EVANZ Celebrates Excellence in New Zealand’s Event and Venue Industry

Thursday 5 December

EVANZ Celebrates Excellence in New Zealand’s Event and Venue Industry

The Event Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) celebrated the country’s finest in the events and venues sector last night at its annual awards dinner, held in the Wintergarden at The Civic Theatre in Auckland. 

The prestigious event recognised the achievements of individuals and venues that have gone above and beyond to deliver outstanding contributions to the industry in Aotearoa.

The 2024 EVANZ Award winners were as follows:

• Ticketmaster Small Venue of the Year: The Turner Centre, Kerikeri
• EVANZ Medium Venue of the Year: The Trafalgar Centre, Nelson
• Tompkins Wake Large Venue of the Year: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
• VITEC Team Member of the Year: Sam Kennedy, Spark Arena
• Momentus Technologies Rising Star of the Year: Sarah Snowden, Northland Events Centre
• EVANZ Team Leader of the Year: Mark Mekalick, Nelson City Council
• EVANZ Supplier of the Year: NW Group

Judges’ Insights

The winners were commended for their exceptional efforts and contributions, while the venue category winners were each acknowledged for their excellence in showcasing New Zealand’s diverse and vibrant event spaces.

• The Turner Centre, Kerikeri was recognised for its newly developed strategy, highlighting its cultural shift both internally and externally which has had a dramatic effect on the community’s usage and perception of the venue. 

• The Trafalgar Centre, Nelson was praised for the level of dedication each staff member has given to their venue and community. A key attribute of this venue is its ability to not only accommodate guests, but welcome and celebrate them.

• Go Media Stadium stood out for striving to continually improve its venue and operations. The team utilises data-driven insights to substantiate updates at the facility. It also makes the most of revenue streams to invest back in the venue’s infrastructure and operational improvement.

• Sarah Snowden was recognised as the Rising Star of the Year for her dedication to career development and consistent efforts to grow within the industry. Judges noted her “clear examples of ongoing career development and her progression through constant effort.”

• Sam Kennedy, awarded Team Member of the Year, stood out for her ability to significantly impact the workplace. Judges described her as a “true star member whose contributions make a significant impact.”

• Mark Mekalick, recipient of Team Leader of the Year, was praised as an “outstanding and unselfish leader.” His leadership has led to “significant wins for his team,” demonstrating the profound impact of his guidance.

• NW Group were awarded Supplier of the Year, having demonstrated considerable focus on developing the capability of youth to grow the skill base of the industry.

EVANZ General Manager, Sally-Anne Coates, said these awards are always a testament to the passion, innovation, and hard work of the people and venues who make New Zealand's event industry world-class. 

“We extend our sincere congratulations to all of the nominees and winners for their well-deserved recognition. Working in the events industry is no mean feat - it comes with huge sacrifice and dedication, but also huge reward. 

“We understand the work that goes into each and every event that takes place in New Zealand, and this has been a great time for everybody to come together and celebrate that effort and achievement.”