Devonport Food, Wine & Music Festival 2012
Devonport Food, Wine & Music Festival
still great for the Shore after 23 years!
The iconic Devonport Food, Wine & Music Festival is on again – for the 23rd year – on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th of February next year. This event provides great benefits for the local community.
The event costs in excess of $250,000 each year to run, with an estimated 75% of this being spent with local North Shore businesses. As well as this direct financial impact the festival also ensures that Devonport is firmly on the map each year with the publicity that surrounds the event and the thousands who attend over the two days.
Over $120,000 is spent on promoting the event through radio, newspapers, magazines, outdoor advertising and most recently online through web and social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
And people come from far and wide for the festival. From the Shore and all over Auckland and it is estimated that up to 10% of visitors to the festival are from outside of Auckland. Traditionally the largest sector of the population to attend the Devonport Food, Wine & Music Festival are women aged between 25 and 45 years old.
“The festival provides the local economy with a real boost each year,” says organiser Gavin Busch of B2Events. “As well as these economic positives the event also adds a great deal to the overall vibrancy of the area. We are proud of the fact that we have been able to keep it going year after year, providing a whole range of benefits to business and the community. Events throughout the world have helped to raise the profile and economic wellbeing of regions and localities.”
As the benefactor of profits from the event, the Rotary Club of Devonport distributes a significant amount of funds to a range of local community groups and charities each year.
A company who has been involved at the festival for the past five years is MSC Consulting Group of Takapuna. Director Bob McGuigan loves the fact that it is a community event, lots of fun and great for entertaining key customers. “We have been involved for at least the past five years and love the fact that it is a great way to spend a fun day with a group of customers and their partners. It is a relaxed way to really spend some quality time with them, and isn’t just a blokes thing. We also like the fact that the profits are going back into the community through Rotary.”
Stage Sound Enterprises have been providing their expertise and resource to the event for 13 years – for two stages – which is something that owner Paul Johansen is very proud of. “It is a job we really like doing as they have some great entertainers that we work with and it’s a good community project,” says Paul. “We don’t make a fortune out of it, but it is good to be associated with and it’s great that they are using a Shore company like ourselves. Being involved is good for our business.”
“We are thrilled to have the support of a great range of sponsors once again,” adds Gavin Busch. “The 2012 event has a quality line up of corporate sponsors including new lead naming rights sponsor More FM as well as Grabaseat, Heritage Hotels, LG, Fisher & Paykel and Carlton Party Hire. Without the support by the community they are held in, local businesses and Council these would not be financially viable to run. Sponsorship and Corporate hospitality packages are still available for the 2012 festival.
Contact Gavin Busch at Devonport Food, Wine & Music Festival.
Email: devonportfestival@orcon.net.nz
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