Mayor Tim promotes Southland at Auckland Food Show

Although the Auckland Food Show was, obviously, about food, it also presented a great opportunity to promote Southland. 

Venture Southland coordinated four Southland exhibitors attendance at the show; Blue River Dairy, The Seriously Good Chocolate Company, Retro Organics and Marama Organics, each of which showcased it’s southern cuisine in one large Southland Stand. This had everything from huge scenic images on the walls to Invercargill-made glass platters to display food on.

In between a hectic schedule, Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt also attended the Auckland Food Show. He had officiated at the Charter Parade for the crew of the HMNZS Otago on Friday, 30 July, he then went to the Southland vs. Manawatu rugby game in Palmerston North with Mayor Jono Naylor on Saturday, and looked over their waste disposal facilities before arrive in Auckland on Sunday morning.

Tim ran a Southland prize giveaway organised by Venture Southland, complete with a ‘Winning Wheel’ decorated in Southland brand colours. Prizes included; food and beverage products from Invercargill Brewery, Nutlands, and the four exhibitors at the show, a platter from Invercargill company E.scape Glass, Tim’s book A Mayor of Two Cities, Marcus Lush’s South DVDs, Burt Munro DVDs, sports memorabilia including a Stags signed rugby ball and a Steel signed poster as well as general Southland branded clothing.

People earned a chance to spin the wheel by answering Tim’s questions correctly. Things like “Name a river in Southland” and “Name the largest town on Stewart Island”. Although questions became a bit tough for the Auckland crowd and so a change of tack was taken with the inclusion of some Auckland-based questions, and Invercargill actress Bonnie Soper was roped in to ask Shortland Street questions as well.

In between the questions and wheel spinning, Tim told tales of his experiences down south and took the opportunity to poke fun at Auckland’s super city predicament, suggesting that there’ll be two mayors – Len Brown being day mayor and John Banks being the nightmare. All of which was taken in good humour by the locals, a number of whom waited around to speak with him at the stand after the giveaway and attempted to coerce him into returning to Auckland as mayor.

Although the Southland exhibitors already had a greatly productive time at the show with many products selling out and making plenty of trade contacts, they still appreciated the attendance of the mayor. One commented that no other region has such a well known personality capable of such promotions as Tim Shadbolt.