EVANZ recognises excellence in New Zealand’s venue industry at 2024 awards

December 6, 2024

Entertainment / Sport / Ticketing / Venues /

The Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) has presented it annual awards, honouring its former Chair Keith Parker for his outstanding contribution to the venues industry with his becoming the first recipient of a Life Membership of the Association.

Presented at the end of day two of the EVANZ end-of-year Conference at Auckland’s Eden Park, Parker’s award acknowledged his career as Venues Manager at Waikato Stadium from 1990 to 2010 and his more recent role as Operations Manager at Eden Park from 2010 to 2023 during which time he was seconded as Event Service Manager for the 2021 America's Cup.

He was also Chair of EVANZ from 2017 to 2020.

EVANZ 2024 Award winners:

Ticketmaster Small Venue of the Year (under 1,000 seats)
The Turner Centre

EVANZ Medium Venue of the Year (1,000 to 4,999 seats)
Trafalgar Centre

Tomkins Wake Large Venue of the Year (over 5,000 seats)
Go Media Stadium

Momentus Technologies Rising Star
Sarah Snowden - Northland Event Centre

VITEC Team Member of the Year
Sam Kennedy - Spark Arena

VMA Team Leader of the Year
Mark Mekalick - Nelson Community Venues

Industry Supplier of the Year
NW Group

Commenting on the awards, EVANZ advised “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.”

Images: Eden Park welcomes EVANZ (top) and Keith Parker receives his Life Membership of the Association (below).

29th November 2024 - Auckland’s Eden Park gains consent to stage 12 concerts a year

29th November 2024 - New Zealand’s Ticket Rocket liquidated with debts of almost $10 million

14th November 2024 - Eden Park to host ESI’s first New Zealand Applied Crowd Science course

20th October 2024 - Capacity crowd at Go Media Stadium witness Auckland FC’s winning A-League debut

17th October 2024 - Go Media Stadium artwork celebrates stadium’s legacy

4th October 2024 - EVANZ members back new Ticketing Code of Practice

30th August 2024 - EVANZ invites 2024 Award entries and board nominations

1st March 2024 - Momentus Technologies releases event software for smaller venues

4th December 2023 - Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and Toitoi - Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre welcome EVANZ Awards

30th November 2023 - EVANZ presents 2023 New Zealand entertainment venue awards in Dunedin

8th November 2023 - EVANZ announces board election results

28th September 2023 - EVANZ opens registration for 2023 conference and invites final award entries

5th September 2023 - VMA joins with EVANZ to host After 5! Networking in Christchurch

24th March 2023 - EVANZ backs campaign to stop cuts to Auckland Council’s regional arts and events budget

22nd March 2023 - Momentus Technologies to host the first-ever innovation summit for events and venues

25th August 2020 - Fearing that ‘venues will close’ EVANZ calls for greater consideration of mass gathering restrictions

3rd December 2019 - Nelson City Council welcomes Trafalgar Centre’s EVANZ Award

15th August 2019 - Northland Event Centre secures new naming rights sponsor

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