Tauranga Jetsprints named 'Best Emerging Event'

The Bay of Plenty ENZED Jetsprints has taken the title of New Zealand's Best Emerging Event at the New Zealand Association of Event Professionals Awards held in Christchurch tonight.

One of five finalists, the inaugural Baypark Stadium Jetsprints was up against the NRL Auckland Nines, the Wellington Jazz Festival, Christchurch's Festival of Transitional Architecture and Manukau's Eye on Nature event.

Bay of Plenty Jetsprints has won the right to host the event again next year after 15,000 spectators turned out to watch the world's first V8 Jetsprints held inside a stadium arena.

The NZAEP Awards recognise events that have positively impacted New Zealand, its regions or local communities.

Head judge and former Rugby World Cup 2011 chief Martin Snedden says organisers of the ENZED V8 Jetsprints impressed the judges with their innovative idea.

"The teams behind this event have demonstrated to others that solutions can be found to seemingly immovable obstacles. Excavating a popular rugby pitch to create a Jetsprint track was a clever and totally out of the box solution."