Whitianga Oceans Festival

Expressions of interest for new Regional Event Promotion Fund

A new regional event promotion fund has recently been announced by the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Matt Doocey, which will enable additional financial support to event organisations for the purpose of event promotion. In addition to the Regional Event Fund (REF) which has one more year of funds available through a contestable fund, the Regional Event Promotion Fund (REPF) will have two rounds of funding available over two years.

The REPF is a contestable fund, available to Regional Tourism Organisations (Destination Hauraki Coromandel) through two annual application rounds.  Event organisers are not eligible to apply directly to the fund and therefore we ask should you wish to be considered for this fund that you contact Megan Nunn by the 17th April.

PURPOSE

The Regional Events Promotion Fund (REPF) will support the promotion of regional events to the domestic market. The aim of the fund is to encourage regional dispersal and increase visitor spend in the regions with an additional focus on encouraging seasonal dispersal by promoting events outside of the peak summer season. The REPF is available for events that will deliver a high return on investment and increase the likelihood of encouraging visitors to explore New Zealand beyond the key tourism locations. Events should, where possible, align with the Destination Management Plan for the region.

CRITERIA

• Funding is for event promotion costs only
• Events can be either new or established, recurring events (the event must be able to measure return on investment where possible)
• Events must be ticketed/paid or registration events
• Events must not occur in the period 25 December to 7 January.

CO-FUNDING

• Applicants (event organisers) must co-fund at least 50% of promotion costs
• Up to 50% co-funding from the REPF may be available up to a maximum of $237,500 per round
• In-kind contributions are not permitted
• REPF funding should not be used to substitute existing promotional budget but to enhance the amount available for promotional purposes.

NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING

The REPF will not provide funding for:

• Events which are also receiving (within this Round One funding period) other central government funding including:
  • Major Events Fund or Creative and Cultural Events Incubator
  • Ministry for Culture & Heritage
  • Regional Events Fund
• Free events that do not drive out-of-region visitation e.g. annual Santa Parades, community farmers markets
• Events that take place in the New Year summer period (25 December to 7 January).

FUNDING ROUNDS

There will be 2 funding rounds:

• Round 1 – for events taking place between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025
• Round 2 – for events taking place between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026

Note: Events taking place between 25 December and 7 January are excluded in both years.

ACCOUNTABILITY

It will be the responsibility of the successful event organisers to ensure measures are put in place prior to the event, to enable accurate reporting on the success of the event. This will require tracking of visitor numbers and spending at the event, sales figures, night/day visits, market analysis such as which regions outside of the event location participants are from, financial accounts and an assessment of additional attendees resulting from the funding.