Big Boys Toys 2008 the Biggest in Years

Fuelled by sunshine, multi-million dollar cars and spectacular stunts, record numbers surged into this year’s Big Boys Toys delighting exhibitors and organizers alike. Organising company DMG World Media today announced a 17.5% increase over last year and a record for recent years.

“This was a stunning result,” said DMG Worldwide Media Commercial Director Richard Bews. “Given news of a recession and the weakness of the retail economy, this was an awesome show of confidence by the Auckland public,” he said.

“It has strongly cemented Big Boys Toys place as the premier lifestyle show in Australasia,” he said.

This year the event literally started with a bang – in fact the biggest bang ever in New Zealand, with one million double-happys exploding in a deafening and fiery glory at the press launch. The resulting mushroom cloud of smoke was almost an event on and was able to be seen from surrounding suburbs.

And from the opening morning, Friday the 14th, the public of Auckland streamed in, with dads, sons, partners and more than a few female partners to view the attractions.

The $NZ2.3 million Koenigsegg was a huge hit with media and the public, with possibly millions of photos taken of the car. Dozens of other vehicles from two to 10 wheels were displayed in shiny splendour around the exhibition and the ever popular New Zealand Motorycle show had a huge weekend with thousands pouring in to see a range of shiny bikes from custom cruisers to the latest sports models.

The Arena was major focus for visitors and was pumping throughout the weekend with stunt riders and drivers competing for attention with new attraction, the Honda Cunningstunts team burning rubber in an outrageous show of motorcycle power. Another new attraction, the 2008 Memphis Meltdown Strongman Competition which saw athletes pulling trucks and lifting impossible weights. And The 2008 Cheapskates Skateboard Nationals was also held in an adjacent hall; a huge crowd pleaser that had the stands packed out for the finals on Sunday afternoon.

Big Boys Toys 2009 is already being planned – to be even bigger.