Waikato Business News December 2016/January 2017

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12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS December 2016/January 2017 Urge Coffee and Tea Boutique hosts a Hamilton Central BA5 Proudly Sponsored By 1. 2. We wanted to do something different for my wife’s birthday. We love our food so the quality of the menu was really important to us. I’ve enjoyed meals from Montana at big functions so I thought I’d ask them to help. They took care of everything – right down to specific dishes we helped create. Stu & Sarah Anderson, Tamahere. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1. Arna Berryman and Chris Heenan, Heartland Bank 2. Michelle Macaskill, Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival; Richard Price, Cecil House and HCBA executive 3. Upananda Paragahawewa, Hamilton City Council; Paul Barlow, Metro by Hoyts 4. Janice Lapwood, University of Waikato; Jackie Runciman, HMS Trust 5. Alicia Platje and Tracy Sou, Precious Metals 6. Vicky Redwood, HCBA; Fiona Platje, Precious Metals 7. Justin Vodane, Anglesea Chiropractic Clinic; Debi Rush, McDonalds 9. Natasha Chevtchenko, Black Obsidian; Brian Milicich. Take the stress out of your next private function and treat your friends and guests to a truly outstanding culinary experience. As the most dynamic catering company in the Waikato, Montana Catering has created and delivered food that delights groups of any size – especially, those you welcome into your home. Montana Catering, Claudelands Service Entry, Gate 6, Brooklyn Road, Hamilton 07 839 3459 | info@montanacatering.co.nz | montanacatering.co.nz
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS December 2016/January 2017 13 Vibrant Garden Place “top priority” for new centre city boss Restoring vibrancy to Garden Place is the first item on the agenda for new Hamilton Central Business Association(HCBA) general manager Vanessa Williams. By GEOFF TAYLOR Vanessa, an experienced marketer with a wealth of international experience, has taken over the role previously occupied by Sandy Turner. She has been in the job just over a month but is already focused on one of HCBA’s major action plans which is revitalising Garden Place, a public space that in recent years Hamilton City Council has constantly tried to energise. “There are many opinions going around about how it can be a better space and better utilised,” says Vanessa. She says it’s too early to talk physical changes and stresses the key is to collaborate with the many other organisations with a stake in the central city, such as surrounding businesses, Waikato Property Council, Waikato Chamber of Commerce and Hamilton & Waikato Tourism. She’s in the process of putting together a working group. “We’ve all got overlapping areas of interest so it’s right that we should all have input.” Her vision for Garden Place includes getting more families into the space and more events. She suggests Garden Place could capitalise better on events at locations such as FMG Stadium Waikato or Claudelands Event New Hamilton Central Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams. Centre as well as the Hamilton Gardens Festival and the National Agricultural Fieldays. She also acknowledges suggestions that more could be made of Garden Place’s “garden” theme and a link with Hamilton Gardens, while more use of public art and sculptures “are also in the mix”. “There are about 22,000 people who come into our city each day and I would love them to have compelling reasons to call into Garden Place.” “It’s the foot traffic that makes a place.” Vanessa is Hamilton born and bred. She attended Waikato Diocesan School for Girls and the University of Waikato before honing her marketing skills in London, Aberdeen and Brunei. In between employment she returned to Hamilton and when the HCBA job was advertised earlier this year she didn’t hesitate to apply for it. “I genuinely passionately am interested in Hamilton city which is the place I’ve always come back to when I’ve returned from overseas. I’ve never thought to go anywhere else, it’s always been Hamilton. “I think there’s just so much the city has to offer and to be a part of helping it grow was such a drawcard for me.” Vanessa says a key attraction for her in the job was a sense of how much is happening in the city already. “We have a newly elected council, HBCA has a new chairman (SkyCity operations manager, Kevin Flynn), a new executive committee and a new general manager. And the CBD is changing with a number of new buildings being constructed. “If you have a look at all the scaffolding around the city centre you really do get that vibe that things are really happening.” Vanessa says if the city can enact plans such as the River Plan and the Central City Transformation Plan it is on the cusp of something great. She’s looking forward to the development of Victoria On The River and other elements of the River Plan. “We have an amazing natural resource. There are a lot of cities that capitalise on that and it’s great to see we are getting ready to do something with the river.” The future or HCBA was questioned at times over the last year with suggestions a more high powered organisation such as a CBD board might be needed to make real inroads. But Vanessa says she has not picked up any of that sentiment in her dealings with the other organisations she works closely with. “I know there have been things said in the past but certainly in the short time I’ve been here none of that has been brought to the table.” Vanessa stresses the need for Hamiltonians to be ambassadors for the city and to try to stay in a positive space. “There are always things that people would like to change. Let’s flip that around and make that an opportunity.” Business Vitality Driving Businesses to Grow and Succeed 2017 Golf Day Presented by Corporate Connections Hole Sponsorship (includes team of four) $555+ gst Hamilton Windscreen LWP.indd 1 Teams of four $355+ gst Individual $97.50+ gst 2/12/10 9:23:50 AM Hamilton Windscreen LWP.indd 1 07 849 2818 Hamilton Windscreen LWP.indd 1 Hamilton Windscreens 712 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton www.hamiltonwindscreen.co.nz info@hamiltonwindscreen.co.nz 30067 2/12/10 9:23:50 AM Friday 17 February 2017 St Andrews Golf Club Welcome 11noon Tee off 12.30pm Prizes to be won 2/12/10 9:23:50 AM Register your team NOW or you will miss out on this sell-out event To find out more please contact help@waikatochamber.co.nz or visit www.waikatochamber.co.nz/events Hamilton Windscreen LWP.indd 1 2/12/10 9:23:50 AM
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Waikato Business News December 2016/January 2017

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