Nick Sautner: Eden Park CEO responds to mayor Wayne Brown's comments on events funding

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has taken a swing at the Government's $70 million major events fund - while seemingly revealing its spend on bringing Robbie Williams here this year.

Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner says he can't confirm that figure and Wayne Brown's comments are disappointing.

"The mayor - part of his role is to advocate for our city.  Now, I’m not privy to the investment level. What I am privy to is the fact that the Government took a leadership position on getting major events back into the country."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hell duplessy Ali.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Now it's been revealed that the government paid three million
dollars to bring Robbie Williams to New Zealand. He's of
course playing at Eden Park in November. The revelation come
from the came from the Auckland mayor.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
So the government have some slash fund that they got there.
They put three million dollars ahead to have a tattooed
palm come here and sing. We've got lots of tattooed
singers here. Okay, it's not even selling very well.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Nick Sultan is the CEO of Eden Park and with
us high neak, good Eden, Heather, how are you very well?
Thank you? At least you started with the right time
of day. Now, is it true three million dollars?

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Well, I'm not privy to the level of support that
government's put forward for Robbie Williams, but what I would
say is that we welcomed the major event funds, and
even major event funds had a been in possession earlier,
the likelihood of getting Taylor Swift, Oasis or Lady Gaga
would have been much higher. What's your favorite Robbie Williams song?

Speaker 2 (00:56):
I don't know off the top of my head.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
She's the one. Maybe I was thinking, maybe she's the one.
Barry could have pats serenaded you or let me, let
me entertain you. Now this is where I come to
the conclusion. When Tinker was in Auckland, ninety seven percent
of hotel beds were full. We employed three thousand people
at Eden Park. The cafes, restaurants and bars that were

(01:20):
vacant during COVID had the opportunity to sell their wares.
Without an event fund, we wouldn't have had state of origin,
we wouldn't have had the World Surf League chairman chiefs
this weekend in Raglans. So we're not a lot of things.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
It's not arguing against having Robbie. It's the cost of
having Robbie. Now, Robbie at three million dollars, and nobody
has denied this, and I've been told soft confirmation it's true. Right,
Robbie at three million dollars has cost us the same
as Taylor Swift has cost for six concert at Singapore.
We've paid too much.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
What I would say, we're a country of five million.
We've got to be realistic in terms of the competitive
global market. PERSE offered Coldplay five million dollars a show.
And this is the environment that we're competing against the
East Coast of Australia. Auckland is a great city and
we live in a beautiful country. We want to live
in a city where people live, stay, planing, work, but
we also want to get the biggest artists coming to

(02:16):
New Zealand and if that means that we have to
make a contribution. And during the Rugby World Cup the
government investor one hundred and ninety million in Eden Park.
Since then we've seen a billion dollars of economic benefit
for the city. We can't be looking at this as
a subsidy. If we did, you've been aware that the
film industry gets a forty percent tax subsidy. You'd be

(02:36):
also aware that the gaming industry gets substies, Our local
libraries get subsidies. The reality is this is a strategic
investment and when people come, they come as a tourist,
and they come as a ticket old and lead as
a tourist, and we want our people to stay here.
I heard you earlier talking about capital gains tax in Australia.
We want Australians to come here during state of origin

(02:58):
and not just come for the game. We want to
come and experience Queenstown or christ Church or dune Eden
or Wellington, but also seeing what a great country live in.
And so major events deliver far more than just the
day and so I'm really disappointed to hear the Mere's comments.
The mere part of his role is to advocate for

(03:19):
our city. Now, I'm not privy to the investment level.
What I am privy to is the fact the government
took a leadership position on getting major events back into
the country. And if you look at the content that's
come through the Major Event Fund, it is exceptional and
there's still a number of other events to come. Promoters
taking huge risk when they come to a market of

(03:41):
five million of the city at one point eight and
for me, I work on content for up to six
years in advance, and so we're very grateful that the
promoters are backed our venue, our National Stadium, to have
concert content coming later this year. We're looking forward to
announcing further shows for this year and next year, and
what I want to do is make sure that when

(04:02):
they do come, they have a great experience. All right,
So let's hope that Robbie gets an opportunity to meet
Wayne when he's in town.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
That'd be something to see Nick Sulton at Eden Park's CEO.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
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