Graeme Pullen was general manager of Rotorua Golf Club for the past year. Photo / Laura Smith
From bowls and golf, to squash and tennis, business house events in the Bay of Plenty have grown in popularity.
Money journalist Laura Smith spoke with those running the events to find out why participants get involved.
Business house events cover a range of activities, mostly sports, and tend to be for people looking for a little competition but in a social setting. While some run year long, many start up in spring and summer.
Participants do not need to be skilled or have experience and, generally, the events offer a chance for teams to try out something they may not normally do.
Teams may not wholly be made up by the business community, and some teams might even be mixed — the point is to mingle and have fun.
Sport Bay of Plenty community sport and recreation general manager Nick Chambers said a recent survey conducted by Sport New Zealand last year showed work and other commitments remained the No.1 barrier to engaging in physical activity for adults in the region.
Chambers said workplaces that helped offset that barrier by providing regular access to active recreation for their workforce can help staff combat the pitfalls of a sedentary lifestyle, especially those working in office environments.
“Getting regular exercise has major benefits for health and wellbeing, both physically and mentally, and a healthy workplace can help people thrive in and feel more valued in their roles.”
Activities outside of work helped break social barriers between colleagues and develop camaraderie among co-workers, which he said hopefully translated into a more rewarding work environment.
Alan McCaulay, who runs the Arawa Business House Bowls, believes it is the sheer convenience and fun of the event that this year had a record number of teams participating.
The series just finished for the year and on average there were 85 bowlers on Thursday nights, a total of 28 teams. This was up from the average of 22.
He was satisfied to have seen interest in the event grow and, for the first time ever, had to close off registrations early.
People were time poor and the short, sharp series and event nights were attractive, and the social element filled that need too.
“There is a lot of talking, there is a lot of mix and mingle.”
Rotorua Golf Club’s Arikikapakapa golf course hosts a business house twilight event, which has drawn participants for three or four years.
Graeme Pullen had been general manager for the past year and said the event had certainly grown in popularity — the evidence being how easy it was to fill team spots this year in late October.
“It was fully subscribed almost immediately. To the point I had to turn people away.”
This was in contrast to last year, when it had been difficult filling spots and it was a push to make up last year’s 22 teams, he said.
There are 24 teams, each consisting of four players, and he said the enjoyment players had last year was what had spurred the interest this time around.
The sport, in general, had attracted more players since the pandemic began with wide- open spaces and a chance to chill with friends outside being a big drawcard, he said.
But for the businesses involved in the event, he said it was about the friendly rivalry both between companies.
It also provided an opportunity for various industries and sectors that might not necessarily mix often, to do so.
Teams were made up of non-golfers and golfers, who were usually persuaded by the avid golfers to join up, he said.
“I think the great thing about it is the dynamic of the people that enter is really broad. There’s a whole range of people that get involved.”
There were wholly women’s groups, lumber companies, builders, business folk, accountants, travel agents and “all sorts of things”.
Prizes and rewards, too, were a good incentive, and Pullen said about $600 worth were given out each week. The overall winning team received a $5000 prize.
Helloworld Travel Rotorua has supported the event for a few years now, and several from the office had joined as a team for the last two.
Travel professional Rachel Mahar said the team was made up of three non-golfers and one golfer last season.
“We thought, why not?”
But one of the team enjoyed it so much they kept playing past the competition end, meaning this year it was made up of two non-golfers and two golfers.
The social aspect was huge, she said, which was due to the chance to get out and bond with colleagues in the afternoon sun impacting the popularity.
She said it was also a good chance to get the business name out there, as well as socialise with people from other businesses.
Mount Maunganui Sports Club squash chairman Simon Berkett said the business house squash events it held twice a year had increased in popularity over the past five years.
He felt it provided people the opportunity to play semi-competitively without committing to a full-year membership when either money or time was tight.
“It’s a little competitive but still lots of fun.”
It was the social element the club promoted, he said. Players were typically low graded.
“We always get positive feedback.”
The first round of the year was between February and March, and the second ran from October to November.
Teams of four competed and the first round this year comprised 16 teams. But this year there were only eight teams, which Berkett said was a reflection of a tough year.
Rotorua Business House Darts was started 18 months ago and founder Ray Kelly said it has been a great success.
He said he was excited with how it had grown: initially, there were only two teams, but by the end of the first year there were seven.
Kelly said it offered a chance for participants to be social and try out their darts skills in a comfortable environment, and said it offered something different with other events being sports based.
Many of the players were new to darts, he said.
“People play in their sheds at home ... I set it up to get those people playing in one place.”
He said the twice-a-week event was a good social occasion. Held at Crates N Cues Bar in Pukuatua St on a Monday and Friday night, the bar supplied supper and drinks were discounted for players.
Kelly said these were good incentives for teams to take part in what he said was still a competitive competition.
But there were no cross words spoken, he said.
“We are kind of a big family.”
Mike Horton co-ordinates the Bowls Tauranga South business house competitions and said the spots for teams have been filling up quickly.
The event had been running for 30 years and a wide range of businesses took part — some teams for more than 20 years.
“It’s quite a diverse range. It’s a bit of networking as well I suppose.”
While he said bowls was not as easy as it looked, it was easy enough to get the hang of quickly and it was aimed to be a fun event.
There was a maximum of 32 teams and this year that was hit quickly, he said. The events were held in the seven weeks both before and after Christmas.
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