Event News

Mid Canterbury’s event management and promotions company Rí Rá Events, working in partnership with the Ashburton District Council has picked up a prestigious New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) award for, “Best Local Government Event” for their production of the ANZ Business of The Year Awards 2024. Rí Rá Events attended the NZEA awards gala dinner in Palmerston North on Tuesday 27 th August to collect the award. The event also received “special mention” in the “Best Business Event” category on the evening. The ANZ Business of The Year Awards was held in February 2024 at the Ashburton Aviation Museum and 375 guests attended the gala awards dinner. The overall objective of the event was to promote the Ashburton District as a great place to do business. Rí Rá events have already commenced work on the 2026 Business of the Year Awards event welcoming ANZ Bank onboard once again for the journey. Speaking about the awards, director Colm McGrath said, “We’re delighted to win a New Zealand Event Association Award for this event. We believe it proves that Mid Canterbury can and does deliver great events. It was a pleasure to work with the economic development and events team from Ashburton District Council on this project” Rí Rá events & Ashburton District Council were shortlisted as finalists in July and competed against the following events, Local Wild Food Festival, Whakatāne District Council, Taste Hastings, Hastings District Council , TSB Festival of Lights Winter Pop Up, New Plymouth District Council and Waitangi Day 2024, Porirua City to win this award. Founded in 2019 by two Irish kiwis, Gary Manning & Colm McGrath Rí Rá Events produces and promotes events predominantly in the Mid Canterbury region. It’s key clients include The Embassy of Ireland, The Ashburton District Council, ANZ Bank, Ashburton Toyota and The New Zealand Law Society. The phase Rí Rá roughly translates from Gaeilge to English as ‘fun’.

The ANZ Business of the Year Awards, a joint venture between Ashburton District Council & Ri Ra Events has been shortlisted as a finalist for Best Business Event and Best Local Government Event in the New Zealand Event Industry Awards 2024.

Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa, sourced by the mountains and powered by the sun, has been crowned the Ashburton District's supreme winner at the ANZ Business of the Year Awards 2024.

The finalists have been shortlisted for the ANZ Business of the Year Awards and the all-important judging round will soon get under way, amid much excitement.

Entry deadline for ANZ Business of the Year 2024 extended

A veritable who's who of local businesspeople gathered at the Ashburton Event Centre last Thursday to celebrate the launch of the 2024 ANZ Business of the Year Awards.

The Ashburton District’s Business of the Year Awards 2024 is preparing for take-off.

An Ashburton business that has turned sock-making into a science was crowned supreme winner at the Ashburton District ANZ Business of the Year Awards on Friday night.

Thirty-one finalists in seven categories have just been announced in the Ashburton District’s ANZ Business of the Year Awards. There were a total of 70 entrants across categories.

Mid Canterbury retailers and business people wanting to be part of the Ashburton District’s ANZ Business of the Year Awards are being reminded that entries close next week, on Tuesday 30 November.

The Ashburton District Council is hosting a business networking event at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre on Friday, August 6, from 4 pm to 6 pm, to spread the word about the ANZ Business of the Year Awards.