Hamiltonian to drive super city makeover

Michael Redman will not discuss what events he wants to bring to Auckland. Photo / Doug Sherring

Ateed. No, it's not a catchy name, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development's new chief executive concedes.

As Michael Redman settles into the top job at the body charged with driving Auckland's economic development strategy, he declares it a working title only. "Everyone acknowledges we need to come up with something a little more dynamic."

That shouldn't be a problem for a man who started his career in advertising. He's promising a more aspirational moniker by the first quarter of next year.

It will be considered carefully, as will whether the Auckland metropolis itself needs an image makeover.

Evolution, not revolution, says the former chief executive of Hamilton City Council.

"As Auckland starts to deliver on things like the waterfront, as it perhaps develops around the event vision that [Mayor Len Brown] has, there'll be an opportunity to evolve the brand," he says.

In recent weeks, he hasn't had the luxury of controlling his own brand, as controversy around his stint in his former stomping ground rages.

Whether he likes it or not, Redman will always be known in the city just down State Highway 1 as the man who brought the V8 Supercars to town.

While Auckland dilly-dallied, Hamilton stepped up to the plate and secured the glamorous motorsport event in 2007.

This year, the council signed a new seven-year contract with the organisers, V8 Supercars Australia. But as the dust and petrol exhaust settled, the true cost of the event to the city emerged.

Recriminations have flown over who knew what and when regarding budgets.

New Mayor Julie Hardaker has confirmed the cost of the annual race has ballooned to $27.4 million over the three years - up from $11 million councillors say they thought they were in for - plus event sponsorship estimated at $4 million.

Some city councillors say all the figures were never put together in the same place at the same time. It is unclear how long it may take for the city to recoup its costs.

There have been accusations of a lack of leadership and selective provision of information.

Now, the council has voted for a review of the V8 project by an independent body such as Audit New Zealand.

The row has been played out in the local media, with Redman categorically denying in the Waikato Times this month that costs were not made available in accordance with council protocols when requested by councillors.

Now that he's in a new city with a new job, and new media to face, how does the man in charge of implementing Auckland's events strategy answer the allegations? "I'm sure that issue will resolve itself through their review," is the short reply.

Further pressing only elicits an invitation to read the local Hamilton coverage. The best the Herald on Sunday can do is to get him to agree that he "totally, absolutely" refutes any suggestion of hidden costs surrounding the V8s.

It is not the only controversial point to put to the new boss of the clumsily named Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development.

Redman resigned as chief executive of Hamilton City three years into a five-year contract just a fortnight before October's local body elections, and was excused his required three months' notice by then-mayor Bob Simcock.

How does he answer criticism that he let the city down?

"I'm here to talk about Ateed."

Righto. There is no suggestion that steering the new council-controlled organisation is not something Redman will do well. Described as a private person and difficult to get to know, those who have worked with him also say he is driven, astute and a good communicator and marketer.

Educated in Hamilton, he set up advertising agency Redman Advertising in his early 20s. In 1996, he bought another ad agency and became the biggest in the Waikato.

He expanded into other centres, including Auckland, and was bought by Grey Global Group in 2000, which appointed him chief executive.

When that contract ended, he returned to Hamilton and successfully ran for mayor in 2004.

In another controversial move, he resigned the mayoral office in 2007 to apply for the chief executive's role.

His efforts for the city go wider than just the headline-grabbing V8s. He spearheaded the council's events strategy, encouraging hotels to the city, hosting the David Tua versus Shane Cameron boxing match at Mystery Creek and building the Claudelands Events Centre.

Yet he will not be drawn on what events he would like to attract to Auckland, much less whether there is any chance he will look to bring the V8s north. "I don't want to pre-empt the events strategy."

One of Brown's "100 projects in 100 days" has been to ask Ateed to report on how Auckland can become an events city, and that document will be ready in about April, Redman says.

The plan is not to cherry-pick events but to have a strategy around what role they can play in the city's economy and to develop a framework for evaluating those opportunities.

Factors to consider are the direct economic return, visitation, profile, distinctiveness and opportunities to leverage some of the city's industry sectors.

Not all events will deliver on all of those, Redman says.

"It's having a range of events that can move all of those criteria forward ... it's precisely why we need to have that framework, so that it's well understood by everybody as to why we may or may not pursue an event or an opportunity."

The new council is currently working on its economic development vision, and Ateed - an amalgamation of all the region's economic development agencies and tourism bodies - will do what needs to be done to make that happen.

Redman says events are not necessarily his speciality.

"The opportunity for Ateed is not to be seen as a business that is three separate pillars of economic development, events and tourism, but to have one joined-up approach across those three areas.

"The events tend to be the high-profile area of the work that's done but there's a lot of other pieces of the puzzle."

He is coy about possible restructuring within the amalgamated organisation.

It is still coming to grips with the business and opportunities for integration, he says.

However, the regional focus of bodies such as Enterprising Manukau and Waitakere Enterprise will remain and even be strengthened.

They have industry sector specialists and their own connections with local business. "What we'd like to see is for those services to be able to be delivered consistently throughout the city."

Former Hamilton mayor Simcock describes Redman as "an effective operator".

"I think he's a loss to Hamilton," he says. He brushes away suggestions that Redman is a controversial figure.

"I haven't found him to be so at all and I don't think anyone would have described him that way until recently.

"What you've got at the moment is a certain amount of retribution after an election from a couple of people, and I think it's quite unjust towards Michael, certainly."

Simcock disputes the $27 million V8 figure, saying it includes spending that would have been made anyway.

"The cost of the event did grow greater than we had expected. But on the basis of the information available to everybody, all the steps along the way, all the decisions were taken to council with full available information."

Lawyers' letters have been flying over the dispute and some people spoken to for this story declined to go on the record.

Current Mayor Hardaker claimed insufficient knowledge of councillors' reactions to the budget overrun to comment, but confirmed there would be a comprehensive review of the V8s to ensure that "systems and processes were complied with".

Meanwhile, back in Auckland, the Herald on Sunday tries to persuade Redman to pose in the foyer of the old ARC building in Pitt St, where blooming pohutukawa alongside Auckland City's logo of the same flower make a great backdrop.

The picture request is met with a flat no.

The man with a reputation for making things happen may do well to put some of his efforts into his own Auckland image.

BRIEF BIO

Name: Michael Redman

Age: 44

Family: Married with three children

Career: Started Redman Advertising in 1980s, sold to Grey Global Group in 2000 and then headed the agency; mayor of Hamilton 2004-2007; wins Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader award 2006; CEO of Hamilton City 2007-2010; CEO of Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development 2010.

Tourism team

*AucklandPlus

Council business units responsible for major events

*Enterprising Manukau Enterprise North Shore

*Visitor centres including i-SITES

*Waitakere Enterprise.

Ateed also has an interest in Tourism Auckland and two regional development trusts.