Whangarei motel owners say an urgent revamp of event scheduling is needed to avoid a boom-and-bust market where events frequently clash.
Their calls come as Whangarei prepares to host two major sporting events next week, stretching accommodation providers to their limits.
A national bowls tournament boasting 670 competitors will account for mostvisitors while a series of international hockey matches will see four teams and their supporters also in the city.
Moteliers say while they are happy to be fully booked, they don't like to turn customers away one week and sit empty the next.
Sierra Motel owner Lynne Butcher said she would like to see a greater level of co-ordination among event organisers so that big events could be staggered throughout the year.
"A good event manager would certainly improve things for us."
Whangarei Motel Association secretary Kate Neal said many moteliers believed the council should take a more active role in scheduling so events did not clash.
"If the council had a way of scheduling these events then everyone can win, because the punters who come north, they get hugely frustrated, too."
Whangarei i-Site visitor centre manager Cheryl Lee said the council did not employ anyone to co-ordinate events and it was up to the event organisers to check if their date clashed with any others.
The dates of national and international events were determined at a much higher level and the council was not able to influence their timing, she said.
"Though it's ideal to spread events out over the year, it's just not possible sometimes."
Destination Northland general manager Brian Roberts said a working group, called the Northland Regional Events Strategy Group, had been formed last year by the northern councils and tourism industry to look into issues such as those raised by the moteliers.
The group hopes to release its findings by April or May.
