Grants for major events announced

Our Council believes strongly that quality events are a key factor to achieve growth in visitor numbers and new residents. Our overall economic development strategy seeks to pull more people to the Coromandel as tourists and attract our large holiday-home owner population to their favourite spot on earth more often.

That's why we have created a contestable Major Events fund, available on a multi-year basis (2016/17 and 2017/18 financial years). This is designed to support major iconic events that fall outside the peak holiday season from 15 December - 31 January.

Some of the beneficiaries - as follows - are subject to meeting performance measures and other criteria in subsequent years:

Rising Can Festival www.hotwaterbrewingco.com $4000

Steampunk the Thames www.steampunkthethames.org Additional $10,000 bringing 2016-17 total to $20,000, and $15,000 for 2017/18.

Coromandel Town Seafood Festival www.coromandeltown.co.nz/seafood-fest $5,000 for 2016-17 (plus $467 underspend from last year's event).

Illume Festival www.illumefest.co.nz $10,000 for 2016/17

Mercury Bay Music Festival www.mercurybaymusicfestival.co.nz $15,000 for 2016/17 and $15,000 potentially in 2017/18.

From heritage events to summer festivals and fishing competitions, there's an event of every colour and flavour here, and quality events will take the Coromandel brand to the nation, and by default - wider still.

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