Marketing to this big rugby event

I will probably be tarred and feathered and run out of town for this post but as a satellite city marketer, I haven't bought into spending great amounts on additional marketing for the rugby world cup.

We will of course put up the street flags and get the retailers and schools and rugby clubs into the swing of it.  Holding the annual winter event a bit later to make the most of the larger numbers does make sense.  Buying into a touring rugby exhibition for the city is going to be good timing and also makes sense.  But as a satellite city I'm not convinced that any special RWC websites, magazines or visitor guides are going to be worth the exorbitant prices being quoted.

Don't get me wrong, I think RWC will be fantastic for New Zealand.  It is exciting for the country hosting an international event that will draw visitors from every corner of the world to see every corner of New Zealand.  Big parts of the community will be engaged as spectators at games or through meeting their rugby heroes at school or civic engagements.  It will no doubt be the busiest spring we have ever had and our accommodation will be full several times during the event.

I get it that communities throughout the country have to invest in infrastructure upgrades; it's an international event and we need to present ourselves as a world class destination worthy of being the host.  The legacy from this investment no doubt stacks up with the ongoing benefits of improved sports grounds and transport systems being available for the rate paying communities for years to come.

I get it that the major cities need to invest in big promotions and make it the party to end all parties.  After all the event is really a massive festival and we need the energy of the people to come out in a positive and profitable way.

But as a satellite city marketer, I then get stuck when it comes to the great amounts of extra money being spent on special RWC marketing.  There won't be a game played at our local stadium, there won't be any teams staying in our hotels or even coming out to see the public.  The public and visitors will be travelling into the major city venues to see the games but after they have their rugby fix, they will have other interests like any other visitor.

I can't help but see these RWC visitors as just that - 'visitors'.  We have visitors every day of the year.  In fact from forecasts, we have more visitors in any given summer than we will have for the RWC.  Our accommodation is often full from visitors to events like the Rugby 7's or the World of Wearable Art or Visa Wellington on a Plate.  Visitors to these events find us through the same marketing material as any other visitor and I believe that RWC visitors will pick up the same marketing material and look at the same websites and visit the same i-SITEs as any other visitor.

David Hancock is the visitor development manager for Hutt City, Wellington, New Zealand and would be delighted to receive comments on this or any other topic.
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