An eventing giant from Australia says Hawke's Bay is more than a, "one-trick pony".
Equine Productions managing director Rod Lockwood and Kevin Hansen, of Event Pro, the company behind New Zealand's Farmlands Horse of the Year (HOY) Show, are looking at new ways to boost the region and their business.
"We have done some of the biggest events in the country in Australia, we have done world championships for cycling, for triathlons, even world champs for hot air ballooning - it's really diverse," Mr Lockwood told Hawke's Bay Today from HOY this week.
With a crowded market across the ditch, it seemed logical to cast the net wider and Hawke's Bay was a hot contender having already proved its worth as a host.
"The NZ economy is good. It grew more than Australia did last year, it's a lovely environment, it's a clean environment, it's got great food, great scenery and the dollar is great - it's cheap to come here."
During a meeting with Napier Mayor Bill Dalton yesterday, Mr Lockwood and Mr Hansen looked at the possibilities and talked through ways they could work with Napier City Council in future.
"It's not a one-trick pony, Hawke's Bay is a fantastic destination what [Mr Dalton] was saying is they are passionate about events as a major economy driver - the discussion was this, 'what's available? It's not horses, what else can we do?'," he added.
Mr Dalton saw it as a simple formula to keep the region lively while giving local businesses a big boost.
Based in Melbourne, the event capital of Australia, Equine Productions was well-connected and perfectly poised to expand.
"I would be absolutely delighted if we could use some of those connections, it is a totally open playing field, but he has huge experience in promoting cycling events and triathlons," Mr Dalton said.
"It's really positive, one of the things that we are doing to turn this region around is looking at what we can do to bring events, not events that are just one day but that last for days.
"HOY has the biggest economic impact on Hawke's Bay because it runs over six days."
The effects were not only felt in Hastings, where the show was based but Napier where hotels and motels were booked to capacity, and people went to shop and spend their money.