Latest news with #TeMatatini
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
This Year's Te Matatini Biggest Yet
Article – RNZ The festival brought just under $24 million into Taranaki. , Māori issues reporter A new impact evaluation report on this year's Te Matatini shows that the 2025 festival was the biggest to date. The report showed that Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga held in February in Ngāmotu New Plymouth, brought just under $24 million into Taranaki – $3 million less than forecasted but still the highest contribution from a festival to date. Tane Morgan is a director of New Plymouth based Proof & Stock Coffee which had a stall at Te Matatini. Over the festivals five days they sold 100kgs worth of coffee, he said. At WOMAD – the only festival in the region of a comparable size – Proof & Stock might go through 35kgs over three days, he said. Morgan said unlike WOMAD or a concert Te Matatini had a 'peaceful flow about it'. 'The fact that no one was drinking and it had like this unique flow about it, everybody was taking their time there was a lot of courtesy… you could just feel it.' Morgan said the festival certainly had an impact of the local economy in Taranaki – especially for hotels and camp grounds – but the impact was relative to what you were selling. Cafe's and restaurants in the city center might not have seen the same return on their investment, he said. 'I don't think that the cafe's really benefited from it, but if you were at Te Matatini and you were a vendor or stall holder you would have seen good margins, that's the consensus that the town was kind of saying. 'A lot of the businesses here were ready for the influx but they didn't quite see a return on their investment in terms of people out wining and dining.' As well as their stall at Te Matatini Proof & Stock also has a coffee shop in New Plymouth, which Morgan said was quieter than during the festival. But Morgan said his team had an amazing time at the festival. His staff included included some local students learning on the job. 'They walked out with a pocket full of cash and all this confidence they can use into the future,' he said. Hāwera-based Kiri Erb owns and operates Tika Cafe and Catering and worked providing kai for the festival and for the competitors who were based out of Hāwera. She told RNZ being awarded a kai stall was both a privilege and a challenge. The scale of the event meant she had to boost the her staffing numbers from 32 to 50 so the business could accommodate the masses at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth and the restaurant in Hāwera. Erb said it was an experience her and the team will never forget. 'This is an experience that will live in memory banks forever. We've taken videos of us working during that week, we had rōpu that would come in and they would perform for us… and we'd go back an look at those. Our hearts still really sing.' 'We all just feel incredibly lucky.' Erb said. Te Matatini chief executive Carl Ross said the iwi of Taranaki had done a fantastic job catering for a growing festival. 'The Matatini brand internationally has just got so big now, [its] becoming an economic powerhouse for our country, how do we actually utilise what we have now to be able to provide the Matatini festival in the best condition that we can do.' There has also been an increased interest in kapa haka among non-Māori, 44 percent of attendees in 2025 were Pākehā up from an average of 27 percent over the last decade of festivals. Ross said over the years he has noticed more and more people from diverse communities wanting to share the Matatini experience. Of the $24m brought into the region more than $2m came from teams traveling to Taranaki to compete and another $17.4m was spent by their supporters. It's getting more and more expensive to send a team to Te Matatini and some regions don't have that kind of money to spend, Ross said. 'We could have up to $160,000 to move a single team into a rohe and that's with just three supporters per kaihaka (performer).' Te Matatini now is looking to the future and ensure the festival can be enjoyed by everybody, he said. 'Te Matatini and our Board are still in discussion's on how we can also ensure that we can meet the needs of our smaller rohe, because that's a question that was burning straight after the festival. Did we have our infrastructure in place to be able to try and do this in the next two years?' Te Matatini announced in May that the next festival in 2027 would not be hosted in Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui/Nelson as had been expected and that they were looking for expressions of interest to host. Ross was hopeful that there will be an update on where Te Matatini goes next by the end of June. '[Te Matatini] supports the economy, the local economy and that's what is really cool about being able to travel to different rohe, being able to do that it's getting harder at the moment for sponsorships, we only got half the sponsorship that we usually get and it goes to show the economic environment [we're] currently working in, so I know it's hard out there and it's hard for our people.'
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
This Year's Te Matatini Biggest Yet
A new impact evaluation report on this year's Te Matatini shows that the 2025 festival was the biggest to date. The report showed that Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga held in February in Ngāmotu New Plymouth, brought just under $24 million into Taranaki - $3 million less than forecasted but still the highest contribution from a festival to date. Tane Morgan is a director of New Plymouth based Proof & Stock Coffee which had a stall at Te Matatini. Over the festivals five days they sold 100kgs worth of coffee, he said. At WOMAD - the only festival in the region of a comparable size - Proof & Stock might go through 35kgs over three days, he said. Morgan said unlike WOMAD or a concert Te Matatini had a "peaceful flow about it". "The fact that no one was drinking and it had like this unique flow about it, everybody was taking their time there was a lot of courtesy... you could just feel it." Morgan said the festival certainly had an impact of the local economy in Taranaki - especially for hotels and camp grounds - but the impact was relative to what you were selling. Cafe's and restaurants in the city center might not have seen the same return on their investment, he said. "I don't think that the cafe's really benefited from it, but if you were at Te Matatini and you were a vendor or stall holder you would have seen good margins, that's the consensus that the town was kind of saying. "A lot of the businesses here were ready for the influx but they didn't quite see a return on their investment in terms of people out wining and dining." As well as their stall at Te Matatini Proof & Stock also has a coffee shop in New Plymouth, which Morgan said was quieter than during the festival. But Morgan said his team had an amazing time at the festival. His staff included included some local students learning on the job. "They walked out with a pocket full of cash and all this confidence they can use into the future," he said. Hāwera-based Kiri Erb owns and operates Tika Cafe and Catering and worked providing kai for the festival and for the competitors who were based out of Hāwera. She told RNZ being awarded a kai stall was both a privilege and a challenge. The scale of the event meant she had to boost the her staffing numbers from 32 to 50 so the business could accommodate the masses at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth and the restaurant in Hāwera. Erb said it was an experience her and the team will never forget. "This is an experience that will live in memory banks forever. We've taken videos of us working during that week, we had rōpu that would come in and they would perform for us... and we'd go back an look at those. Our hearts still really sing." "We all just feel incredibly lucky." Erb said. Te Matatini chief executive Carl Ross said the iwi of Taranaki had done a fantastic job catering for a growing festival. "The Matatini brand internationally has just got so big now, [its] becoming an economic powerhouse for our country, how do we actually utilise what we have now to be able to provide the Matatini festival in the best condition that we can do." There has also been an increased interest in kapa haka among non-Māori, 44 percent of attendees in 2025 were Pākehā up from an average of 27 percent over the last decade of festivals. Ross said over the years he has noticed more and more people from diverse communities wanting to share the Matatini experience. Of the $24m brought into the region more than $2m came from teams traveling to Taranaki to compete and another $17.4m was spent by their supporters. It's getting more and more expensive to send a team to Te Matatini and some regions don't have that kind of money to spend, Ross said. "We could have up to $160,000 to move a single team into a rohe and that's with just three supporters per kaihaka (performer)." Te Matatini now is looking to the future and ensure the festival can be enjoyed by everybody, he said. "Te Matatini and our Board are still in discussion's on how we can also ensure that we can meet the needs of our smaller rohe, because that's a question that was burning straight after the festival. Did we have our infrastructure in place to be able to try and do this in the next two years?" Te Matatini announced in May that the next festival in 2027 would not be hosted in Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui/Nelson as had been expected and that they were looking for expressions of interest to host. Ross was hopeful that there will be an update on where Te Matatini goes next by the end of June. "[Te Matatini] supports the economy, the local economy and that's what is really cool about being able to travel to different rohe, being able to do that it's getting harder at the moment for sponsorships, we only got half the sponsorship that we usually get and it goes to show the economic environment [we're] currently working in, so I know it's hard out there and it's hard for our people."
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
This year's Te Matatini biggest yet
Photo: Te Matatini Enterprises A new impact evaluation report on this year's Te Matatini shows that the 2025 festival was the biggest to date. The report showed that Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga held in February in Ngāmotu New Plymouth, brought just under $24 million into Taranaki - $3 million less than forecasted but still the highest contribution from a festival to date. Tane Morgan is a director of New Plymouth based Proof & Stock Coffee which had a stall at Te Matatini. Over the festivals five days they sold 100kgs worth of coffee, he said. At WOMAD - the only festival in the region of a comparable size - Proof & Stock might go through 35kgs over three days, he said. Morgan said unlike WOMAD or a concert Te Matatini had a "peaceful flow about it". "The fact that no one was drinking and it had like this unique flow about it, everybody was taking their time there was a lot of courtesy... you could just feel it." Morgan said the festival certainly had an impact of the local economy in Taranaki - especially for hotels and camp grounds - but the impact was relative to what you were selling. Cafe's and restaurants in the city center might not have seen the same return on their investment, he said. "I don't think that the cafe's really benefited from it, but if you were at Te Matatini and you were a vendor or stall holder you would have seen good margins, that's the consensus that the town was kind of saying. "A lot of the businesses here were ready for the influx but they didn't quite see a return on their investment in terms of people out wining and dining." As well as their stall at Te Matatini Proof & Stock also has a coffee shop in New Plymouth, which Morgan said was quieter than during the festival. But Morgan said his team had an amazing time at the festival. His staff included included some local students learning on the job. "They walked out with a pocket full of cash and all this confidence they can use into the future," he said. Kiri Erb said this catering gig is the biggest undertaking of her career. Photo: RNZ / Emma Andrews Hāwera-based Kiri Erb owns and operates Tika Cafe and Catering and worked providing kai for the festival and for the competitors who were based out of Hāwera. She told RNZ being awarded a kai stall was both a privilege and a challenge. The scale of the event meant she had to boost the her staffing numbers from 32 to 50 so the business could accommodate the masses at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth and the restaurant in Hāwera. Erb said it was an experience her and the team will never forget. "This is an experience that will live in memory banks forever. We've taken videos of us working during that week, we had rōpu that would come in and they would perform for us... and we'd go back an look at those. Our hearts still really sing." "We all just feel incredibly lucky." Erb said. Te Matatini chief executive Carl Ross said the iwi of Taranaki had done a fantastic job catering for a growing festival. "The Matatini brand internationally has just got so big now, [its] becoming an economic powerhouse for our country, how do we actually utilise what we have now to be able to provide the Matatini festival in the best condition that we can do." There has also been an increased interest in kapa haka among non-Māori, 44 percent of attendees in 2025 were Pākehā up from an average of 27 percent over the last decade of festivals. Ross said over the years he has noticed more and more people from diverse communities wanting to share the Matatini experience. Of the $24m brought into the region more than $2m came from teams traveling to Taranaki to compete and another $17.4m was spent by their supporters. It's getting more and more expensive to send a team to Te Matatini and some regions don't have that kind of money to spend, Ross said. "We could have up to $160,000 to move a single team into a rohe and that's with just three supporters per kaihaka (performer)." Te Matatini now is looking to the future and ensure the festival can be enjoyed by everybody, he said. "Te Matatini and our Board are still in discussion's on how we can also ensure that we can meet the needs of our smaller rohe, because that's a question that was burning straight after the festival. Did we have our infrastructure in place to be able to try and do this in the next two years?" Te Matatini announced in May that the next festival in 2027 would not be hosted in Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui/Nelson as had been expected and that they were looking for expressions of interest to host. Ross was hopeful that there will be an update on where Te Matatini goes next by the end of June. "[Te Matatini] supports the economy, the local economy and that's what is really cool about being able to travel to different rohe, being able to do that it's getting harder at the moment for sponsorships, we only got half the sponsorship that we usually get and it goes to show the economic environment [we're] currently working in, so I know it's hard out there and it's hard for our people."
Scoop
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Pushing The Boundaries Of Creativity In Kapa Haka
When new rōpū Kōkō Tangiwai stormed to the front of the Waitaha region kapa haka competitions in 2024 they pushed the boundaries of creativity and innovation to take out the top spot and earn their place at Te Matatini 2025. Kapa haka is a vital expression of Māori identity, history, and culture. It has been passed down through generations and has evolved into a dynamic art form. Originating from traditional mōteatea, haka, mau rākau, and poi, kapa haka has spiritual significance. Today, it thrives as both a cultural tradition and a modern artistic discipline, showcased in events like Te Matatini. Contemporary performers and composers are finding new ways to showcase kapa haka by integrating elements of theatre, modern music, and digital technology. Kapa Haka leader Junior Tana and his wife Kerrie-Anna formed Kōkō Tangiwai early in 2024 in response to the relatively small number of teams entering the Waitaha regional competition at the time. Junior says that kapa haka presents the perfect platform for developing an understanding of te reo Māori because all items performed are in te reo Māori. "We are definitely focused on ensuring that performers know what they're singing about and, therefore, know how to portray the ideas and concepts within the compositions. "The whole way we practice, and train together is like a kaupapa Māori framework. We karakia at the beginning of practices, we do whanaungatanga, and we allow our tamariki and rangatahi to be with us. We also spend time discussing different Māori concepts that are affecting us as a people at any given time. So yeah, there are lots of examples of where we can integrate te ao Māori into our practices and performances," says Junior. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading Kōkō Tangiwai has over 70 people engaged in its kaupapa, including performers and the people who support the team with resourcing, cooking, teaching, and making the uniforms. Junior says there is a big whānau involved that embodies both unity and inclusiveness. "Those relationships become really strong and tight. "We have an open-door policy - anybody who's interested in learning or developing is welcome to come and at least see whether they like us or not." Kapa haka is vital for preserving and reviving tikanga Māori, language, and traditions. It also fosters a sense of identity and ensures that tikanga Māori is passed down to future generations. Kōkō Tangiwai performer Rangimarie Pomare was inspired to join the rōpū after watching her older siblings doing kapa haka. "The benefits of kapa haka, personally for me, is doing it with my family and my friends. Not a lot of people experience that in te ao Māori, so doing it with my older sister was such a pleasure. I've always grown up watching my older siblings doing kapa haka, so when it was my turn to get on the stage and doing it with her was very special to me." Rangimarie says she is also doing it for her people. "I know a lot of taiohi Māori are not confident in themselves when it comes to kapa haka. I'm just here as, like, a role model, you know, to say, like, you can do it. If you put in the work, you can get it done. People find it intimidating because they think it's a hard job to do. But if you practice, I think you could get it done easily." Junior says that one barrier to participation can be the financial pressures on individuals and whānau to engage in kapa haka. "One of our goals is to keep it accessible to all parts of the community - adults, rangatahi, and their families and children." Rātā Foundation has supported Kōkō Tangiwai through its Participate funding priority, enabling a deeper understanding of tikanga Māori in arts, heritage, and traditional tākaro. Chief Executive Leighton Evans says, "Kapa haka is vital in fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing cultural identity. It strengthens relationships within whānau, hapori, iwi, and hapū, deepening connections to te ao Māori, tikanga, and te reo Māori." Junior says they have been fortunate to receive funding from Rātā. This means they do not have to charge kaihaka for uniforms or resources. "Kākahu in this game are in the thousands - some of our piupiu can cost between $800 and $1600 apiece. So, receiving funding helps the group look professional and present well on the stage. It also supports the performers interested in mastering this art to make the kaupapa more accessible." Performers put in hours of practice and learning - without guarantee of securing a final spot in the Te Matatini team. Junior says commitment and loyalty are probably the two currencies within kapa haka. "Those who want to make the stage must put in the hours. You know, you've just got to rack up the hours. But it is achievable. It's like any sport - you can learn a skill, you can master the skill, and then you'll be the first pick." It was the first time for many of the team performing at an event like Te Matatini. Junior says the experience was awe-inspiring and inspirational. To find out more, watch the Faces of Funding: Kōkō Tangiwai video. Rātā Foundation is the South Island's most significant community investment fund, managing a pūtea (fund) of around $700 million. This enables Rātā to invest around $25 million per annum into its funding regions of Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough and the Chatham Islands. Since its inception in 1988, Rātā has invested over $550 million through community investment programmes to empower people to thrive.
National Business Review
15-05-2025
- Business
- National Business Review
Quick Takes of the Week to May 16
Monday May 12 Summerset launches $100m bond offer Retirement village provider Summerset is launching a $100m bond offer for retail and institutional investors to roll over existing debt. The bonds will mature in May 2031 and the interest rate will be the sum of the issue margin plus the base rate but, in any case, would be no less than 5.35%. Both the issue margin and the interest rate would be completed via bookbuild process and the bonds would be quoted on the debt market on May 26. Summerset has the ability to accept a further $50m in over-subscriptions. Today's announcement comes after Summerset said last week it was considering a six-year, fixed-rate bond offer to repay a portion of existing drawn bank debt. The company would then use bank debt to fund the repayment of Summerset's $125m bonds that mature in September. Summerset has four retail bonds totalling $575m on issue. The joint leader managers for the offer are ANZ Bank, CBA Bank, Craigs Investment Partners, and Forsyth Barr. Te Matatini outgrows Nelson; 2027 event scrapped for larger host Te Matatini, New Zealand's premier kapa haka festival, will no longer be hosted by Te Tauihu (Nelson-Marlborough) in 2027, as organisers say the event has become too large for smaller regions. Despite significant preparation, the festival's rapid growth in scale and attendance raised serious concerns about Te Tauihu's capacity in terms of accommodation, transport, and logistics. Te Matatini will now seek expressions of interest from larger regions better equipped to handle its expanding audience and infrastructure needs. Te Tauihu leaders expressed disappointment but acknowledged the logistical realities. It's estimated the cultural festival injected $22 million into the Auckland economy in 2023, and more than $25m into New Plymouth for this year's event. Tuesday May 13 Graham McKenzie to re-stand for MCK board Millennium Copthorne Queenstown. Graham McKenzie – a long-serving director of NZX-listed Millennium & Copthorne – will stand for re-election to its board. McKenzie, a former partner to law firm Bell Gully, was part of the independent directors' committee leading the response to the hotel group's recent takeover offer by major shareholder CDL Hotels Holdings. He'd indicated he wouldn't be standing for re-election but, on the strength of a request by a minority shareholder, McKenzie's re-election has been included in the notice of meeting. A former director of CDL, he has been a fixture of the MCK board since 2006. The company's annual meeting is scheduled to take place in Auckland on May 30. Wednesday May 14 Vector mulls sale of fibre business Electricity distributor Vector has signalled the possible sale of its fibre network business, with Australian investment bank Barrenjoey hired to help with a strategic review. In a brief statement to the NZX, Vector said the fibre business 'builds and manages data network solutions for businesses predominantly in Auckland, including major businesses, government entities and some leading channel partners'. There was no certainty a transaction would eventuate, it said. Vector has had a telecommunications operation since acquiring UnitedNetworks in 2002 and was a bidder for the Government's ultrafast broadband rollout in 2011 but lost out to the deal creating Telecom spin-off Chorus. The financial performance of Vector's fibre business is included in its accounts as part of 'other' revenue, which was $66.2 million in the year to June 2024, out of total revenue of $1.14 billion. David Smol. Government sets date for replacement of Crown Research Institutes Three new Public Research Organisations (PROs) being created under a major reform of the science sector will become operational on July 1. Barry Harris will chair the Bioeconomy Science Institute, while David Smol will chair the New Zealand Institute for Earth Science. The Institute of Environmental Science and Research will retain its existing governance as it transitions to the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science. Former Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has been appointed CEO of ESR until the end of 2026. All three organisations will remain Crown Research Institutes until legislation enables their transition to PROs in mid-2026. No date has yet been set for starting the new Advanced Technology PRO, although last week's $71m allocation from existing funding for a new science platform hosted by the Robinson Research Institute was hailed as the first step towards it. Foley Wines harvest up 35% NZX-listed Wine and liquor business, Foley Wine, has reported a 35% lift in its grape harvest. The company behind brands such as Mt Difficulty, Roaring Meg, Clifford Bay reported more than 8,600 tonnes of grapes were harvested across vineyards in Marlborough, Martinborough, and Central Otago. That was up from 6,404 tonnes of grapes picked in 2024. In Marlborough, Foley Wines reported its largest harvest on record, totalling more than 6,800 tonnes. However, disruptive weather and frost negatively impacted yields in Otago. Foley Wines chief executive Mark Turnbull stepped down at the end of April after 13 years in the role. He was replaced by Mike Higgins on an interim basis. Consumers reluctant to splurge in current economic environment Consumer spending using electronic cards was flat in April, according to data from Statistics NZ today. Retail spending using credit, debit, and charge cards was unchanged last month, compared with March. Spending in 'core' retail industries increased just 0.2%. Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod said some of the softness in spending was because of falls in petrol prices. Spending on groceries continued to rise, while spending on durables, such as household furnishings, along with the hospitality sector, had been flat in recent months. 'Today's soft result reinforces the picture of subdued domestic demand in the early part of the year,' Ranchhod said. 'We expect this picture will start to turn around over the coming months.' He said further interest rate cuts would help, but there were 'powerful headwinds', such as the cost of living and a soft labour market. 'Putting that all together, retail spending is likely to remain slow in the near term." Auckland Airport immigration area. Annual net migration gain continues to trail previous years New Zealand's annual net migration continues to dwarf previous years, according to Statistics NZ data released today. Overall, there was an annual net migration gain of 26,400 in the year ended March, well down from a gain of 100,400 the previous year. International migration statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake said the fall was mainly driven by fewer migrant arrivals, although departures rose to a provisional annual record. On a monthly basis, there was a net gain of 2300 in March, compared with a net gain of 3500 in March last year. From a travel perspective, Stats NZ said New Zealand residents arrived back from more than three million short-term overseas trips of less than 12 months. Drake said the increase was mainly driven by more trips to Australia, as well as Indonesia, China, and Japan. Meanwhile, overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand were 3.32 million over the year, up 137,000 from the previous year. Thursday May 15 TradeWindow revenue up 30%, gives FY26 forecast despite trade war Trade Window Holdings is set to declare annual trading revenue of $8 million when it reports its FY25 results on May 29, and has given guidance for the following FY26 year of between $10m to $11m. The NZX-listed trade software company noted the unaudited FY25 revenue figure would be a 30% rise on the $6.2m it reported in FY24. It had guided it would reach revenue of between $7.3m and $8.3m in FY25. It said drivers of growth included its expansion in Australia, a 38% rise in annual recurring revenue – having reached earnings break-even in March this year – and its ability to cross-sell to existing customers. The company said it expected ongoing global trade disruptions would "accelerate the adoption of digital solutions among shippers and freight forwarders, as these businesses seek to reduce backend costs and navigate increasingly complex compliance requirements". Michael Fielding. AUT spin-out Dot Ingredients raises funding for novel surfactant Auckland-based Dot Ingredients has raised $350,000 in a round led by Motion Capital and including AUT Innovation Fund and Climate Venture Capital Fund. The AUT spin-out is based on research by AUT Associate Professor Dr Jack Chen and Dr Andres Tiban into Celluspheres technology – an innovative surfactant derived sustainably from wood pulp cellulose. Surfactants are a component of thousands of everyday products such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals with a global market valued at $85m annually, but more than 95% come from petrochemicals and palm oil. Dot Ingredients CEO Dr Michael Fielding said the investment allows the startup to protect its IP and strengthen industry partnerships ahead of a seed round later this year. Dot Ingredients has already had substantial backing from various sources. Motion Capital partner Ralph Chang said the economics were compelling, with the technology having the potential to scale across multiple industries. "We see a strong pathway to global impact." SFO unveils foreign bribery reporting platform and ad campaign The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a national campaign targeting foreign bribery, to raise awareness and to encourage reporting. It includes a new online platform to support safe, anonymous reporting of suspected foreign bribery. The practice benefited corrupt people over honest businesses, the SFO said, noting it could take many forms, including a New Zealand company paying a foreign official for market access, a bribe from an overseas company to a public official here, or kickbacks to a private sector employee by a foreign company. The new platform will provide an encrypted channel for whistleblowers to report foreign bribery to SFO investigators. It uses the WhistleB platform provided by Navex, and was configured to "meet the highest possible settings for privacy and data security", the SFO said. All reports would be received by trained staff, and all interactions with case handlers remained encrypted, with data being stored in EU-based data centres.
