Today marks 100 days in the countdown to the one of the Barfoot & Thompson ITU World Triathlon Grand Final 2012, one of the biggest international sporting events to come to New Zealand.
Key delivery stakeholders will gather at event headquarters on the Auckland waterfront to mark the occasion and to gather themselves for the push into the 'home straight' for an event that will welcome thousands of international visitors to New Zealand and showcase the event and city to a global audience in the millions.
CEO of the Barfoot & Thompson ITU World Triathlon Grand Final 2012 Dave Beeche spoke of the coming together of a variety of agencies and stakeholders on a massive project.
"Hosting this sort of an event in a city such as Auckland is no easy task; there are many different stakeholder groups who will contribute to the successful hosting of a truly global world championship event and we are determined to make this the best World Championship the sport has seen.
"Triathlon New Zealand is the 'host' of the event if you like, but it is only through the extensive support and goodwill of ATEED, Auckland Transport, Ports of Auckland, Waterfront Auckland, Major Events New Zealand, Tourism New Zealand, Sport NZ and the support of our commercial partners such as Barfoot & Thompson that we can successfully bring something of this scale alive on the Auckland waterfront.
"Last year's hosting of an ITU World Cup was something of a dress rehearsal and its success proved that Auckland is indeed a vibrant city that welcomes events of this scale, creating an exciting place in which to live and do business in."
Recommendations and feedback from the 2011 event have been incorporated into the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in October, according to Jennah Wootten, Acting General Manager – Destination, ATEED.
'We are very aware of the need to ensure all stakeholders are clear on the impacts and opportunities that an event of this size provides Auckland. The 2011 event re-ignited the waterfront after the World Cup and strongly reinforced Auckland's ability to host world class events in the heart of Auckland, profiling the city internationally and returning significant economic benefit to the region," says Ms Wootten.
The event is a festival of triathlon, beginning with a Weet Bix Kids TRYathlon at St Heliers on Sunday 14th October, culminating in the World Age Group Championships on Monday 22nd October with the ITU Congress wrapping things up on the Tuesday as the powerbrokers of the sport from around the world get together in Auckland to shape the future of the sport.
Beeche said planning is on target, with communication to affected parties high on the list of priorities at the moment.
"Logistically, delivering a full week of events is a huge exercise and one that relies on the cooperation of many agencies and organisations, not to mention the hundreds of volunteers we will utilise throughout the event itself. A big focus for our team and our partners is communicating to all stakeholders, including residents and businesses in affected areas.
Confirmed course maps and event information can be found at www.triauckland.co.nz.
