Industry excellence recognised at 2020 New Zealand entertainment venues awards

The Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) has revealed the winners of 2020 Annual Awards with Charles Forbes who recently retired from The Regent on Broadway, Palmerston North, presented with the Contribution to Industry Award, recognising his dedication and success within the industry.

Presented last evening at Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena, in conjunction with the EVANZ Annual Conference, this year’s Awards recognised how 2020 has been a year where normal rules don’t apply, with the slimmed down program presented in just three special award categories.

In a statement, EVANZ advised that the Awards celebrate “the leaders and Team Members who went the extra mile to get their venue or organisation through weeks of lockdown and cancelled events and the innovators who thought outside the box to make extraordinary things.”

Judging was undertaken by a panel of judges assembled from leading entertainment and events organisations and EVANZ Board members.

Eloise Braithwaite from P4G was awarded Ungerboeck Team Member of the Year for her work in implementing a comprehensive Talent Management System (TMS) for her colleagues at P4G. This incorporates training, staff communication and recruitment in an online tool, accessible remotely.

Megan Peacock Coyle from Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre was named VMA Leader of the Year. Nominated by her staff, Megan worked tirelessly throughout lockdown and beyond focusing on the needs of her team, her community.

The Health Promotion Agency Innovation of the Year went to Auckland Live Digital services for their ground-breaking work in using their extensive in-house technical capability to find new ways of engaging with their audience while live performances weren’t possible.

The EVANZ Award Finalists and Recipients for 2020 are:

EVANZ Contribution to Industry Award        
Recipient: Charles Forbes (formerly of the Regent Theatre, Palmerston North) - recently retired after 30 years at The Regent.

VMA Leader of the Year
Winner: Megan Peacock-Coyle Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Community Centre
Nominated: Mark Gosling - The Trusts Arena and Sean Murray - H3
Judge’s Comments: “Megan was instrumental in developing the Arts, Culture & Events Recovery Plan for Hastings and securing the necessary funding for its implementation. What shone through Megan's submission is aroha - for her team and the wider community.”

Ungerboeck Team Member of the Year
Winner: Eloise Braithwaite - P4G
Nominated: Natalie Barrott - H3 and Alice Kenealy - Q Theatre
Judge’s Comments: “An amazing example of someone taking the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to create some genuine change in their business. Eloise has had a huge impact across P4G, growing their capacity and capability in a way that all staff have benefited from.”

Health Promotion Agency Innovation of the Year
Winner: Auckland Live Digital Services
Nominated: Claudelands Community Hub and Regent on Broadway

Judges Comments: “Not only is this a great innovation to address barriers created by COVID-19, this is also a great innovation in a changing world where digital presence is becoming more and more important.”

Images show EVANZ's 2020 Award winners, from top: Charles Forbes, Megan Peacock-Coyle, Eloise Braithwaite and the Auckland Live Digital Services team.