2011-2012 Annual Report - Full Version - PDF - Palmerston North ...

EconomicDevelopmentWhat the Council DoesVision has also worked with the Ministry of SocialDevelopment to identify social enterprises foraddressing youth employment and training issues,built relationships with the Manawatu Chamberof Commerce and coordinated the activities ofthe Integrated Education Guardian Group (IEGG).Vision re-established the Manawatu Careers Expoduring 2011, and introduced 200 senior secondarystudents to the options open to them in the windenergy sector. Links between UCOL and the NewZealand Wind Energy Association have beendeveloped. Vision has grown the Young EnterpriseScheme - doubling the number of studentsreceiving an enterprise experience.Vision continues to play an active role in keyprojects including Student City, the ManawatuDefence Hub, the Westpac Manawatu BusinessAwards, regular economic forums, and theManawatu Trades Graduation. Vision has aresearch and development partnership with theBioCommerce Centre (BCC) and supported theInnovate! Manawatu competition (see below) andthe ANZ Flying Start Business Plan competition.Vision continues to deliver contracts through NewZealand Trade and Enterprise and acts as a firstpoint of contact for investment and funding.Finally, the Council funds the BCC to provide acompetition, Innovate! Manawatu, to promoteentrepreneurship with 355 entries received thisyear (a 37% increase on last year). The youngestentrant was 8, the oldest was 78. Entries werescreened, stage two entries were given feedbackfor future development with the top 30 asked topresent to an experienced judging panel. The top10 then go into the BCC Fast Market Start Validationprogramme with the winner announced on 31 July2012.Economic Development and VisitorAgenciesDestination Manawatu (Destination) is funded toprovide support to the visitor industry, to manageevents and to build and maintain a positiveperception of the City. The goals are set by theRegional Development Strategy.Destination has shifted its focus from traditionalmarketing to web-based marketing for the tourismand visitor industry. Research indicates that mostvisitors to the region are self-guided and use theweb extensively to plan their accommodation andtrip activities. Many providers in the Manawatūhave been late entrants to web-marketing and thelinks to the Destination Manawatu website haveincreased.With the economic downturn, conferences havebeen a difficult market and Destination will beputting greater effort into providing a moreintegrated service to local venues. They have adedicated member of staff for this sector and willbe attending sector trade shows.Work has continued on improving the perceptionof Palmerston North with the development of amagazine (scheduled for publication July 2012),improved web profile of stories and blogs, andincreased media coverage. The media coveragefor Palmerston North during the Rugby World Cupwas memorable and achieved high profile in SouthAmerica.Destination is continuing to bed in its role ascontract manager for core community eventsfunded by the Council. Unfortunately the summerwas unusually inclement and one event wascancelled, however there were no concerns aboutthe event management. Destination has alsodeveloped two new events, Manawatu CountryRoad Cycle Classic and Square Affair. The CycleClassic had a greater number of participantsthis year, including national level cyclists, bothprofessionals and amateurs, and shows every signof growing to be a significant race at the tail endof the season. Square Affair, which took placeat Easter, attracted an estimated crowd of over12,000.Destination continues to work with Vision,Palmerston North City and Manawatu DistrictCouncils to achieve the outcomes of the RegionalDevelopment Strategy.Event Funding SchemeThe fund was fully allocated for the year. Thirtythreeapplications requesting $387,645 werereceived. Twenty-three of these were successful,totalling $140,400 (fully expended).Convention Centre2011/12 was a year of quality events rather thanquantity for the Convention Centre. There wasan 11% overall increase in venue rental receivedalthough the total number of functions for theyear decreased by 10% from the previous year(249 individual events 2011/12 compared with 2762010/11).A total of 14 major multiple day conferences for theyear was a great contributing factor to the rentalincrease while total attendances at the ConventionCentre were down from 36,623 to 28,917.The forward bookings for the 2012/13 financialyear are really positive with a 20% increase infunctions already booked compared to the sametime last year, this includes 14 major conferences.60 Palmerston North City Council Annual Report 2011/12