Money woes a head scratcher

A&P Shows across the country are struggling to break even, but show organisers are scratching their heads at why Canterbury would be doing worse.

Sources close to the Canterbury A&P Association say the 161-year-old event is relying on a secret deal with the Christchurch City Council to get its finances back in order, with many contractors to the November show still waiting to be paid.

They want the 2024 New Zealand Agricultural Show to be postponed for a year, and for the association to do soul-searching about how to remain financially sustainable.

Keith Cooper, chairperson of the Upper Clutha A&P Association, which oversees the Wānaka Show, said his team members were “scratching our heads” at how a show of Canterbury’s size, attracting over 100,000 attendees, wasn’t profitable. The Wānaka Show attracted more than 44,000 attendees in March – a record – and charged just $10 less than the November Christchurch show ($30 compared to $40 at the door for adults).

He said the cost of running events was increasing, so associations had to be smarter about where they found savings and careful about not growing for the sake of it. “It’s not the local bowling club, it’s a business,” he said.

Reto Oswald, manager of the South Canterbury A&P Association, said their two A&P shows – attended by about 3000 people – broke even for the last three or four years. They previously had “tremendous” losses, he said, but the books were balanced by cutting back on prize money and entertainment.

“The weather can kill you,” he said. “You’re running yourself to death every year.”

He said for the sake of the NZ Agricultural Show’s survival, it should consider postponing for a year and rethink how it is run.

Todd Harper, manager of Show Waikato Ltd – which runs the Waikato A&P Show on behalf of the A&P association – said their annual show was close to breaking even. The competition side comparable to Canterbury’s, but attracted about 10,000 people through the gate – less than a 10th of what Canterbury’s show gets. He said the key to an A&P Show’s survival was making sure there was something new, especially in urban centres like Hamilton and Christchurch.

Although savings could be made by scaling back, Harper warned it could be offset by fewer people being interested in going. He said the focus shouldn’t be on cutting back, but increasing income streams like sponsorships.

The Christchurch City Council is negotiating a multimillion-dollar investment into the Canterbury A&P Association through an investment trust.

Harper said although it was preferable for associations to be independent of local government, “at the end of the day ... times are tough”.