Venture Taranaki attracts, hosts, and invests in Major Events on behalf of the Taranaki region.

Funding for the 2026/2027 financial year, for events held between 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027, are now closed. 

Major events have the potential to bring economic, social, cultural, and marketing exposure benefits to the District.

New Plymouth District Council has created the major event fund to achieve the above benefits and position New Plymouth as a highly competitive and desirable destination for hosting major events.

The strategic criteria for supporting major events are based around four areas:

  1. Economic gains (attracting national and international visitor spend)
  2. Social and cultural benefits (positively profiling New Plymouth and upholding the attributes of the Taranaki brand)
  3. National and international marketing exposure
  4. General event benefits

Key goals of the fund include:

  1. The retention of existing sustainable events,
  2. The growth of new and existing events, and
  3. The attraction of new major events to the New Plymouth District. Only events held within the New Plymouth District are eligible for funding.

 

Funding decisions will be made by Venture Taranaki Trust in accordance with the strategic criteria and key goals of the fund, as agreed between the Trust and New Plymouth District Council.

A major event is defined as: An event of national, cultural, social, and economic significance.

In December 2005 the New Plymouth District Council endorsed the following key principles:

The council confirms that it seeks to support the Taranaki Tourism Strategy through the attraction and development of major events which add value to the local economy and boost the region’s unique profile, noting that an investment of $1.2 million in events in 2004/05 returned up to $23.16 million in additional expenditure to the region. 

In particular, the Council encourages:
  1. Major events which have the impact and profile necessary to change local, national and international perceptions about New Plymouth District, forming part of a coordinated marketing strategy and contributing to a vibrant community.
  2. Major events which attract domestic and international visitors in sufficient numbers to support the realisation of the Visitor Strategy’s goals for visitor nights and expenditure, therefore contributing to a prosperous community.
  3. Major events which strongly reflect the values of the ‘Taranaki - like no other’ brand and become inextricably linked to their location.
  4. Major events which utilise the Council’s major event venues, helping to ensure their viability and meet their revenue targets.
  5. Major events which help to address seasonal gaps in visitor numbers, therefore contributing to a more sustainable tourism industry.

gallery

Please note that the images shown in the Gallery are not available for public use. If you require images of Taranaki, head over to taranakistory.taranaki.co.nz for free images, or contact [email protected] if you're seeking a specific image for editorial use.