Festival A Success By All Measures

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2009

Festival A Success By All Measures

The 2009 Taranaki Rhododendron & Garden Festival attracted 25% more visitors than it did the previous year. Garden visits were up from 47,100 in 2008 to 59,000 during the recent festival that ran from 30 October to 8 November.

Festival organisers, TAFT (Taranaki Arts Festival Trust), attribute the success to a combination of factors involving a robust strategic plan, high quality gardens, favourable weather and effective promotions.

TAFT chief executive Suzanne Porter says the economic impact report and the visitor survey results show that TAFT’s long term strategy for the festival has been realised.

“Since 2003 when TAFT took on the role of presenting the festival we have constantly and vigilantly researched, planned, implemented and reviewed what we considered to be factors critical to success.

“The indicators show the festival has now been re-positioned through the changes that have been made to a place that sees the festival achieving the same numbers as were attending in the festival’s hey day”.

Festival manager Lisa Ekdahl says that while she was out and about at gardens and events during the festival the vibe was very positive and upbeat and all aspects of the festival were well patronised.

“Across the board the gardens and events were well attended. People were particularly interested in experiencing the Japanese teahouse, the workshops and jazz and wine functions”.

“The visitor survey results show clearly that festival-goers find their experience to be good value and they don’t mind paying for a quality experience. They see the festival offerings as great value for money and appreciate that entry to most gardens equates to the cost of a cup of coffee”.

In its twenty-second year the festival has become an iconic annual Taranaki event and one that is making its mark on the national event calendar. It attracts visitors from all over New Zealand as well as from abroad. Every year, the festival features a landscape design project and brings in experts as guest speakers to entertain and inform garden enthusiasts.

This year TV One’s Good Morning show host Astar entertained several hundred visitors on their journey by steam train from Paekakariki to New Plymouth to participate in the festival. Astar also delighted a packed house at the TSB Showplace when she demonstrated flowers with a twist. Other highlights included lunch with, and a presentation by, Maggie Barry in Hawera, and professor Guan Kaiyun’s from China who delivered a talk about the history of the Rhododendron in their Natural Habitat.

TAFT has already started work on the 2010 Taranaki Rhododendron & Garden Festival, however, Ms Ekdahl is giving nothing way about it.

“We’re close to finalising plans for the landscape design project which, if it goes ahead as planned, will be something that has never been done before in Taranaki. And we’re exploring ways to attract new audiences and further grow attendance”.

An economic impact report about the 2009 Taranaki Rhododendron & Garden Festival is available from TAFT.

#ENDS

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