The Ellerslie show, taking place this week at Manukau, is in the final stages of a four-year Auckland contract and Hamilton City Council has spent a year talking to organisers in a bid to convince them the city is best poised to run the event.
Auckland City Council has rejected a three-year financial package to retain the event which today led show managing director David Mee to say that decision strengthened the case for the event to go outside Auckland.
However, Hamilton's main rival for the bid is Christchurch and it is rumoured the Christchurch City Council is making strenuous efforts to secure the event which includes a lucrative financial package.
There has also been a suggestion that should Christchurch be successful, it would need to shift the show from the traditional spring event to a time in autumn to prevent clashes with its premier Cup and Show Week, also taking place this week. Spring is the preferred time for flower shows, however that is not believed a significant deterrent in the Christchurch bid. Council sources in Hamilton believe that if Christchurch emerges as the winner, a significant gap in the market would open allowing for the staging of a rival show. The November timing of a rival event would suit Hamilton's events calendar and with the upgrade of Claudelands Events Centre due to start before the end of the year, the designated venue would offer attractive growth potential to organisers.
The Ellerslie Flower Show attracts up to 70,000 visitors over five days and generates about $14 million for the regional economy. An announcement on where next year's Ellerslie show is to be held is likely to be made next week.
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