Economic Snapshot Shows Latest V8 Attracts More Visitors

Hamilton’s 2011 ITM400 V8 Supercars race attracted more than 31,000 race-going
visitors to the city, 7,500 more visitors than for the inaugural event in 2008.
A snapshot survey of event goers by Touchscreen Marketing and Research,
commissioned by Hamilton City Council, showed the average weekend spend by each
visitor was $210. This resulted in a direct spend by visiting event attendees in the city of
approximately $6.5 million.
Touchscreen’s research was based on a survey sample of 393 people with a confidence
level of plus or minus 4.9%.
Unlike the 2008 economic impact survey - which included the spending of teams, event
organisers, promoters and media - the 2011 economic snapshot included only event
goers. The 2008 survey showed 23,900 people from outside Hamilton attended the
event, compared with 31,400 this year. The total of new money spent in 2008 was
estimated at $28 million. The 2008 survey also included visitors accompanying people
attending the event which boosted total visitor numbers by more than another 50%.
This year’s ITM400 visitors spent money mostly on restaurants, cafes and bars followed
by accommodation, retail shopping and then groceries.
The survey company estimates the direct spend by visitors to Hamilton as being at the
conservative end of the spending range. While conducting the research, Touchstone
discovered numerous spending stories which fell outside the survey data - including a
visitor from Nelson who bought a $180,000 luxury car in Hamilton while in the city,
and other reports of significant one-off retail spending.
The survey also asked attendees about how satisfied they were with the ITM400 event.
Of the people surveyed, 91.4% rated their “Overall experience” of the event as being
either excellent or very good. “Value for Money” was rated excellent or very good by
84.2% of people surveyed.
Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker said despite rainy weather during the event weekend, it
was very pleasing to see such a large number of visitors to the city confirmed by
independent research.
“While we had more people attend the event in 2008, the research shows although
fewer Hamiltonians went to the event this year compared to the first year, overall
visitors to the city have increased which does have a positive impact.
“What would be of additional benefit to the city is to have more people staying
overnight. There were a large number of day trippers to the event, and if we could
convert them into city accommodation or even to stay with friends and relatives then
there would be additional benefit for the city,” says Mayor Hardaker.
The research showed 43% of visitors to the event made day trips rather than stay
overnight. Reasons given by the high number of day trippers for not staying in the city
included:

o Lack of local accommodation available
o Minimum stay restrictions of up to 4 or 5 nights
o Inflated accommodation costs for the period of the event
o Central location of Hamilton making it suitable for day trips from
a number of North Island locations within 1 – 2 hours drive.
There was a large amount of information gathered from the people surveyed. The full
survey is available at www.hamilton.co.nz .