Sponsor named for Garden & Art Festival

Marc Anderson and Allison Stewart adding the Bayleys logo.

Planning is well under way for this year's BOP Garden and Art Festival, with a new festival hub and principal sponsor just announced.

Festival director Marc Anderson announced Bayleys Real Estate has come on board as platinum sponsor and principal event partner.

The festival hub – which has been at The Lakes for the past few festivals - will this year be at Tauranga's Historic Village. The festival office will also be at The Village.

The festival will be held from Thursday November 15 to Sunday November 18 inclusive, and during that time the festival site will be called Bloom in the Bay.

Marc says for the festival to be aligned with a company of Bayley's calibre is fantastic.

Bayleys Bay of Plenty/Waikato sponsorship manager Allison Stewart says it is a natural fit for the premier real estate company to partner with this 'wonderful and inspiring event” that showcases the very best the district has to offer in terms of settings – beautiful gardens, and art too.

'So many wonderful people volunteer their time and talents and it is a privilege to be on board,” she says.

Marc says The Historic Village ticks many boxes when it comes to a festival hub site.

'It has the space and facilities to complement the festival and will enable us to really showcase the event. The management and village residents have been very accommodating. There is so much going on at The Village and we are looking forward to working with everyone there,” he says.

Artists and concept gardens, for example, will be at the hub. And, there will be a music component to the festival too.

'Anyone can come to the site and soak up the creative atmosphere. The site will be a place where everyone – including families with young children - can enjoy great entertainment, tasty food and beverages, exhibitions, workshops and displays,” Marc says.

The village features interesting and versatile event spaces – both indoor and out – that the festival will utilise. Food and beverage stalls, performance and show case areas, and concept gardens will all add to the colour, excitement, and wide-spread appeal, Marc enthuses.

The Historic Village Team Leader Blair Graham says it is a great opportunity for the village to be involved in such a 'spectacular” event. He looks forward to showcasing the wonders of the village.

'We have been busy working towards creating a fit-for-purpose, vibrant and sustainable community destination, capable of hosting an array of events. It is rewarding to see that the work we are putting in to make the village an appealing community hub is also enabling us to attract unique and successful events like the festival,” Blair says.

Furthermore, The Kollective Community Hub will be finished just before the festival begins. This co-work space, specifically designed for use by the social and community service sector, is being constructed at the village.

'We are particularly looking forward to the event utilising the revitalised village green and the adjacent event stage for the first time,” Blair says.

It will be Marc's first time as director of the festival. He says artists' talent, and the 'passion, creativity and dedication” of the gardeners involved is incredible. All will be on display on the garden and art trail or at the hub.

'The 2018 festival team will be building on the wonderful legacy that many dedicated people before us have created. We will continue to develop the festival, so it maintains and enhances its nation-wide appeal. We wish to sincerely thank our artists for their participation – and of course our gardeners both past and present for welcoming our visitors to their gardens.”

He says having the festival office on the site will be an added advantage. It will operate as a ticket distribution and information centre as well.

'We will operate from there on an ongoing basis from the beginning of this month. Come festival time, it means our office is right in the heart of things. It will be a fun time leading up to the festival too.”

Marc says artists are being co-ordinated and most gardeners have been informed of their selection.

'While we have reached our quota, we are still very happy to visit gardens that we may have missed. So, if any gardeners have wonderful gardens they would like to share, feel free to get in touch.”

The BOP Garden and Art Festival trust is headed by Nikki Burley as chairperson. Other trustees are Katherine Sandford, Mandie Taylor, Ross Brown, Coraleigh Parker, Murray Clode and James Sherson.

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