Five Waikato events receive funding boost

Five events being staged in the Waikato over the next 12 months have received funding from the Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund in the just-announced funding round.

This is enormously exciting news for these events which are expected to attract nearly 100,000 people, two-thirds of whom are predicted to come from outside the region, and cover the diverse interest areas of fitness, trail running, hunting, cars and the
performing arts.  

The Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund, which Hamilton & Waikato Tourism leads, was set up by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to help support and provide new domestic visitation opportunities for the tourism and travel related sectors, all of which have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As well as the Waikato, the fund covers the Rotorua, Taupō and Ruapehu regions with this year’s $1.3 million funding going to a total of 19 events, including the five being staged in the Waikato.  

This year’s allocation follows last year’s round of funding of $1.6 million that benefitted a total of 15 events across the Thermal Explorer regions – six of which were Waikato events.  

As was the case last year, an eight-member panel consisting of independent representatives from each Thermal Explorer region has carried out thorough assessment of each of the funding applications. 

While the decision-making process was tough the panel members are in full agreement the events we are backing will deliver important economic benefit, and attract out-of-region visitors as well as engendering the support of locals.

A mixture of new and existing events, each of the five newly funded Waikato events – and those that received backing last year – will utilise the support to develop, position and market so that they become an iconic or anchor event for the region, staged annually and growing exponentially each year to draw increasing numbers of visitors and attendees. 

At this stage there will be no further funding rounds with the panel now shifting focus to develop capability in the Thermal Explorer events sector. Amongst the Waikato events to receive funding in the latest round are: 

New Zealand Fitness Festival – 21-23 October 2022 – national team competitions across cross-fit, strongman and strongwoman, body building and more. 

Sika Show – 29-30 October 2022 – a show for hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and commercial exhibitors. Funding from ticket sales will help to support conservation projects as well as the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter. 

Waitomo Trail Run – 5 November 2022 – an underground and overground adventure where runners and walkers go through caves studded with glowworms and follow trails through native forest and past dramatic limestone outcrops across a range of distances.  

Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival – 24 February-5 March 2023 – a festival encompassing a range of various performance art forms – from theatre to music and dance. 

Autorama ’23 – 17-19 March 2023 – all things automotive will be showcased by exhibitors representing the industry with much to appeal to enthusiasts no matter what kinds of wheels interest them, from classic and vintage cars, to top of the range marques, and hotrods, to name just a few of the categories of vehicles that will be on display. 

Waikato events receiving support in last year’s funding round included the Hobbiton Halfling Half Marathon, staged at Hobbiton Movie Set at the end of April this year. 

This highly successful inaugural event drew some 2,500 people including 1,000 competitors, some of whom dressed in costume. They ran or walked one of two distances around the picturesque village of Hobbiton – the Halfling 21.1km or the Eleventy-first of 11.1kms. 

Mark your calendars for next year’s Hobbiton Halfling Marathon to be held on 25 March.