Hot events to warm the Mount's winters

Mount Mainstreet manager Peter Melgren, left, and board chairwoman Jane Debenham hope a series of winter events will make the area a 12-month destination. Photo / Andrew Warner

A series of new winter events are in the pipeline to make Mount Maunganui a popular destination year-round.

The Great New Zealand Boutique BBQ Champs, the Mauao Boutique Music Festival, a two-day corporate adventure race, a beach elements sculpture competition and Women's Wicked Weekend Winter Escapes are all concepts being developed as a way to draw people to Tauranga during the quieter winter months.

Mount Mainstreet manager Peter Melgren said the plan was to have 10 annual events up and running between May and August during the next three years.

"With summertime and cruise ships people do pretty well. It was a case of putting energy where it can make the most difference," he said.

"The best thing we could do was try and create more business for the whole of the Mount in winter."

His plans were not just confined to Mount Maunganui and would also help businesses throughout the area.

Mr Melgren said he was already in talks with people from Bethlehem, Greerton, Papamoa and the Bay of Plenty Polytech about how they could contribute to the success of the events.

"You compare what we've got here " from the walks to the shops " you'd have to go around like a pinball in Auckland to find it all," he said.

This year Mr Melgren and the Mount Mainstreet board were focusing on getting The Great New Zealand Boutique BBQ Champs and the adventure race up and running.

The BBQ champs would likely start small with teams from different suburbs around the region invited to compete against each other to create the best barbecue meals. If successful, Mr Melgren said he would like to see heats held in other regions with the winners competing in the final competition in Mount Maunganui.

The early concept for the adventure race would be to have five arenas throughout the city with challenges for teams to complete in each area, he said. The aim was for it to become a sought after corporate team building event.

To make the events viable, Mr Melgren was looking for locals to come aboard and contribute their expertise to the concepts or start work on their own new ideas.

"It's a work in progress. It's a three-year plan, and that's ambitious," he said. "There are more people out there who would like to get on board and help paddle this boat and turn it into a 12-month destination."

The aim was for each event to make a profit which would be used to fund future events and pay out dividends to those who supported the event with time, skills or money.

Mount Maunganui was already an iconic destination, both nationally and internationally, and new events would only capitalise on its reputation, Mr Melgren said.

"With the Mount located within 150 minutes drive of more than 50 per cent of New Zealand's population there is a very viable and sizeable market close by, they just need to be provided with reasons to come here."

Tauranga Motel Association chairwoman Gail Fagan was supportive of the idea.

"Any event that brings people to the area is obviously good for the accommodation sector," she said.

"There are lots of events that happen all at the same time so it would be good to spread them out and get [accommodation providers] through the quieter months."

Owner of Cafe Blend on Maunganui Rd David Bower said the events proposed were a good fit for the area and would only help. "I'm all for ideas like that," he said.