Art Deco finalist in two event industry awards

Maria Amos, Christchurch, hitches a ride with Bruce Stewart, Auckland, during the annual Art Deco Weekend in February this year. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay's great summer Art Deco celebration has been lined up as a finalist for two major accolades at this year's New Zealand Association of Event Professionals Awards being staged in Wellington later this month.

"We are very excited and very proud because the standard is so high," Art Deco Trust general manager Sally Jackson said.

The Tremains Art Deco Weekend is one of four finalists for the best established regional event award as well as for the best New Zealand-owned major event award.

It is the first major push for national recognition in the wake of picking up three titles at the 2014 Hawke's Bay Tourism Awards and the Napier City Council winning a Local Government Award for its input into the big event.

The New Zealand Association of Event Professionals is an independent industry body which is involved in all aspects of the country's events sector.

A spokesman said a large number of entries had been received from all over the country for the nine overall categories.

Mrs Jackson said the process application to make the finalists was "huge".

It covered everything from health and safety aspects, the marketing side, who it attracted and the economic benefits created."

In the best established regional event category, the deco weekend is up against Auckland's Armageddon Expo, the Auckland Lantern Festival and the Wanganui Cemetery Circuit motorsport event.

In the Best New Zealand- owned major event, it joins the Dick Smith NRL Nines, the Contact Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge and the Tarawera Ultramarathon.

The winners will be announced at a special dinner as part of the New Zealand Association of Event Professionals annual conference on July 22.

Mrs Jackson will attend in her role as general manager of the trust as well as part of the speaking line-up.