The Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund includes the Waikato, Rotorua, Taupō and Ruapehu regions and is managed collectively through the Event Investment Panel (eight representatives from the four regions).
Expressions of Interest for a third and final funding round are invited from Monday 16 January 2023. A total of 28* events being staged across the Waikato, Rotorua, Taupō and Ruapehu regions have already been allocated funding from the two previous funding rounds held in 2021 and 2022.
- Waikato – 10 events
- Rotorua – 8 events - *One further funded event will be announced at a later date.
- Taupō – 5 events
- Ruapehu – 3 events
- Multiple regions – 1 event
Events receiving funding support are a mixture of new and existing covering diverse interest areas such as business, sport, fitness, trail running, cars, music, and culture.
In total, the events are predicted to attract approximately 300,000 people, with two-thirds being visitors from outside each host region. Some events have three-year funding agreements while others have received one-year investment to boost their development.
The Panel are also focussing on developing events sector capability across the Thermal Explorer regions with a series of roadshow events being planned for 2023 and 2024. For more information including details on the 2023 funding round, please review the below important links and timeline.
Important links and information
| Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund – 2023 Funding Application Guidelines |
Please download and ensure you have fully read the guidelines before you apply. |
| Expression of Interest online application | If your event meets the criteria to apply for funding, please download and complete the Event Budget template before submitting your Expression of Interest online. You will need to save your completed budget, then upload when prompted. |
| Event funding recipients |
View the 2021 and 2022 event funding recipients |
| Thermal Explorer Highway Regional Investment Plan | For more information including an overview of the Thermal Explorer Highway Regional Investment Plan |
Timeline and next steps
| Monday 16 January 2023 |
Thermal Explorer REF funding:
|
| At Panel’s discretion |
Expression of Interest applications close
|
| At Panel’s discretion |
Applicants notified of outcome
|
| Thursday 27 April 2023 – Rotorua Friday 28 April 2023 – Hamilton / Waikato |
Thermal Explorer REF Roadshow events:
|
| No later than Friday 30 June 2023 |
Events funding allocated and events contracted |
| TBC August 2023 |
Thermal Explorer REF Roadshow events:
|
For more information
Lead Entity for the Thermal Explorer Highway Regional Events Fund (REF):
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism
Email: ThermExREF@waikatonz.com
If you would like to register to receive updates and information about the Thermal Explorer Highway REF, please subscribe here
Background
The Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund is part of the $50 million Regional Events Fund announced by the New Zealand Government in September 2020 as a result of COVID-19. The purpose of the fund is to stimulate domestic tourism and travel between regions through hosting of events, which is intended to replace expenditure from international tourists. Please visit www.mbie.govt.nz for further information.
The purpose for the Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund is a contestable fund that will be utilised to focus on developing, securing or enhancing new and existing events to become long term sustainable “iconic” or “anchor” events for the regions; and to support capability development of the event ecosystem in the four regions of the Thermal Explorer area.
