The REPF is open to Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) and councils representing regions in New Zealand that do not have an RTO.

The following RTOs in the gateway regions are not eligible:

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism

WellingtonNZ

ChristchurchNZ

Destination Queenstown

The criteria are:

Funding is for event promotion costs only

Events can be either new or established, recurring events (the event must be able to measure return on investment where possible)

Events must be ticketed/paid or registration events

Events must not occur in the period 25 December to 7 January.

Applicants must co-fund at least 50% of promotion costs with some flexibility for financially constrained RTOs/councils

Up to 50% co-funding from the REPF may be available up to a maximum of $237,500 per round

In-kind contributions are not permitted

REPF funding should not be used to substitute existing promotional budget but to enhance the amount available for promotional purposes.

The REPF will not provide funding for:

Events which occur in gateway regions administered by the following RTOs:

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism

WellingtonNZ

ChristchurchNZ

Destination Queenstown Events

Events which are also receiving (within this Round One funding period) other central government funding including:

Major Events Fund or Creative and Cultural Events Incubator

Ministry for Culture & Heritage

Regional Events Fund

Free events that do not drive out-of-region visitation e.g. annual Santa Parades, community farmers markets

Events that take place in the New Year summer period (25 December to 7 January).

Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) and councils representing regions that do not have an RTO (Note: There are five RTOs not eligible to apply for funding and therefore events in those regions are excluded).

Co-funding can be either existing or planned spend. Favourable consideration will be given if the organiser and/or RTO propose to invest additional promotional funding.

Depending on the amount approved, the fund will be paid upon signing an REPF funding agreement. A portion may be retained and released upon receipt of the post-event report.

All funding will go through the RTO. If the event is to be run by an event organiser, the RTO will be required to enter into a third-party agreement with the event organiser, to pass on the funding.

If funding has already been spent, reimbursement will not be sought

Yes, proposed events between 1 July 2024, and 30 June 2025, may be approved in principle pending confirmation. The funding will be paid once the event is confirmed and a REPF funding agreement has been signed.

A report on total attendees, sales figures, and an assessment of additional attendees resulting from the funding.

There are no specific KPIs

The RTO decides whether they will use the funding to promote the event(s) or enter into an agreement with the event organiser(s) to pass on the funding. We are open to discussing modest administrative costs if the RTO is promoting the event, but a clear explanation of the rationale will be necessary

A copy of the event’s promotion budget is required as per the application form

The below tips are kindly provided by NZEA media partner New Zealand Media & Entertainment (NZME) to help guide the development of your marketing plan. If you’d like to talk further with NZME to understand their services and broad range of media channels, and seek their no-obligation help in crafting your media plan, they’d love to hear from you. Contact Emily Travers at emily.travers@nzme.co.nz.

There are many components to consider when developing a marketing plan; here are some key considerations:

WHAT – is your event going to do for your attendees? Are you delivering an immersive experience, an opportunity to upskill/be educated, or a chance to be entertained and relax with friends. Whatever your event is about, be clear on what it is you are providing to your target audience, and what your Unique Selling Point (USP) is. This will form your key messages.

WHAT – are the goals of your marketing campaign? Clearly define what you are aiming to achieve – is it ticket sales, event awareness, lead generation, a combination of or something else? Your goals will guide your campaign strategy.

WHO – is your target audience? Who are you appealing to and wanting to attend; you could have just one or multiple target audiences. Consider demographics (age, gender, region, life stage etc) as well as psychographics (interests, behaviours, preferences). Knowing your audience helps to tailor your marketing message(s).

WHERE and WHEN – will you connect with your target audience? What are they doing in their day-to-day life, what types of media are they consuming and on what platforms/channels; and when is the best time to connect with them? Are they driving to work, consuming news or specific content, on the bus, scrolling social media, doing school drop off/pick up, or at another event. Knowing where your target audience ‘is’ allows you to focus your marketing efforts and budget. Most likely a mix of channels will be needed to ensure maximum reach.

HOT TIP – video is a great way to show your target audience what your event is all about and evoke FOMO! Create different versions and different lengths to fit with the various digital media placements, and always include your key messages and a call to action. Remember, if your event is new, there’s plenty of stock imagery and creative ways to produce a short video that visually describes what your target audience can expect to experience… (and yes, NZME can help with video production too!).

No, the focus is on domestic promotion.

All RTOs and eligible councils have been sent a copy of the application. If you have not

received the application form, please email: regionalevents@mbie.govt.nz.

In the post-event report, recipients will be required to provide the number of additional attendees, and what impact the additional promotional funding has had.

And demonstrating increased economic gain through increased attendance is key in applications.

One of the measures will be attracting increased attendees compared to recent events, if it is a recurring event.

The focus of the fund is to increase economic gains through increased attendance (where attendees pay to attend as this will provide a tangible measure of impact). Events with free attendance are not in scope of this fund.

One application for each event.

No minimum amount. NOTE: There is a maximum of $237,500 per RTO per round.

Demonstrating increased economic gain through increased attendance is key in applications