By 3 News online staff
Wellington will remain the host city of the World of WearableArt show for the next nine years in a new deal signed this morning.
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown confirmed the show’s future in the capital until 2021, saying it will continue to be run by the show’s founder Dame Suzie Moncrieff.
Ms Wade-Brown says the nine-year contract is good news for Wellington’s economy.
“WOW makes an enormous contribution to Wellington. Over 47,000 people saw this year’s show – 30,000 of whom were visitors to the Capital,” she says.
“Most city hotels enjoyed 95 percent occupancy and many Wellington retailers and restaurateurs reported a significant sales boost.”
The show began in Nelson in 1987 as a way to promote a rural art gallery. It was moved to Wellington in 2004 where it could attract bigger crowds and more sponsorship.
In 2009, the show pumped around $15.1 million into the local economy with $4.9 million of that going to Wellington’s retail sector.
3 News