V8 Supercars Caps Off Record Major Events Season

Media release
20 May 2013

V8 Supercars Caps Off Record Major Events Season

The return of the V8 Supercars for the ITM 400 Auckland has proved to be an economic powerhouse for the Auckland economy.

An independent report by economic consultants Covec shows the event exceeded GDP target with an outstanding contribution of $7.5 million to regional GDP and a regional return on investment of 147 per cent.

Indicative analysis shows that the 2012-13 major events portfolio is likely to exceed its annual target. These preliminary results show that Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) is well positioned to reach the GDP target of $30m and deliver approximately 200,000 visitor nights, far exceeding the target of 95,000 visitor nights.

Mayor Len Brown says the event has proven itself as a key economic contributor in Auckland’s major events landscape.

“Successful events like this bring opportunities to Auckland and Aucklanders. International television coverage puts the spotlight on us as a destination, and visitors bring welcome money into the economy, in turn boosting opportunities for local businesses and employment.

“These economic opportunities, combined with the chance for Aucklanders to be right at the heart of world-class sporting action, are all elements which play a part towards realising Auckland’s goal of being the world’s most liveable city,” says Len Brown.

The report commissioned by ATEED shows the three day event, held last month at Pukekohe Park, drew more than 117,000 people to the event, which resulted in 36,883 visitor nights from 17,070 visitors to Auckland[1]. 

The event was broadcast in over 130 countries, including our key off-shore tourism markets, and beamed into half a billion homes around the world.

V8 Supercar hotel partner, Sky City reports strong occupancy during the event period and says major events like the ITM 400 Auckland taking place in April extend the peak tourism season.

“April can be a shoulder period for hotels and for the accommodation sector in general. Any events that Auckland attracts during this time go a long way in extending this summer season,” says Callum Mallett, General Manager, SKYCITY Hotels.

ATEED Manager Major Events Jennah Wootten believes the first year results for the ITM 400 Auckland is the perfect end to what is shaping up to be a record major events season for ATEED, on behalf of Auckland Council.

“We talk about the whole portfolio instead of isolating individual events because the success of major events is measured against the four primary pillars of the Auckland Major Events strategy.

“We set out each year to bring a programme of major events to Auckland that ultimately increase Auckland’s international exposure, grow visitor nights, enhance Auckland’s liveability and expand Auckland’s economy. V8 Supercars ITM 400 Auckland certainly has made an outstanding contribution to the outcomes of the Auckland Major Events Strategy. We have seen a higher yield per visitor than expected so that has to be good news for Auckland.

“Our year-one ITM 400 Auckland programme focused on track upgrades, community engagement and delivering a quality event that attendees and Aucklanders could be proud of. As we plan for 2014, we will continue to work in partnership with V8 Supercars to increase visitor nights.

“Auckland’s recent achievement of moving up to second in The Bid Book’s ranking of trans-Tasman sporting cities demonstrates the success of Auckland’s Major Events Strategy and the importance of securing international events such as the ITM 400 Auckland. Auckland can expect some excellent outcomes over the five-year term of the agreement with V8 Supercars,” says Ms Wootten.

Over 95 per cent of ITM 400 Auckland spectators surveyed were satisfied or very satisfied with the event, and 90 per cent agreed that Auckland was a good host for the event.
In addition to the Covec evaluation data, local residents and businesses in Franklin were surveyed for their view of the event.  Overall, 97 per cent agreed the event was a success, and 91 per cent said the event met their expectations.

Local Board Chair, Andrew Baker, said the final result from the 2013 event is a significant achievement and provides opportunities for the Franklin community to leverage in future years.

“We’ve seen the success of the event and the large influx of people coming into Pukekohe, and now know the opportunity presented to us. It’s up to us to convert the opportunity into something tangible for our local businesses and residents.

“The feedback in the community survey has provided us with a number of options to look at for next year, including shuttles to and from the town centre and the idea of evening entertainment to keep people in Pukekohe after the event,” he said.

Sports commentator, and former McLaren F1 team member, Bob McMurray summed up the success of the 2013 ITM 400 Auckland, saying “once and for all, I think we can all agree how successful the event has been for Auckland and the motorsport community. You’ve won me over. It was a great event to be part of. I can think of no better place than Pukekohe Park to host the V8 Supercars New Zealand round.”

ATEED’s planning is underway with a focus on attracting more visitors to Auckland to enjoy the excitement of the ITM 400 Auckland 2014 and beyond. Final results of the 2012-13 Major Events portfolio will be released in June.

[1] Economic evaluation of the ITM400 Auckland – Covec, May 2013

ENDS

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