With only three months to go until Te Matatini, organisers are preparing their thousands of helpers to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Te Matatini is the biennial national kapa haka competition, which is in a different rohe (tribal area) each year. It will be in Rotorua in February next year. With a conservative estimate of 15,000 spectators, a workforce of 1500 and 2000 performers, the logistics of next year's event are huge and organisers have been working behind the scenes since 2008 to get it off the ground.
Forty team leaders of different organisational teams including police, St John, Maori Wardens, Rotorua District Council staff, security teams, traffic management and other liaisons met at the Rotorua International Stadium yesterday to talk about the roles each group will play and get an overview of the organisation.
The plans for the layout of the stadium are in place, with arrangements for a stage to be set up in the middle of the field three times the size of the stage at Ragamuffin, a judges' podium to be erected in the grandstand, a marquee for the koroua and kuia (elders), large viewing screens for those sitting on the perimeter of the field and for the second field at the stadium to be dedicated to the festival-side of Te Matatini.
Te Matatini executive director Darrin Apanui said the people present at the meeting were those who would be making sure the festival ran without a hitch.
"We talked to the whole team about how the competition runs and an overview of what Te Matatini is about. Everyone now has a clear plan and idea of how the operations will work. There's a few other meetings to have, but without the people here today we don't have a show, they are absolutely critical to the festival."
He said this year was the 40th year of competitive kapa haka, the 21st year of the Te Matatini competition, and holding it in Rotorua tied the event together nicely. "The first competition was in 1972 in Rotorua and now the 40th year is here - it ties it up nicely. Te Arawa started it first with their competition and now they're celebrating a major mile stone of Maori performance in New Zealand."
Depending on the weather, Mr Apanui said he was "quietly confident" the stadium would be packed out. He said he thanked the people of Te Arawa for their support in getting ready to host such a large number of people.
"From the comments we have heard today, Te Arawa are really gearing up to support and host many thousands of people coming to the festival. For that I personally say thank you to the host committee and to the Te Arawa iwi for getting behind Te Matatini for 2013. We've got an excellent team of management, especially here in Rotorua, lead by Monty Morrison, Tia Smith and Crispian Stewart."
Mr Apanui said it was likely there would be a similar meeting in January.