Golden Bay, was there a case for WLG-X to start small, then grow if successful? The organisers reckoned the festival needed a critical mass to work, as it was all about different groups ‘‘colliding’’. Perhaps – though it feels to me like too many people got excited without asking hard questions.
So, what of WellingtonNZ’s future in the cultural and business community? I know some think it is a waste of time and money, but I suspect the organisation has changed for the better since the dark Wreda days of $155 bottles of wine for local politicians. Check out who it funds and it’s not just central city film and design industry hipsters, but businesses throughout the region. There are parts of WellingtonNZ not in the public gaze that do some good work.
I think WellingtonNZ has a future, but if questionable funding decisions like WLG-X continue, Wellingtonians will rightly ask for more accountability, contestability and transparency from the people who spend their rates.