28 September 2020
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: #WeMakeEvents
Enquiry
Could you please tell me:
How much the We Make Events event will cost the council (i.e. lighting and associated costs etc.)?
Which company has been contracted to do the lighting? and
more about the main aim of the event? What is its main purpose / ultimate goal?
Who, or which organisations does it benefit, or aim to benefit?
*NOTE: See info re global #WeMakeEvents campaign HERE
Response
How much the We Make Events event will cost the council (i.e. lighting and associated costs etc.)? There is no extra cost to change the lighting colour on the council buildings as the capability is already in place. Where it is not in place, local event support companies are providing the labour and equipment for free. For example: Blue Baths being lit by Vivid Collective, and Rotorua International Stadium being lit by AV Experience.
Which company has been contracted to do the lighting? As above
More about the main aim of the event? What is its main purpose / ultimate goal? Who, or which organisations does it benefit, or aim to benefit?
All over the world, venues have been turning red to raise awareness for all those who work in the live event and entertainment industry, affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
#WeMakeEventsNZ kicks off the New Zealand alert on Wednesday 30 September 2020, from 8pm until 11pm. Venues from all across Aotearoa will go red to bring attention to the thousands of highly skilled industry professionals, all of whom have had little or no work since March.
Rotorua is widely known as an events city - previously hosting thousands of people a year for conferences, concerts, sporting events and shows of all kinds.
Behind every concert, show, festival and event is a vast supply chain, encompassing manufacturing and distribution, production and design, stage crew and venue staff. This hidden industry brings live events to life, from grassroots gigs all the way up to huge international events.
This industry creates millions of memories with millions of stories, stories that are told and retold to friends and families around the world.
#WeMakeEventsNZ is committed to helping ensure this continues.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Adesanya UFC win
Enquiry
I am doing a follow-up story about Israel Adesanya's win in the UFC in Abu Dhabi yesterday. I'm not sure if you saw it but he gave "Rotovegas", along with Auckland and Whanganui, a shout out at the end of it. He jumped up on the cage after the knockout and shouted these places into the camera, all places he has lived. I'm wanting to get some comments from Steve for my story, please. Please find below:
- As the mayor, what are your thoughts on the success of former Rotorua man Israel Adesanya?
- What does a shout out from such a major player in world sport do for Rotorua?
- Do you think it helps promote Rotorua? Why/why not?
- Do you think it will/ can help Rotorua tourism (when international tourism restarts)?
- What would you like the world to know about Rotorua?
Response
Response from Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick:
Israel Adesanya has gone on to become a very successful sportsman, and as a community we take pride in knowing that he spent some of his younger years here in Rotorua and at a school that continues to produce great young men.
To have him acknowledge our city on such a public stage is very exciting and could definitely spark an interest in people who may not have heard of, or thought about, visiting Rotorua before. Exposure from international athletes and sports events always helps to put our special place on the world map.
Rotorua is a unique and spectacular place to visit for those from both near and far. Experiences here are plentiful, and our visitors will always be treated to the manaakitanga that our city is so well known for.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: GLO Festival cancellation
Enquiry
Any chance we could get a few lines from the mayor and her reaction to the cancellation [of the GLO Festival]?
Response
From Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick:
I know the cancellation of this year's GLO Festival will be disappointing for many as it is a much loved family event and a usual highlight in our summer events calendar.
This won't have been an easy call for the team to make and I know they tried their very best to make it work. Many factors were taken into consideration but ultimately, the uncertain times we're experiencing have meant that GLO just won't be possible this year.
COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on the events industry and I hope that GLO, along with many other events, can return next year.
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Media: Landscape Architecture magazine
Topic: Te Ahi Tupua (Hemo sculpture)
Enquiry
Kia ora, I curate a website on landscape architecture which is run by the NZ Institute of Landscape Architects.
I'd like to run a story on Te Ahi Tupua, which has now been installed. Can you please email me some photos of it insitu.
Here's a link to our website so you can see what we're about: https://www.landscapearchitecture.nz/
Response
There is work still happening on the sculpture to connect the two helices so we don't have any professional shots of it without cables etc still connected to it.
Here is the media pack imagery that was supplied at the time of installation - there are some shots of it in place but there are workers around. They still look awesome though. Also included in the link is pictures from the construction of the sculpture - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6m0blqd3k2uhjsb/AAD6LBlsmtCayLJCH7v8fEe7a?dl=0
