Applications for the first round of the Southern Lakes Regional Events Fund have been considered and the successful recipients announced. 

The other Central-based event, Spirited Women, also received funding from the events fund. 

Funding for the first round was granted to 19 events, to be held between March 2021 and February 2022, and totalled $1,845,434 in investment. 

Events include the Alexandra Blossom Festival, Ripe: Wanaka Food & Wine Festival, Wheels at Wanaka, Contact Epic, Wakatipu Music Festival, LUMA, NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival, Coronet Peak Night Ski series with musical entertainment, Rock South Island, Winter Games, Winter Pride, Snowboxx, Immersive Digital Summit, Cyclorama Ebike Festival, Wanaka Wedding Fair, WAO Summit, MDA Experiences, Synthony: South Island Exclusive Outdoor Show, and Spirited Women. 

The regional events fund includes the Queenstown, Wānaka and Central Otago areas and is managed collectively through the recently formed Investment Panel. 

Applications were assessed by the panel against a strict set of criteria and the fund’s foundation principles. 

The events that secured funding are collectively set to attract 72,301 out of region visitors, equalling 151,354 bed nights and an additional $18,349,944 in visitor expenditure in the region - meaning that for every $1 invested from the fund it will return an additional $9.94 in spend per visitor. 

The fund has been used to invest in eight new events launching in the region as well as supporting 11 existing events to continue or grow. 

The events are spread across the wider region with two events being held in Central Otago, 12 events in Queenstown and eight events in Wānaka. 

Three of the events are held across multiple towns in the region.

Southern Lakes Events Investment Panel Chair Murray Strong says the Southern Lakes Events Investment Panel was excited to get the first round of funding out to applicants.

“We are delighted that the funding is enabling a range of events and festivals to run in our region over the next 12 months to attract visitors, drive economic benefit and support new sectors to establish events in the region. 

“As well as the short to medium term benefits from running events it also aligns with the longer-term strategic goal of developing the region to be more event friendly and to have a balanced portfolio of events,” Murray says. 

The funding is supporting a range of different events and festivals, including sporting events, music events, cultural events, business events and workshops, arts and film festivals, food and wine and garden festivals. 

The events are interspersed across the calendar year to support year-round visitation to the region.

The Southern Lakes Regional Events fund is part of the government’s $50 million Regional Events Fund which aims to stimulate domestic tourism by supporting existing events to continue to operate or supporting new events to form. 

It is designed to stimulate travel between regions through holding events, supporting the tourism and events sector, and helping to replace some of the spend lost from international tourists because of COVID-19.

Funding rounds are bi-annual and applications can be made once a year for either the March or September funding round. Applicants can register expressions of interest all year round.

For more information on the Southern Lakes Regional Events Fund and to see the full list of successful round one funding recipients, please visit the website.

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