Seven events leveraging the Kāpiti Coast’s unique terrain and strengths in culture, creativity and kai will receive support through the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s 2022 Major Event Fund.

The Major Events Fund, a key lever of the Kāpiti Coast Destination Management Plan, backs events that attract visitors, stimulate tourism and contribute to the long-term local economy. This year, there was $200,000 in funding available to support the delivery of major events.

The Kāpiti Food Fair, Kāpiti Half - Oma te Takutai, Māoriland Film Festival, Ōtaki Kite Festival, XTERRA Wellington and Matariki Ramaroa Kāpiti Lights Arts Festival have all been awarded funding.

“Hosting major events is a win-win for our district – not only are they great for our community connectivity and wellbeing, they also attract visitors, generating spending at local hospitality, retail and accommodation businesses, and on tourism activities,” says Councillor Rob McCann who sits on the Major Events Fund selection panel.

“We are getting behind events that are uniquely and recognisably Kāpiti, events that make New Zealanders think of us as a destination for cultural experiences, fantastic kai and drink sourced from local ingredients, and coastal landscapes made for exploring. That’s the value a quality calendar of major events delivers for Kāpiti.”

All recipients of funding are required to submit an report to confirm event outcomes and economic impacts. An economic impact report is generated through a data analysis tool provided by Infometrics Limited to determine the return on investment and economic impact.

Mark Ward, Kāpiti Coast District Council Economic Development Manager says the impact of COVID-19 on the events sector over the last two years has been devastating but it’s fantastic to see these local favourites planning to return bigger and better than ever.

This year, a portion of the $200,000 was allocated to support the strategic growth of medium sized events with the potential to grow into major events.

With the Destination Management Plan guiding the types of strategic events that Council sought to support, the Kāpiti Women’s Triathlon was awarded funding over three years to grow the number of participants and explore opportunities for collaboration with other sporting events.

“Supporting the potential of promising events was a welcome focus area and one that widened the scope of eligible events,” says Mr Ward.

“We have been delighted with the variety and quality of applications this year and can’t wait to see these plans come to fruition.”

For more information visit www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/majoreventsfund.

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