Hot demand for Winter Deco

Angus Helmore from Hawke's Bay Toyota, left, and Ashley Zachan from Gemco Construction and Trades toast their Art Deco sponsorship partnership with a couple of warming hot toddies.

For Hawke's Bay Toyota chief executive officer Angus Helmore next month's Winter Deco Weekend, which the company is naming sponsor of, will be his first taste of the mid-year event and it is shaping to be a memorable one.

"Ticket sales are well up this year," Art Deco Trust general manager Sally Jackson said.

"Close to 60 per cent of tickets have sold already and there are still six weeks to go - we are absolutely stoked at the response."

Four of the 14 planned events have already sold out, including two dining adventures aboard the vintage railcar RM31.

"But there are still tickets for the shuttle rides on the railcar to Hastings and back," Mrs Jackson said.

The Art Deco Trust had created several new events with several of them having a younger focus.

There will be a Movie Magic Dinner, a Royal Flush Casino Night and a Knees Up at the East Pier.

Mrs Jackson said the weekend would kick off on Friday, July 17, with a grand anniversary ball at the Napier War Memorial to celebrate the 30th year of the Art Deco Trust.

As it is for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend in summer, the Hawke's Bay Toyota winter event will also feature a costumes and cars parade through the central city on the Saturday.

The timing of the first afternoon event after that was fitting, she said.

It will be Hot Toddy at the County with County Hotel owner Chris Barons happy to turn on a warm-up drink on what is likely to be a slightly coolish day.

Yesterday, Mr Helmore and Gemco Construction and Trades commercial manager Ashley Zachan gave it a try and gave it the "what ho" thumbs up.

Gemco is an associate sponsor of the event. Mr Zachan said he was looking forward to it.

"It is great to be involved and to work in with Hawke's Bay Toyota because we already have business connections with them - now we can add the social element."

Mr Helmore said the event was well timed to coincide with the company's annual awards which recognised the top performers.

It will also be an opportunity to celebrate their winning the Presidents Trophy for best customer service in the country.

"It'll be quite a weekend," he said.

"And we are delighted to be a part of it."

Mrs Jackson said there had been a lot of interest form outside the region, with about 30 per cent of the ticket sales from out of town.

"We have a lot of Auckland people coming down and we've also got people flying in from Australia for it."