WOW worth $28m to capital
World of WearableArt (WOW) is a celebration of the weird and wonderful but a recent report has shown the show’s importance on Wellington’s economy as well.
The report, commissioned by WellingtonNZ and WOW, found between domestic and international visitors to the city, an estimated $27.9 million was pumped into the region’s economy.
The report is undertaken every three years. Its 2019 results were up almost $2m, from $26m in 2016.
Outgoing WellingtonNZ chief executive Lance Walker said the show was a great way to usher in the busy summer period.
‘‘There’s no other event like it in the world.’’
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster said the event provides important employment opportunities for musicians, dancers and creative practitioners, and has been the biggest spending event on Wellington’s calender for several years.
The organisers are now ramping up for the 2020 iteration of WOW, after tickets went on sale on February 1.
WOW acting chief executive Donna Ching-Tregidga said hundreds of people were involved in the making of the 2020 show, which opens on September 24.
‘‘It’s an immense collaborative effort with around 400 people, with a diverse range of skills, working together to create a completely new show each year.’’
First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson said for some of the city’s retailers and hospitality providers, WOW outstrips the Christmas period.