A leading promoter says the Government’s new major events fund will help even the playing field with Australia and bring more opportunities to New Zealand’s struggling cities.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston yesterday announced a $70 million investment package aimed at boosting Aotearoa’s appeal and supporting the economic recovery of local hospitality and tourism businesses.
The suite of new funding mechanisms included $40m for securing large-scale international events, $10m to support existing events, $10m for region-specific tourism incentives and up to $10m for tourism infrastructure upgrades.
Upston told Herald NOW that New Zealand has been missing out on major events because of the higher costs associated with bringing them here.
“We want to ensure that we have more flexibility to be able to attract events - incentivising them is one, removing regulatory burdens is another,” she said.
“What we do know with this ... fund is that there’ll be a range of events that have never been considered for New Zealand in the past, that now become possible.”
Brent Eccles, founder of Eccles Entertainment, told Newstalk ZB the Government’s proposed events fund was intended to cover the “cost of getting to New Zealand and putting on that show in New Zealand”.
“In a sense, the artist benefits from it. The promoter doesn’t really.”
Given most deals with artists are done in American dollars, Eccles said the increased funding would essentially help cover the shortfall in our dollar’s value against the strong currency.
“Freight costs have gone through the roof, production costs and staging and such. That has stopped these shows coming to New Zealand over the last few years.”
He pointed to AC/DC, which were playing Australia in November, as an example.
“They should have come here. And I suspect that’s a cost thing.”
Hosking pressed Eccles on what this new fund says about the viability of international artists coming to New Zealand to specifically host concerts, given country singer Luke Combs was still able to host two massive shows at Eden Park in January.
“That equation worked for him, but there are artists that their production requirements are such that it doesn’t work,” Eccles said.
“We can go put our head in the sand and go, ‘Oh ... they’ll come anyway’. Well, they won’t and they’re not, unfortunately.
“So we’re getting some, but not all.”
The Government’s new funding shows it has recognised how important events and their associated business profit are “for the psyche of New Zealand”, Eccles said.
The fund should therefore position New Zealand as a more attractive events destination and put it on par with Australian regions like Queensland.
“There’s a whole lot of new artists that are coming through now that are playing stadiums. Not arenas ... but at Eden Park or Western Springs or Go Media-type venue.”
With Christchurch’s new covered stadium also coming on stream in the next 12 months, Eccles said it was a good time for the Government to be putting money forward.
“[Artists are] starting to come through now and we need to make sure that we get them to New Zealand.”
Upston told HeraldNOW due diligence will be applied to ensure the money is going to the right events, noting taxpayers will “pay nothing” if an event doesn’t materialise.
“We want to make sure that the proposed event will be successful, will bring the international visitation and the economic impact.”
“The distance to New Zealand can be a challenge, and we just want the flexibility to be able to put something extra on the table to convince those artists to say yes and to bring their event to New Zealand.”
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
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