Rally preparations on track at Mystery Creek

06/11/06
For immediate release

Rally preparations on track at Mystery Creek

With the World Rally Championships driving into New Zealand next week, Mystery Creek Events Centre and Propecia Rally NZ are gearing up for a huge event.

“Propecia Rally of New Zealand is a truly world class event, this year will be better than ever with Valentino Rossi and the best drivers in the world descending on Hamilton,” said Paul Mallard, General Manager, Rally NZ.

The event requires 2,500 rally officials and volunteers, 500 of those based at Mystery Creek Events Centre, which reflects the size and detail involved.

“Preparation for the event began 12 months ago, because it is so detailed. Rally NZ has very precise timing, right down to the minute, or in terms of the competitors, the hundredths of a second,” Mr Mallard said.

100 containers bringing cars and team gear will arrive from all over the world in the next week. This is just one aspect in which New Zealand will benefit from the event that attracts 300 media to provide coverage to over 500 million people worldwide on 135 television channels (excluding news coverage!).

The profile and economic impact of this event for New Zealand is huge according Nicola Greenwell, Marketing Manager for Mystery Creek Events Centre,

“Hamilton and surrounding regions will especially benefit, with drivers, teams and spectators coming from all over the world, each staying in the city for at least a week,” she said.

The huge set up at the new site, Mystery Creek Events Centre, begins today, with the Rally NZ office operating on site from Saturday (11 November). Preparation and set up includes organising:
- 3km orange plastic mesh fencing
- 2km security fencing
- $15,000 worth of Pyrotechnics
- 1000m bunting
- 19 lighting towers
- 20,000m² Service Park
- 3.1km Super Special Stage
- 80 Rally cars
- 228 trestle tables
- 600 hours security
- 50 safety marshals at Mystery Creek Events Centre
- 40 helicopters
- 22km cabling for TV, telephone, sound and electrical
- 105 phone lines
- 122 speaker units

Over 100 entertainers and 400 hospitality staff will be engaged for the World Rally Extravaganza at Mystery Creek Events Centre from 16-19 November.

A detailed timetable of the event is available from www.mysterycreek.co.nz or by calling 07 843 4497.

ENDS

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