Controversy once again surrounds the future of Auckland’s iconic Showgrounds. The Greenlane venue, home of Fine Food New Zealand, the Easter Show, the Home Show and the Auckland Food Show, among hundreds of other major events, is allegedly destined to be the new home for film production company X3 Studios.
XPO Exhibitions, New Zealand’s largest exhibition organiser and the largest hirer of the venue, has launched a hearts and minds campaign, including an online petition of its 260,000+ database, in a bid to convince the venue’s owners to reconsider any leasing decision.
Xpo Exhibitions General Manager Rebecca Stewart said: ” We remain hopeful and confident that a positive outcome will be reached allowing The Food Show and the many other events that have a home at the Auckland Showgrounds to proceed.”
The venue appeals to the events and exhibition industry because of its central location, covered exhibition halls and the proximity to hotels, motels and restaurants for exhibitors and visitors alike.
Lisa Hopkins, CEO, BEIA (Business Events Industry Aoteoroa) said
the potential loss of the Auckland Showgrounds would be deeply concerning, not just for the events industry and the businesses it serves, but also for the city’s hospitality sector.
“The Showgrounds is Auckland’s only significant flat-floored covered space, while the city already has three film studios. Aside from the huge economic impact the events create, the Showgrounds also attracts considerable business for the city’s motels, hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes from visiting attendees.”
When Hospitality Business contacted the Showgrounds’ owners, the Cornwall Park Trust Board (CPTB), regarding the new leasing options, Trust Board Chair, Adrienne Young-Cooper released a statement which said:
“The current arrangement with NZ Exhibition & Events Company (NZEEC), runs until the end of June; the Trust Board is working towards a solution for the longer term, but no final decision has yet been made and several options remain under consideration.”
The Showgrounds sit on land owned by the CPTB, which manages Cornwall Park for the benefit of all New Zealanders. The site is one of several parcels of land surrounding the Park that were intended by Park founder Sir John Logan Campbell to provide the CPTB with sufficient revenue to maintain the Park in perpetuity.
Mrs Young-Cooper has previously said the relationship between her organisation and the Shows Board and its predecessors went back a very long way. Sir John Logan Campbell, who gifted the land the CPTB manages for the benefit of all New Zealanders, was himself one of the early leaders of the Auckland A&P Association.
Mrs Young-Cooper said that the terms of the Trust Deed under which the CPTB operates require the Trustees to act solely in the best interests of Cornwall Park.
“Our over-riding obligation is to preserve and enhance Cornwall Park for the people of Auckland and New Zealand, and that is where rental income from the Showgrounds and other land surrounding the Park goes. Anything that affects our revenue affects our ability to give all New Zealanders the opportunity to enjoy and experience nature in the heart of our country’s biggest city, free of charge.”
