Marlborough Lures Romeo Bragato Back To Town

The success of this year’s Romeo Bragato annual conference for the wine industry has prompted conference organisers to bring the conference back to Marlborough again next year, a decision hailed by Mayor Alistair Sowman as a coup for the region.

In past years the conference has been rotated between Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. The largest conference on the wine industry calendar, it brings together grape growers, wine makers and trade representatives. The Romeo Bragato Wine Awards are held in conjunction with the conference.
Mr Sowman says the feedback from the conference organisers this year was that Blenheim’s location worked well for both exhibitors and delegates.

“We used the Marlborough Convention Centre and arrangements were made to erect the large exhibition marquees at the front of the Clubs’ Complex – to create sufficient space for an event of this scale. It just goes to show that, if we can make the space available, big events want to come here,” said Mr Sowman.
Event organiser Karen McLean of the Napier-based events company Attend Limited confirmed that Blenheim would get the return booking.

“The feedback on the success of the venue and the ease of holding the conference in such a compact town was brilliant. Based on this, NZ Winegrowers has decided to hold the conference in the same region,” she said.

The Mayor says, with just about half the 500 conference participants from out of town, an event of this scale is worth somewhere around a million dollars to the Marlborough economy.

“Our retailers and hospitality workers get a real financial boost from this kind of event. Delegates are booked into our hotels and motels, they’re heading into our shops and cafes and spending at a time of the year when things can still be pretty flat. Local labour is needed to set up marquees, wait on tables and drive people around. It’s big business for the town!”

There’s a spin-off for local food suppliers too - one thousand lunches and 2000 morning and afternoon teas were served during the course of the conference and local produce featured in the formal conference dinner.

Mr Sowman says the Council had been liaising closely with the North Island event organisers to encourage them to bring this conference back to Marlborough next year.

“This is the heart of the wine industry and this is its biggest event. Wouldn’t it be terrific if it would permanently make its base Marlborough? I am sure Romeo Bragato would look out on the vineyards of Marlborough and appreciate that we have realised his vision.”