Information from two expert reports regarding Winter Games NZ has highlighted the economic benefit and global media profile the event will bring to Otago and New Zealand this winter.
In a review, audit and assessment of the 2009 Winter Games NZ, Dr John Guthrie of the University of Otago predicts the inaugural Games will bring an economic benefit in excess of $50m and when the cumulative benefit is taken into account from successive Games, the economic benefit will exceed that of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
"There are three important reasons why countries vie to hold iconic international events," he said. "One is status, the second is the opportunity to develop infrastructure and the third is about building a platform from which a country can be promoted to the world. The organizers of the 2009 Winter Games NZ have identified a gap in the market that is New Zealand's for the taking. An international winter sports event that is the forerunner to the pinnacle event, the Winter Olympic Games, and the perfect platform to promote New Zealand internationally.
Dr Guthrie said it was also important to acknowledge the value to the spirit of the community. The importance of the added value to the ‘feel good' factor the Games will provide should not be underestimated.
Much of the international promotion will be through the world's media and a report by World Television has predicted audiences of 350,000,000 based on the published audience figures for sports programmes of confirmed broadcasters only. To make this assessment, 54 broadcasters operating in New Zealand's key export and tourism countries were contacted.
The official broadcaster of Winter Games NZ, Sky TV, will produce 55 hours of footage, a level unprecedented for snow sports outside of the Winter Olympics. The footage will be in the form of both short news stories as well as extended coverage and will showcase New Zealand as a desirable destination with the spectacular backdrop of the Southern Alps and Otago.
Winter Games NZ CEO, Arthur Klap, said this level of regional and national benefit, together with the overwhelming buy-in the event had received from the international competitive snow sports bodies, indicated Winter Games NZ was the start of a new era in competitive snow sports, not just for the Southern Hemisphere, but globally.
"With the timing just six months out from the 2010 Winter Olympics, Winter Games NZ provides the ideal platform to give the world a sneak preview of what's to come in Vancouver," he said. "It also provides the athletes with the opportunity to compete at elite level at a world-class event, providing invaluable practice for when they are going for Olympic gold. To date there has been no event like it and the Games provides an outstanding opportunity for New Zealand.
Winter Games NZ will take place at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Snow Farm, Naseby and Dunedin from 22-30 August 2009 and will feature disciplines of alpine skiing, free skiing, x-country skiing, snowboarding, curling, ice skating and adaptive snow sports as well as the demonstration sports of winter triathlon and natural luge. For further information visit www.wintergamesnz.com.
