NZ sport needs experts at the helm

By TOM CLARKE

Most New Zealand sporting codes need to adopt more professional management and marketing if they are to succeed, says new motor sport head Lester Smith

Mr Smith, who has a sales and marketing background, has become the Wellington-based general manager of MotorSport New Zealand Inc.

He says there is poor administration and use of opportunities in just about every sporting code.

"Motor sport in New Zealand has 100 plus clubs and 15,000 plus member participants - and many success stories from Chris Amon and Denny Hulme to Scott Dixon - but it has not actually captured the benefits that could have come from that," he says.

"Hockey never capitalised on the gold medal it won at the [1976 Montreal] Olympics, and kayaking never capitalised on [the Olympic success of] Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald and the huge public profile they generated.

"I think most New Zealand sport could benefit with professional marketing and management at their helm."

Mr Smith says sporting codes that want corporate sponsorship have to be able to deliver good value for money and be able to talk to corporates in their own language.

While motor sport has probably been more successful in promoting itself than most other sporting codes, Mr Smith says there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"At the end of the day I'm promoting motor sport and selling the sport to the corporate sector, but probably the one key role I have to perform is to put a new face to the edge of motor sport in New Zealand."

The sport, he says, has had able administrators and technical people who know what makes a car safe to race and go fast, and what makes a circuit safe for racing. But they have not done a good job making the sport more friendly to clubs, competitors, business sponsors or the public.

"It hasn't had a very good public persona or media presence and in the business area I don't believe we've delivered a very good product or value for money in the past, and those are the things I'm out to change."

Mr Smith has been sales and marketing manager of Parker Enzed (NZ) for the last seven years.

Before that he spent four years with ACNielsen McNair handling international television audience measurement and managing its media publications.

He has also worked for advertising agency Inglis Wright (later DDB Needham), John Andrews Ford and Quik Stik International Ltd.