Over 400 people enjoyed a night of dining at Classic Flyers on Thursday night as they joined with Rotary International President Elect Kalyan Banerjee.

Rotary International President Elect Kalyan Banerjee.

The visit by the top Rotarian is believed to be a first for Tauranga and he was warmly received.

'To get him to New Zealand is huge because he goes all around the world,” says Rotary International director Stuart Heal, who notes, 'The fact that we had over 400 turn up shows the importance of it.”

The Classic Flyers venue proved popular for Rotary International President Elect Kalyan Banerjee, who is reported to have been fascinated by the dining environment with planes hung above.

Stuart is a New Zealander and with only 12 Rotary directors at any given time, to have both him and the President Elect in Tauranga is significant.

'So when we get the president elect to come it's like a double whammy.”

Kalyan was excited to be in New Zealand and says that Rotarian contributions from this country are marked.

'New Zealanders have been providing a lot of support and leadership to Rotary,” says Kalyan, who is from India.

'They have been participating in polio eradication around the world and in Matching Grants – something Rotarians in New Zealand have been very supportive of.”

This is a programme where Rotary groups from different countries band together to make positive changes in different countries.