With at least 30 events happening in the district over the next two weekends, Whakatāne District Council senior events development adviser Kim Fort says the events scene now exceeds pre-Covid levels.

“Those numbers are huge,” she said. “I haven’t seen that in five years. It makes me feel like we’re back - back with a vengeance.”

She said it had taken time to rebuild, but working with the community had brought thousands of visitors back into Whakatāne, boosting accommodation, restaurant and retail sales.

“We know that events drive tourism. Because they’re all coming for the weekend and staying. People then realise what Whakatāne has to offer, and they come back,” she said.

She welcomes anyone in the community thinking about organising an event to approach her for any support or guidance the council can provide.

“I love talking to people about events,” she said.

Five years ago, Ms Fort saw the events position at the council advertised and just knew it was her dream job.

I’d helped running Top School as an Awakeri School parent on the committee. I thought ‘I quite like this events malarky’.”

After a career that included 14 years selling real estate in the United Kingdom as well as local admin and project management roles, she knew she had all the skills the position required.

“It incorporates all the different things I’ve been doing my whole career. You need to be organised. You need to be able to sell or promote and manage relationships and you need to be the sort of person who can juggle lots of balls in the air at the same time.”

Starting in late 2019, just six weeks before the Whakaari eruption and on the cusp of the global pandemic, was “interesting”. Her position over the next few years became about navigating the ever-changing rules around gatherings being fed down from central government.

“It was surreal. Because I was ready to get my teeth into my role. Suddenly, instead of developing events, I had to support the events that people were trying to run with logistical, practical guidance and advice about what they can and can’t do. Everybody was coming to me for guidance. It was a challenging time, but what a great way to learn.”

It took a long time for events to build back up after that.

“Lots of food trucks stopped operating. Lots of event managers either closed their businesses or didn’t want to risk running events.

“I never felt like events had come back properly until about a year ago. It’s been a bit of a journey from the event sector point of view.”

She describes her role now as providing support, guidance and training for event managers, community groups or anyone wanting to run an event.

“Understanding who’s who in the community, what they are doing in their own community spaces and how they can work with each other to give better events.”

An example of this is the annual Light Up Whakatāne festival run by Arts Whakatāne and EPIC Town Centre in conjunction with the council.

The festival’s opening night is on July 5 this year and it will run for eight nights.

Community groups such as biking or skating groups and the miniature railway were all encouraged to use the Light Up platform to run their own activations.

"It’s about creating opportunities for anyone who wants to run an event as part of a bigger festival and get that branding. We are a smaller community, so we need to be clever with our resources.”

She is also tasked with attracting large events into town such as the Tamariki Rugby League, January’s touch rugby tournament.

“That brings about 5000 to 6000 people to town every January. We don’t have big, flash venues here in Whakatāne so a lot of our bigger events are sports. They bring visitors and all of their teams of people along. They stay in hotels and eat in restaurants and shop.

“Next year in March the Surf Lifesaving Nationals are coming to Ōhope and that is likely to bring about 4000 people into town.”

One event that is organised entirely by the council through a combination of grants and sponsorship is the Local Wild Food Festival.

“That event has grown exponentially since it started,” Ms Fort said.

“Now, 50 percent of the people who come to that are visitors to the town. So, the economic impact of that is massive.”

As well as bringing people into the district to support businesses, event management also had a community wellbeing aspect.

“We also want to run events for our local community and look after the wellbeing of people. We know that events drive tourism and drive people to the district, but we also know that a vibrant place is important for the wellbeing of the community as well. Events create vibrancy. Especially when you have 30 of them on in two weekends.”

Events set to give the local economy a boost

The Whakatāne district is in for an action-packed couple of weekends, with more than 30 events lined up, offering something for everyone.

Early April is shaping up to be one of the busiest events periods the district has seen in years.

This weekend and next, coinciding with the start of the school holidays, there will be sporting events, family-friendly festivals, fishing tournaments, food experiences, and more.

“We were absolutely stoked to have such a vibrant and diverse range of events across the district this summer, and we're lucky here in the Bay to have a settled climate that lets our event season roll right into autumn,” said council events leader Kim Fort.

“These events not only showcase the richness of our region but also highlight the passion and hard work of local organisers who make them happen for both our community and visitors.”

She said the impact of these events went beyond just great experiences.

They provided a huge boost to the local economy, benefiting accommodation providers, retailers and hospitality businesses.

Some of the larger events attracting visitors have been analysed, showing an estimated economic impact of $910,000.

Upcoming events include:

Farming Like Grandad – A unique gathering drawing motorhome enthusiasts from across the country, offering a nostalgic glimpse into traditional farming practices and a fun family day out at Racecourse Park on April 12.

West End Wiggle – A longboard surf comp that sees surfers from around New Zealand riding the waves at West End from April 11 to 13. Now in its fourth year, this popular surf and arts festival draws competitors and spectators to stunning Ōhope.

Flavours of Plenty – Part of the Bay of Plenty regional food festival, this event serves up a feast of experiences, from markets and workshops to one-of-a-kind dining events. A highlight is the Tamariki Foodie Fair at Wharfside Port Ōhope, a family-friendly day filled with free foodie-themed activities. And don’t miss the first-ever Wainui Producers Market being held at the picturesque Waingarara Valley on April 12.

And that’s just the beginning. In the coming weeks, there’s plenty more to get amongst, including theatre shows, markets, Kiwi night walks, triathlons, pony rides, comedy gigs and fishing tournaments.

A full event calendar is available at whakatane.com/events