Hawke's Bay A&P Society general manager Brent Linn said the new format would appeal to a wider audience and increase the social side of the show. Photo File
Hawke's Bay is hosting the Royal New Zealand show for the third year in a row from October 19-20.
The Hawke's Bay A&P Society, which has been running an agricultural show for 154 years, was granted the hosting rights of the Royal New Zealand Show in 2015 for three years and has recently had a fourth year approved.
The show, which brings competitors from around the country, has a new format with the traditional three public days going down to two to accommodate a wider audience as well as the addition of an entertainment night on Thursday.
The Showtime Spectacular event will run until 8.30pm with food stalls, shopping and entertainment. Mahons' Amusements' Moonlight Madness carnival will run until 10pm.
To keep up with modern times The Hawke's Bay A&P Society has changed the format of this year's Royal New Zealand Show.
The show will have Wednesday closed to the public and late-night entertainment on Thursday to reflect societal changes.
Hawke's Bay A&P Society president Brent Linn said the new format would appeal to a wider audience and increase the social side of the show.
"Following on from the 2013 150th show when it was a celebration of our history and legacy and 150 shows ... we've been looking closely at the show and considering how it needed to change to reflect the changes that are happening in our community," he said.
"People don't have as much spare time as they used to have. They look for entertainment and social options in a different context than they used to."
The society has recognised that people like to be entertained together and not everyone can take a day off in the week, he said.
"To appeal to a wider group of the potential audiences a big focus has been around our entertainment and hospitality to increase those social opportunities."
People also often go away on the Friday because Hawke's Bay Anniversary and Labour Weekend is the first long weekend after winter, Mr Linn said.
This is why the Wednesday is not open to the public this year and Thursday has been extended into the evening with a special entertainment programme including performers, dog vs duck trials, cheerleading and kapa haka.
There are also corporate ringside tents with breakfasts, lunches and cocktail events to appeal to an 18 plus audience which had previously not had as many social opportunities, he said.
"We realised that our demographic showed there was strong support for the family but we didn't really have an option for the 18-plus community."
Hawke's Bay A&P Society president Simon Collin said while there was a revamp on the entertainment side of things, this would not take away from the agricultural aspect of the event as there would still be five days of competition.
The show is the perfect mix of town meets country with the new format of two public days appealing to urban dwellers who work during the week and might go away for Labour Weekend, he said.
The night show, especially, would help draw a much wider audience this year.
Napier MP Stuart Nash said he would encourage everyone in the district to attend the show as it had so much to offer.
"It really connects the urban with the rural, there's something for everyone," he said.
"I have very fond memories of the show ... candy floss, animals and rides.
"I used to go along with my family as early as I can remember."
A lot of work goes into preparing the show each year and making it as interesting as possible.
Mr Linn said shortly after each show members of the A&P Society debrief with a number of stakeholders, first-time and long-standing competitors, and the general public.
"We build a representative of people who have experienced the show.
"From that we get some pretty clear ideas of what we have done well and what needs to be improved."
Society members then go to different sorts of events around the country as part of the research process.
"We take from those the best practices and try to implement them into areas that we need to improve."
What does it mean to be royal?
The Royal Agricultural Society approves one regional A&P Society hosting rights of the Royal New Zealand Show each year.
Hawke's Bay won the bid to host it from 2015-2017 and was awarded the show again next year.
Hawke's Bay A&P Society president Brent Linn said hosting the prestigious event drew more competitors from around the country than ordinary shows because a ribbon won at a royal show carried much more weight.
"Winning an award at a royal show is supreme. It's considered the pinnacle for breeders."
Because of the show's royal status, the A&P Society had invited members of the royal family but they were unable to attend, he said.
"We won't see Will and Kate pushing their pram. I hope that we will have some royal representation in the future."
Societies can also apply to have royal status for some sections in their shows or a one-off royal show for a special anniversary, he said.
The Bay of Islands P&I Show in November and the Royal Easter Show next year both were awarded royal status to mark their 175th anniversaries as the two oldest agricultural shows in New Zealand.
Hawke's Bay A&P Society executive committee member Max Morton said it meant a lot for the region to be able to host the Royal New Zealand Show.
"It's quite prestigious, it gives the society more competitors and makes the show bigger and better."
The Royal Show was first held in 1924 and was staged on a five-year cycle in Palmerston North, Hastings, Hamilton, Invercargill and Christchurch, until 2006 when the Royal Agricultural Society put the event up to tender which saw it being held in Christchurch each year until 2010, the last time it was held in the South Island.
It was then hosted by the Waikato A&P Society in Hamilton for two years (2011 and 2012), but plans to stage the show in Feilding for two years collapsed after the 2013 event, meaning there was no Royal Show the following year and leading to the decision for the Royal Show to return to Hawke's Bay after an absence of 12 years.