Credit to the organisers of the International Vintage Car Rally, which is about to hit the streets of Wanganui and the surrounding region.
Considerable effort has gone into organising the event - years of planning, negotiating and crunching the logistics to get this far. And with only days until theVCC Rally 2012 officially kicks off - some cars have already commenced their journey from all over the country while others arrive from overseas - the buzz is building.
Evidence of the impending vintage vehicles and their enthusiastic drivers, navigators and support crews are becoming apparent. Where once the signs warned of the cars coming, now they state they are here. Construction and security fencing at Springvale Park are indicative that we are close to the start.
It's fair to say the city will not have seen the likes of this event before. And praise must be sent the way of the organising committee who have done all they can to ensure Wanganui businesses and service providers got first dibs on any business they brought to town. Only if it couldn't be done locally did they venture outside the city, and it is estimated that 80 per cent of the business has stayed in town.
Credit too to Wanganui District Council, which had the foresight to see what the event might bring to the area. The $100,000 offered to entice the rally was a considerable investment - even in the scale of council finances - but the returns will justify that.
Already other media are starting to cotton on with reports popping up about the event. And that's before it has even started. Once we get into next week, national and international media attention will be awakened, offering a chance for publicity we simply couldn't afford to buy, and worth far more than what the council put in.
It can not be easy to put on an event on this scale. The logistics boggle the mind and we must consider the support of the local community in helping do what they can to make it happen.
It is hard to imagine a single event on this scale - the open day at Wanganui Racecourse is expected to attract more than 25,000 people. No wonder then that so many events have been organised around the rally and Wellington Anniversary Weekend, which is looming as a monster as far as events go.
The message to us all is simple: we must do our best to ensure the success of this event and enjoy it while it is here. It is thanks to some people with a keen sense of foresight that we have that opportunity.
