For Tremain Real Estate managing director Simon Tremain putting pen to a certain piece of paper yesterday was a no-brainer.
Under the delighted gaze of Art Deco Trust general manager Sally Jackson, Mr Tremain signed on the dotted line to extend his company's sponsorship contract for the annual major summer event for the next three years through until 2018.
Mrs Jackson said the contract extension was "great news" for the trust. "The event has grown in size exponentially over the past five years attracting up to 35,000 to 40,000 people to the area and it was extremely vital to protect it for the region for many years to come."
The value to Hawke's Bay had been well illustrated by an assessment into the event's economic impact carried out by Economic Solutions.
It reported a direct visitor spend in the region of $11.5 million and an $11 million contribution to Hawke's Bay's GDP.
"This commitment to the future was a must for us," Mr Tremain said. "We are 100 per cent locally owned and operated and proud of our Hawke's Bay heritage, so continuing to support the Art Deco Trust was important to us."
He said since establishing in 1970, when the company was steered by All Blacks and Magpies legend Kel Tremain, there had been a determination and focus to support and be involved in a number of community events across the region. The sponsorship of the Art Deco Trust was their single largest commitment.
"Hawke's Bay is a great place to live and for those unfortunate to not reside in the region, it is an amazing place to visit," he said.
"The Tremains Art Deco Festival brings people into our fine province, showcases the unique architecture and properties of the era and allows visitors the opportunity to see us at our best - and hopefully they will return, and maybe even relocate here."
Mrs Jackson said 30 new events had been added into the programme for 2016 and the event would be extended to a five-day period. "To reflect this change the event has undergone a name change from the Tremains Art Deco Weekend to the Tremains Art Deco Festival," she said.
The newly-named festival will run from February 17-21 with tickets going on sale to Art Deco Trust members from next Friday, October 4, and to the general public from October 11.