The band Flaming Lips . Supplied by Warner Music
The company which organised the McLaren Valley Music and arts Festival, renamed Echo Festival when it was moved to Auckland, has announced it is in liquidation.
A notice on the Echo Festival's website says organisers felt liquidation was "the most responsible thing to do" and warned ticket holders that they would be unlikely to get refunds in the near future.
The statement from the Echo Festival website:
NOTICE OF LIQUIDATION:
After a long and what now seems pointless struggle it is with deep disappointment we must announce that it has been resolved to place the festivals promoting company into liquidation. The festival and its advisors have been trying hard to identify an effective way to provide the project with a future and at the same time recover from the huge losses sustained over the last few months, but it is deemed that the task is too great.
Having explored all possible measures and future outcomes we feel this is the most responsible thing to do and therefore have taken this action.
We recognise there are still some people waiting for ticket refunds. The arrangements around this process have been fraught with problems and todays development does little to alleviate that situation in the immediate term. We are deeply sorry for that. The liquidators will be continuing the work here to resolve any outstanding issues. We are offering the liquidators as much assistance as we possibly can. All creditors will be contacted.
Simon Dalton and Matt Kemp of Gerry Rea Partners Auckland have been appointed as liquidators and all queries regarding the festivals outstanding obligations should be directed to that office, either by email on info@gerryrea.co.nz or by telephone on: 09 377 3099
For this, for your part as customers and suppliers, and for the ignominious end to what was such a promising project I can only express total disappointment. For me this final stage has been an ugly and saddening personal disaster which has left me financially and physically broken. I am empathic with everyone who has suffered as a result of believing in this project and am grateful to all of you who invested their faith, trust, time and energy in wanting it to work.
