Hamilton was submitting a bid for the Ellerslie Flower Show today.
Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis and a Hamilton City Council team led by mayor David Braithwaite each met the show's owners yesterday.
Mr Braithwaite said today an indicative proposal for the iconic event, which generates $12 million a year, was being put together for submission today.
Key assets included the intellectual rights to the show and its databases of exhibitors, international judges and some equipment, he said.
"I'm disappointed that the (owners) have allowed very little time for us to make our proposal, but at least it will set out our interest," he said.
He understood some potential bidders wanted to stage the show this year.
The event was canned and put up for sale earlier this week by owners the Auckland Rotary Club, after key sponsor TVNZ withdrew its support.
Mr Braithwaite said the city could yet instead channel its energies and expertise into a rival event at the Mystery Creek events venue.
The Mystery Creek organisation had been involved for some years in assisting the present Ellerslie show owners with staging the huge horticultural event.
While Hamilton was looking to buy the show outright, Sir Barry was working to keep it by offering $100,000 of funding -- already in place this year anyway.
Sir Barry dismissed Hamilton's interest as "no competition".
"The show was created here in the Auckland region, it belongs in the Auckland region, there is no better site than the Regional Botanic Gardens to be found in the Auckland region or indeed New Zealand," he said.
Other bidders for the show, the southern hemisphere's largest, are believed to be events companies International Management Group and SMC Group.
- NZPA
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