Waikato Business News January/February 2017

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2017 33
Event-Full year for Waikato
Waikato will be alive with a multitude of
events throughout 2017. Our mighty region
will be busy, pulsing with musical, artistic,
sporting and business events as well as
various festivals to thrill locals and visitors
alike.
We have noticed an
increase in visitor
expenditure in our
region and this is predicted to
continue to grow this year.
Recent statistics show
Hamilton and the Waikato
region garnered $1367 million
in annual visitor expenditure
for the year ended October
2016, an increase of 9.6 percent
from the previous year.
International expenditure
in Waikato (NZ’s fifth largest
tourism region) sits at $320
million and domestic expenditure
totals $1047m (year
ended October 2016).
So, what will be entertaining
our locals and attracting
people to our region this year?
Nationally and regionally significant
events are in the mix.
We have kicked things
off in January with Raglan’s
Soundsplash Festival (January
20-22) and Festival One at
Mystery Creek Events Centre
(January 28-30). February
is a hugely busy month with
diverse activity. The mix
includes the The Winery Tour
at Vilagrad (February 3),
Kawhia Kai Festival (February
4); Blackcaps v Australia
cricketing action (February
5); International Polo NZ
v England at the Kihikihi
Polo Ground (February 11);
Acceleration on Water Festival
of Speed, Lake Karapiro
(February 11-12); Blackcaps
v South Africa (February 19)
and Hamilton Gardens Arts
Festival (February 17-26).
The arts festival will feature
a plethora of events including
a “Marley” concert featuring
NZ’s greatest musical talents
paying homage to Bob Marley.
Other events of note include
“Backyard Beats”, perennial
favourites “The Sunset
Symphony” and the “Outdoor
Film Series”.
Iconic, major Waikato
events include Balloons Over
Waikato (March 22-26) and
NZ National Agricultural
Fieldays, (June 14-17).
In April we welcome the
World Masters Games (April
21-29) with the cycling and
rowing heats being held in
Waikato. The world’s largest
multisport event is set to host
25,000 athletes from more than
100 countries, with 1300 athletes
competing in Cambridge
and Lake Karapiro.
The DHL New Zealand
Lions Series 2017 – set to
attract an estimated 25,000
international visitors - will
also be shining a spotlight on
the region. The Chiefs v The
British & Irish Lions match
will be held at FMG Waikato
Stadium on June 20 and the
Rugby League World Cup will
include two Hamilton matches
in November 2017 (Samoa v
Tonga on November 4 and NZ
v Tonga on November 11).
Major international conferences
will be staged in the
region and are expected to
inject more than $2.3 million
into the local economy during
2017. These conferences
include the meeting of the
ISO/IEC JTC1/SC27 Working
Groups on IT Security
Techniques being held in
April, and the Conference of
the International Society for
River Science being held in
November, at The University of
Waikato. Other major conferences
include the He Manawa
Whenua Indigenous Research
Conference being held at
Claudelands Conference &
Exhibition Centre in March,
and the Australia & New
Zealand Garden History
Society Conference being
held at Hamilton Gardens in
November.
Events such as conferences
and business events perform
a critical role of showcasing
the region to complement the
Regional Tourism Strategy,
broadening and highlighting
TELLING WAIKATO’S STORY
> BY AMANDA GRAHAM
Manager, business events, Hamilton & Waikato Tourism
Telling Waikato’s story is key to success
I
want to tell you a story.
It’s the story of my place,
Waikato. A region that literally
has everything going for it
for work, rest and play.
If you’ve got the skills,
there’s plenty of work in just
about any sector you can
imagine, including IT, health,
manufacturing, construction
and the services industry.
When it’s time to rest, there
are the paradise beaches of
the Coromandel Peninsula in
the north east and the relative
quiet of the exquisite Hamilton
Gardens. Shakespeare, anyone?
If you want to play, the
Waikato River winds through
the length of the region, the
rugged surf beaches of Raglan
on the West Coast are perfect
for surfing, the pristine rain forests
of the interior are cool in
the heat of the summer day,
and the majestic mountains of
the volcanic Central Plateau to
the south beg to be explored
and skied.
The Waikato’s Story intertwines
with my own. I grew up
here, I studied computer science
at the University of Waikato and
I chose to do business here. I
couldn’t imagine moving anywhere
else, I turned down an
overseas opportunity with a
multinational tech giant because
I’m fiercely loyal to my place. I
love it, that many others think
like me too.
Waikato, according to a new
video produced as part of The
Waikato Story initiative, is a
place of new opportunities and
powerful possibilities, and I
couldn’t agree more.
I’ve seen those opportunities
and possibilities realised in
Waikato through the three IT
businesses I am involved in:
software specialist Company-X,
graphic design and web development
company E9 and home
and business IT support compa-
ny Need A Nerd. We’ve never
underestimated the importance
of The Waikato’s Story at any
of those business, always knowing
that if we could not articulate
that story we could not
attract the diverse clients we
work with, or the staff to service
them. Where you do business,
in many cases, is as important
as how you do business.
For years, we’ve been telling
our story to our clients in other
regions across New Zealand
and overseas, taking the biggest
on a personal tour of some of
Waikato’s gems. I have fond
memories of sharing our region
with foreign clients.
They’ve enjoyed Maori
culture, the rugged beauty
of the West Coast, as well as
the award-winning Hobbiton
Movie Set on the Alexander
family farm, near Matamata,
while hosted by Company-X.
These experiences showed off
our region to our customers
and still provide great talking
points.
People, from all over the
world, want to join our businesses
in Waikato. As well as New
Zealand, at Company-X alone
we employ staff from England,
Iran, Namibia, the Netherlands,
Romania, Pakistan, South
Africa, and Zimbabwe, all who
have chosen to make Waikato
the region’s visitor offering.
They maximise economic
gains for the location and
wider Hamilton and Waikato
region by increasing visitor
nights spent in Waikato, and
locally raises participation and
pride.
Looking at the year ahead,
there is much to participate
in, with a range of events in
which the greater Waikato can
take pride. For a full list of
events go to www.hamiltonwaikato.com/events
Hamilton & Waikato
TECH TALK
> BY DAVID HALLETT
Tourism’s Business Events
team provides a free service to
organisers looking for a venue
or service in Waikato for their
conference, business event or
incentive. Assistance ranges
from answering basic questions
to obtaining quotes, preparing
conference bids, and
organising site inspections.
www.hamiltonwaikato.com/
business-events, tel: (07) 843
0056, email: bureau@hamiltonwaikato.com
David Hallett is a director of Hamilton software specialist Company-X,
design house E9 and chief nerd at Waikato Need a Nerd.
their home.
So well done to everyone
involved in making Waikato’s
Story what it is. If you’re
not telling that story in your
business, now’s your chance.
Visit www.waikatostory.nz, to
get the lowdown on a toolkit
of resources designed to help
drive economic growth through
building a strong, consistent
profile of the mighty Waikato.