EveNZ Consultancy and Winter Games NZ win special events category at PRiNZ awards

Lake Wanaka’s EveNZ Consultancy last night received a national award for its work on 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games at the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand’s (PRiNZ) Awards Dinner.

Victoria Murray-Orr of EveNZ Consultancy and PR manager for Winter Games NZ was winner of the Special Events Campaign category for her work on the ground-breaking event that positioned New Zealand as a credible winter sports destination and attracted some of the world’s top snow sports athletes.

This is the second award 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games has scooped in as many months. Last month Winter Games NZ CEO, Arthur Klap, collected the SPARC Event Excellence Award for the event’s world-class organisation.

“This award belongs to the whole team at 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games, from Arthur at CEO level to the amazing volunteers who acted as media runners,” said Victoria Murray-Orr. “We had over 200 media at seven locations around Otago so it was undoubtedly a significant team effort.”

PRINZ National President Graeme Purches was impressed with the calibre of entrant in 2010. “With so many strong candidates putting their hand up to be recognised it was hard to single out a clear cut winner in each category,” he says.

“This year has also seen the emergence of many new organisations keen to pit their communications against the best in New Zealand,” said Purches “along with the usual contenders who have all made an incredibly strong showing.”

100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games achieved a level of media coverage for winter sports never before seen in New Zealand in the print media as well as on TV and radio. Extensive coverage was also achieved overseas.

100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games put New Zealand on the map as a winter sports destination for the world’s elite athletes by establishing the world’s first lead-in competition to the Winter Olympics. Over 10 days, 34 events and 15 sports with 816 athletes from 41 nations it achieved this goal attracting the biggest names in snow sports, exceeding all targets and for the first time gaining sustained media coverage for non-mainstream snow sports. WGNZ provided an invaluable training opportunity in the lead-up to the Olympics and many of the medal winners in Vancouver competed in WGNZ.

This is the second time Victoria has received this award. In 2006, her PR campaign for the New Zealand Gliding Grand Prix was also recognised by PRiNZ.

The annual PRINZ Awards recognise and reward outstanding public relations practice and practitioners across New Zealand over 12 award categories. Award-winning entries reflect sound public relations and communication objectives, demonstrate high standards of performance, production and presentation and represent the pinnacle of PR practice in New Zealand.