NZAEP Event Industry Awards 2009
The fourth annual New Zealand Association of Event Professionals (NZAEP) Event Industry Awards were held in Taupo as part of the NZAEP official conference, Eventing the Future.
The impetus behind the NZAEP Event Industry Awards is to recognise excellent business practice in the events industry and encourage industry professionals to raise the overall standards of practice in New Zealand. The awards recognise outstanding achievement in five categories, being: Best Emerging Event; Best Established Event; Best Marketing of Event; Best Partnership for Event; and Best Environmentally Sustainable Event. Best Marketing of Event was not judged in 2009 due to insufficient entries.
The winners of each category were:
Best Emerging Event The DUAL, total sport Ltd
Best Established Event American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, Queenstown Winter Festival
Best Partnership for an Event Oxfam Trailwalker 2009, Oxfam New Zealand
Best Environmentally Sustainable Event Oxfam Trailwalker 2009, Oxfam New Zealand
Runners-Up in each category were:
Best Emerging Event Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, Auckland City Council
Best Established Event Motatapu Event, Iconic Adventures Ltd
Best Partnership for an Event Botanic Garden Festival, Manukau City Council
Best Environmentally Sustainable Event Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Trust
Board Member and Awards Co-ordinator Karen Watkins believes that the awards are an opportunity to recognise the ‘crème de la crème of the country’s event industry. “Each year we are impressed by the calibre of entries and this year was certainly no different,” added Watkins.
The NZAEP Event Industry Awards are judged by a panel of industry judges. The 2009 panel comprised: Jonathan Hannon from Zero Waste Academy; Vanessa Browne, Principal URS New Zealand Limited; Aaron Joy, Games Manager New Zealand Masters Games; Lexie Matheson, Senior Lecturer Diploma in Event Management AUT; Rae Finlay, Managing Director Tenth Dot Management Ltd and Karen Watkins, Sponsorship and Events Marketing Executive Hamilton City Council.
CATEGORY WINNERS
The DUAL
Developed in conjunction with total sport and the Motutapu Restoration Trust, The DUAL is a mountain bike/off road run event, utilising territory completely new to an event of this type.
The bigger picture – conservation. The key objective, a vision to replant large sections of Motutapu in native trees over the next 20 – 30 years using the majority of the profits generated from The DUAL to help meet this objective.
American Express Queenstown Winter Festival
The Queenstown Winter Festival is a ten-day, non-stop programme of over 60 events encompassing sport, art, music, comedy, food, wine, the wacky, the zany and everything in between. The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party the festival celebrated its 35th birthday along with 60,000 people who gathered in Queenstown to celebrate the start of winter.
From 1975 successive organisers of the festival have continued to raise the bar, introducing best practice across all aspects of the event to deliver a true celebration of winter.
Oxfam Trailwalker 2009
Oxfam Trailwalker is the world’s greatest team challenge. Four people, one goal – to complete 100km in 36 hours to raise funds for some of the world’s poorest people. This year’s event involved over 3,000 people and raised more than $1 million dollars.
It is the ultimate team-building experience, an incredibly satisfying personal achievement and a unique opportunity to do something amazing for others. Not only is Oxfam Trailwalker the world’s greatest team challenge, it has also provided opportunities for a strong partnership with sponsor Maui Motor homes. The event organiser and sponsor continually strive to strengthen and grow the benefits to both partners.
2008 Award Winners in each category -
Best Emerging Event Step Up Canterbury - World Environment Day 2008, 360 Degree Events Limited
Best Established Event Forrest Estate Graperide, Top of the South Events Ltd
Best Marketing of Event Motatapu Icebreaker, Iconic Adventures Limited
Best Partnership for an Event WOMAD NZ, Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT)
Best Environmentally Sustainable Event Oxfam Trailwalker, Oxfam New Zealand
2008 Commended Awards in each Category went to -
Best Emerging Event Fantasia, Invitation Only Events in association with empire PR & Events
Best Established Event Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival, Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT)
Best Marketing of Event New Zealand Cup and Show Week 2007, Christchurch City Council
Best Partnership for an Event ERUPT Lake Taupo Festival, Lake Taupo Arts Festival Trust
Best Environmentally Sustainable Event WOMAD NZ 2008, Taranaki Arts Festival Trust (TAFT)
For more information on the 2008 Awards click here.
NZAEP Event Industry Awards 2007
For information on the 2007 Awards click here
NZAEP Event Industry Awards 2006
For information on the 2006 Awards click here
