Brent Eccles: Eccles Entertainment Founder discusses what the event funding boost means for tourism

Excitement over the Government's change in event funding, with its newly announced $70million tourism package. 

It includes $40million to secure large-scale international events from next year and a ten-million-dollar fund to support existing events. 

Eccles Entertainment Founder Brent Eccles [eck ils] says the main change is now concerts can access major event funding, which will have a huge impact. 

He says in the next three months, new shows will start to be announced, reflecting the success of the fund. 

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So what does seventy million dollars get you? In the
tourism and events game. The ankst is driven out of
people like Taylor Swift, of course bypassing the country. But
does money actually fix that? Forty of the seventy million
is for headliners and large scale events. Brent eccles is,
of course, the founder of Eckles Entertainment back with us.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, Hey you going.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
I'm getting a lot of feedback this morning from I
suspect people who don't quite understand this equation. When a
government hands out seventy million dollars, who gets it? And
what's it by?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, Jenery's it's just to phrase the cost of large
shows coming to New zero. So I guess in a
sense the artist, the artist benefits from it. The promoter
doesn't it really, But it's the color of things like
the fact that our dollar is weak against the US dollar.
Most deals have done in US dollars. That you know,

(00:48):
freight costs have gone through the roof, production costs and
stage in such like that has stopped these shows coming
to New zero over the last few years.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
What about the basic economic imperative? I'm the manager of
Taylor Swift or Billie Eilish or Cold Play or The
Rolling Stones. I look at Eden Parker go I can
pack that place three times over for three nights. I'm
going to hire it. I'm going to make a shed
load of money. Does it not work that way?

Speaker 2 (01:12):
In the case of Taylor Swift that everyone talks about,
that was never going to come to New Zealand. It
only went to Marlote and Sydney didn't do Brisbe, Adelaide
or Perth. It was because of the size of the
show that the cost and sitting up was enormous. It
would not have worked at Eden park So but there
are many many other artists who I think you'll find
you with this fund. In the next three months or so,

(01:34):
we'll read more announcements for next summer, which as long
as these things take, but that will happen.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
But you're telling me that, so go below Taylor Swift.
You're telling me a Luke Colms who did come here
and sold that. I think it was seventy thousand tickets
or whatever it was. They're not making money on that.
There must be money to be made on that. Therefore,
why do we need government money?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Or he did come yeah he can, so that that
equation worked for him, but are artists that their production
requirements are such that that doesn't work and you know,
we can go, you can put put our head in
the sand and go, oh, you know, don't come anyway. Well,
they're what they won't and they're not unfortunately, so we're
getting some but not all. I think the government's recognized it.

(02:15):
It's so good for the psyche of New Zealand they
have these shows come. Plus all the associated businesses profit
from it too. That's good for everybody.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
So it's a tea below Taylor Swift, but it's it's
there are acts clearly out there that that are what
too big and they don't you know, we don't have
the facilities, or they need a backhand, or I just
I honestly don't understand. It's a sub It's a subsidy,
isn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, in a way it is, but it's the cost
of getting to New Zealand and putting on that show
in New Zealand. There are lots of reasons why. But
you know, there are a number of artists that are
coming through. Well. A good example, I think, well the
ac DC who's playing in Australia. I think in November
they should have come here and I suspect that's the costing.
But anyway, there's a whole lot of new artists that
are coming through now that are playing stadiums, not arenas,

(03:03):
not Spark Arena, but Edington Park or Western Springs will
go media type venue. They're starting to come through now
and we need to make sure that we get them
to New Zerom. Not only that, we're going to have
two great markets now. Cristest is coming on very very soon.
That's a covered stadium that's going to change the landscape
as well. So I think it's a smart thing for
the government to do, all.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Right, Brent appreciate it. Brent Echols, season campaigner in the
entertainment space, of course. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks there'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.