New app to help navigate bike festival

Festival co-ordinator Martin Croft said it was wonderful to have another Rotorua company joining the team. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua Bike Festival organisers are making it even easier to tell their story and promote events with the production of a new smartphone application.

The 10-day annual festival starts on Friday, February 13 and local media company Dabhand is the latest member to join the media team and is building a smartphone app that will help get information out before and during the festival.

The media and marketing side of the first festival was kick-started two years ago by a team of small Rotorua businesses made up of Gary Sullivan from Nzo Industries, Graeme Murray and Nick Lambert from Zero Seven Graphic Design and Graeme Simpson from Bluedog Media.

Festival co-ordinator Martin Croft, from Events and Venues Rotorua, said it was wonderful to have another Rotorua company joining the team.

"You'll be able to carry the full programme and a venue map in your pocket, all on your smartphone."

"We're planning daily competitions through the app and some other very cool features that we'll unveil when we launch it."

The festival app will be free and available for both Apple and android phones and will provide a convenient way for competitors and spectators to get easy access to information on every day of the festival.

Bluedog Media's Graeme Simpson is sponsoring its initial development.

"It would be rude not to, and tight budgets don't mean we can't have some fun.

"The smell of an oily rag has often been a spur for innovation and creativity in the past work we've done together.

"We get involved in biking events because we love the sport and, in Rotorua, we can ride every day," he said.

The app will complement the festival's existing digital channels - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and a comprehensive website and is expected to be launched early next year.