Waikato Business News August/September 2023
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of cooperation.
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of cooperation.
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30 CONFERENCE & EVENTS<br />
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
FIFA Women’s World Cup<br />
highlights positive power<br />
of events<br />
The success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia<br />
provides a copybook example of how well-run events can have a positive<br />
impact and leave a lasting legacy, says Aimee Tyson, Events Manager for<br />
Hamilton & <strong>Waikato</strong> Tourism.<br />
Hamilton hosted five<br />
matches as part of<br />
the tournament,<br />
attracting tens of thousands<br />
of fans who provided<br />
vibrancy and a welcome<br />
boost to tourism spend across<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong>. But beyond the<br />
economic benefits, the tournament<br />
also made a positive<br />
impact in a range of other<br />
areas, Tyson says.<br />
“It fostered inclusion<br />
and opened the door for<br />
important discussions around<br />
pay parity between male and<br />
female athletes. It encouraged<br />
environmental awareness<br />
through achievement of green<br />
building certification by all<br />
participating stadiums and<br />
initiatives like tree planting<br />
days for fans, and respect<br />
for and awareness of Māori<br />
culture through pōwhiri<br />
welcoming players and fans at<br />
matches in New Zealand.”<br />
Preparations for the<br />
tournament led to upgrades<br />
to the changing rooms of 30<br />
Meet in your own backyard!<br />
stadiums and community<br />
sporting facilities that hosted<br />
visiting teams, resulting<br />
in individual rather than<br />
communal showers and<br />
conversion of urinals into<br />
gender neutral bathroom<br />
facilities. Ultimately, this<br />
has created a more inclusive<br />
environment for many of our<br />
current and future female<br />
athletes, Tyson says.<br />
“The FIFA Women’s World<br />
Cup is massive but the way it<br />
was organised this year, with<br />
a commitment to leaving a<br />
legacy for New Zealand and<br />
Australia, is an example of<br />
how event planners of today<br />
are working to ensure their<br />
events can be a force for<br />
good.”<br />
Tyson says event managers<br />
and tourism operators alike<br />
are embracing regenerative<br />
tourism, a concept that is part<br />
of New Zealand’s Tourism<br />
Industry Transformation<br />
Plan. While turning a<br />
profit is important for the<br />
sustainability of any event,<br />
she says the industry is acutely<br />
aware that maintaining<br />
community support requires<br />
their events to contribute<br />
across all four well-beings<br />
– cultural, societal and<br />
environmental, as well as<br />
economic.<br />
This more enlightened<br />
thinking is becoming<br />
commonplace for events of all<br />
sizes, from sports events and<br />
music festivals to trade shows<br />
and conferences.<br />
“We’re seeing some<br />
impressive initiatives from<br />
conference organisers who<br />
are bringing their events<br />
to the <strong>Waikato</strong>. There’s a<br />
strong desire to celebrate and<br />
support host communities<br />
and conference organisers<br />
are putting huge efforts into<br />
offering low-carbon activities<br />
or options.”<br />
Rather than providing<br />
a bottle of wine or another<br />
conventional gift for a speaker<br />
at an event, some conference<br />
organisers are now expressing<br />
their thanks by donating to a<br />
local community group of the<br />
speaker’s choice, Tyson says.<br />
Other common initiatives<br />
include field trips to<br />
exchange knowledge or take<br />
part in activities such as<br />
tree planting, community<br />
engagement by international<br />
speakers who are attending<br />
events, and sourcing of food,<br />
drink and other supplies from<br />
the local region.<br />
Be a mighty local!<br />
The <strong>Waikato</strong> has award winning venues, unique attractions and a proven track record for<br />
delivering exceptional events.<br />
To book with a local supplier or to find out more visit meetwaikato.com<br />
With Covid-19<br />
restrictions<br />
behind us and<br />
what we hope<br />
will be a record<br />
event season<br />
heating up,<br />
Hamilton and<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> are well<br />
placed to enjoy<br />
the benefits.