Last night’s New Zealand Events Association’s (NZEA) annual Event Awards were joyously and deservedly celebrated at a Gala Dinner in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Elaine Linnell, NZEA’s General Manager, said it was gratifying to see over 350 people from the events community come together to celebrate success.
The NZEA joined with ChristchurchNZ in a successful partnership to host the Awards at the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. Linnell said the winners of each category stood out for various reasons, but for many, it was a case of overcoming adversity in significant and very effective ways.
Ali Adams, the Chief Executive of ChristchurchNZ, said: “It has been wonderful to partner with NZEA to host the Awards in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Events help make our vibrant new city a balanced place to live and visit, both for business visitors and tourists. Our city knows about challenges and the power of events to help lift both a community’s spirits and its economy.”
APRA was proud to sponsor the Best Music Event Award at the 2023 NZ Events Association Awards last week. The award was presented to Eden Park for hosting the back-to-back Ed Sheeran concerts in February - just 12 days after torrential rain and a cyclone hammered Auckland and the stadium itself.
Elaine Linnell, NZEA's General Manager, said the team is to be thoroughly congratulated for getting the venue fit for purpose in time for the concerts, as well as supporting the struggling Auckland community in the wake of the devastation.
“It was ‘all hands on deck’ as the core Eden Park team came in two weekends in a row to tackle the flood damage, wading through water to rescue furniture, unblocking drains and carrying waterlogged pieces of turf across the field. After long days slogging away in the stadium, the team returned to their desks in the evening to catch up on emails, send out tickets and coordinate guest lists. This mammoth effort resulted in overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees of the concerts.”
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