Montana WOW ® Awards Generate $6.5m for Nelson Region
The 2003 Montana World of WearableArt™ Awards are directly responsible for a spend of $6.5 million in the Nelson region over the show’s two weekend season in September.
The first-ever Economic Impact Assessment report prepared by Wellington strategic consultants McDermott Miller has just been released. This report focused purely on the annual Awards Show and did not cover the economic impact of WOW’s all year round media exposure or the economic impact of the World of WearableArt & Collectable Cars complex. It shows the net benefits to Nelson City and Tasman District are relatively greater, compared to audience size, than have arisen from almost any other regional event the company has assessed in New Zealand over the last five years.
Spending generated in Nelson City as a direct result of the Montana WOW® Awards was $5m, with Tasman District reaping a $1.5m benefit.
The study has also confirmed the high level of interest the event attracts from outside the Nelson region. 60% (over 9000 people) of the audience were from other areas. Aucklanders and Wellingtonians comprised 14% each, and Cantabrians 15%. While the three areas contributed 43% of the audience, they represented a massive 76% of the visitor spend.
The audience profile also revealed 26% came from households with incomes over $100,000 p.a., compared to the national average of 9% of households in this income bracket, and around 60% had tertiary qualifications, compared to the national average of 17%.
WOW® Chief Executive Gabrielle Hervey, says this proves WOW® has successfully marketed to what McDermott Miller has identified as the “mobile metropolitan theatre goers market segment” of the population. These are high income, high spending, well qualified residents of the major metropolitan cities in New Zealand, willing to travel anywhere nationally or internationally, to attend spectacular events.
“It is also important to note that while the economic benefits are reaped by the Nelson region, the financial risk of putting on the massive and costly event rest solely with WOW®. WOW’s objective is to sell tickets to the show, but there is no difference to the “bottom line” whether they are sold to local residents or people from outside the region. However the average spend by Aucklanders was around $900, excluding their show ticket. It is expensive for WOW ® to continue to advertise to this market, but the study shows the real economic benefit to the region.”
For more information contact:
Gabrielle Hervey -CEO World of WearableArt™ DDI (0064 3) 547 0854
