A Passion Project on the Mountain

After 30+ temps yesterday, it’s just a bit different today! Raining, colder, probably snowing in the mountains…

So thought I’d share this winter focused events & comms project

Growing up skiing at Coronet Peak, then returning after university to teach there before stepping into a sales and marketing role, Coronet Peak has always been a special part of my journey.

That’s why leading NZSKI’s Coronet Peak 75’th celebrations was more than just a project—it was a passion.

Event & Communications Leadership: Coronet Peak’s 75th Anniversary

Over 11 months, I provided leadership, communications, and event management for this milestone celebration.

A major highlight was the video storytelling campaign, where I produced five stories, which drove outstanding digital engagement and captured the rich history and spirit of Coronet Peak.

This hero video opened one of the key events, The Long Lunch—a celebration featuring special guests that included Coronet Peaks founding family, the Wigleys, I interviewed on stage.

The successful afternoon was wrapped up with a vibrant retro fashion parade.

🎉✨ Why Private Events Are Extra Special with a Surprise Twist! 🎉✨

There’s something truly magical about private events—when it’s just you, your guests, and an atmosphere brimming with possibilities. We recently had the pleasure of adding a splash of surprise and a whole lot of fun to a private function in the Bay of Plenty with our Singing Waiters!

Imagine the look of amazement when your guests are served their drinks and dishes by waiters who suddenly burst into song! The room erupted with laughter, joy, and applause as our talented performers turned an ordinary meal into an unforgettable experience. The element of surprise combined with top-notch entertainment created an atmosphere of pure delight.

Private events allow for this kind of personalized touch that can truly elevate the celebration. It’s not just about the food or venue—it’s about creating memories that will make everyone talk about the event long after it’s over. Whether it’s through quirky entertainment like our Singing Waiters or other unique surprises, adding that extra layer of fun ensures your event stands out and becomes a cherished memory.

So, if you’re looking to make your next private event extraordinary, think beyond the traditional and embrace the magic of surprise entertainment. It’s moments like these that make gatherings truly special! 🌟🎤🍾

#PrivateEvents #SingingWaitersnz #SurpriseEntertainment #enthussevents

WANT TO MAKE YOUR NEXT CORPORATE EVENT THE BEST MOST MEMORABLE EVER?

BOOK NZ’s BEST CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT, The Singing Waiters – produced and managed by enthuse

We had a great time a while back with Waikato Milking Systems at their conference.

We managed to capture some of the fun from the night Entertainment on a plate! Fantastic fun, interactive and hilarious entertainment…Waiting staff become the entertainment after the band is a no show

Guests are completely in the dark as they are waited on by some very friendly, outgoing and slightly unprofessional waiters with very different and distinct personalities… that become the band after a fantastic reveal… filling the dance floor so no need to have a band as well.

Get in touch today… and book NZ’s leading corporate entertainment theme
#singingwaitersnz #enthuseevents #corporateevents #conference #eventprofs

Contracted to project manage Coronet Peak ski areas 75th celebrations, which included producing a series of engaging storytelling videos to help bring the mountain’s rich history to life…

This was fourth story in our series of five very special stories produced for the 75th celebrations.

This video storytelling series was very successful in showcasing the history of the mountain, getting fantastic engagement.

Video makes a difference and really is crucial for any marketing communications strategy.

It packs the power of visual emotional storytelling, and we all love a good story.

Led by Sir Henry Wigley and his family’s business, the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company, Coronet Peak opened in July 1947, becoming New Zealand’s first commercial ski area. A qualified commercial pilot who flew in WWII, Sir Henry had a passion for skiing and the outdoors.

He grew the Mount Cook Group into the country’s largest privately owned travel organisation, with skiing at Coronet Peak changing not only Queenstown’s tourism landscape forever, but New Zealand’s too.

Sir Henry and his wife Isla had five children, Sally, Brian, Jo, Annabel and Paddy, who inherited their father’s love of skiing, spending their childhood winters on the mountain at Coronet Peak with some of their earliest memories being learning to ski wearing boys football boots.

Being on skis on the snow is my special place for finding balance – not only for skiing, but in life

It’s been pretty busy with some great projects – one with Cookie Time coming to an end as my role has been completed, while the other key project, Coronet Peaks 75th celebrations, continues with the main focus now the actual 5 days of events in Augist – along with more video stories to produce and roll out.

I’ve also made a pretty big decision on the working front… with more about that to come soon… super excited about whats to come! Plus, a big THANKS to Anna and Ian at Brandex who import Atomic skis… after talking to them I’m skiing on a pair of ATOMIC E REDSTER Q7 REVO SKIS and they are fantastic – super good all terraion all rounder skis I’m loving… short turns, GS turns and on and off piste… want a great pair of all mountain all terrain skis can’t go past these! #enthusemedia #enthuseevents #worklifebalance #newopportunities #skiing

Contracted to project manage Coronet Peak ski areas 75th celebrations, which includes producing a series of engaging storytelling videos to help bring the mountain’s rich history to life…

So this is also a good opportunity to say….

A FEW KEY THINGS ABOUT THE USE OF VIDEO IN BUSINESS:

Video makes a difference and is crucial for any marketing communications strategy.

Video packs the power of visual emotional storytelling, and we all love a good story.

The consumption of online video is growing rapidly, so you need to use video, and you need a content plan to be effective.

Video is versatile and engaging that not only gives a real-life picture of what is going on, it’s also easy to share across multiple platforms.

Over time, video can help you build stronger relationships with customers and clients.

This ultimately leads to more trust and more brand loyalty Video is by far the best way for communicating brand messages online — when was the last time you scrolled through Instagram and paused on an ad?

Chances are, a video caught your attention.

And since video is now the norm, businesses can no longer hang their hats on one slick video that aims to achieve each and every one of their marketing goals…

So, build your brand with video….

With 75 years of history, loving that Coronet Peak and its people have so many stories to tell.

For the Divers family from Dunedin, holidays were always all about skiing and the winter.

Hitting the slopes of Coronet Peak was the highlight of Lynne and Tina’s childhood, and growing up with their father Arnold, a former WWII fighter pilot and seven times national ski champion who lived and breathed all things ski related, it’s easy to see why.

Arnold Divers is a Coronet Peak legend, passing on his love of the mountain and skiing to his family.

He was a founding member of the infamous ‘one ski in the grave’ club formed on a whim by a handful of Kiwi veterans that is now legendary amongst the world’s more senior skier’s population.

Filming and editing by Sweet as Media; produced by enthuse media & events

Make video a vital and compelling part of your marketing communications strategy – get in touch today. #Queenstown #Coronetpeak75 #CP75 #storytelling #enthusemedia

IT CAN BE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

We live in a world increasingly dominated by technology So sometimes small gestures can count for so much especially, when dealing with new client relationships So in this age of getting overloaded with advertising messaging, your in box (or work chat) and digital disruption, never underestimate the power of a well-crafted message and gesture to just say ‘thanks’ Don’t let technology overwhelm how we communicate.

Global broadcaster Phil Liggett who covered forty-eight Tours de France and fifteen Olympic Games becoming widely known as the international voice of cycling, is excited a documentary covering his life is coming to New Zealand.

Created by the filmmakers behind MAMIL (Middle Aged Men In Lycra), the 110-minute feature documentary, The Voice of Cycling, tracks Liggett’s life story and offers an insight into his dedication to his much-loved sport of cycling and passion for wildlife conservation.

It has received rave reviews around the world after its world premiere at last year’s Adelaide Film Festival and Phil can’t wait for kiwi audiences to see the film.

Here’s what he had to say..

Phil will be beaming in live for a post movie Q & A in Christchurch, Wellington and potentially Hamilton and Nelson

To watch the trailer and book tickets.. we need tickets to sell to ensure it shows.. that’s how Demand Film rolls.. see https://nz.demand.film/phil-liggett Get a group together, and book today #enthusemedia #cycling #documentary

Tennis was a sport that I played from a young age, and in lots of ways I think there’s skills and insights that can help succeed in business.

Recently I’ve started hitting tennis balls again… and I’m really enjoying it Tennis was a major part of my childhood and I played it pretty seriously as an adult through the late 80s.. and into the 90s… wow, how time flies; it’s been 26 years since I played a competitive match.

As I’ve started hitting tennis balls again it’s made me think, and realise, there are some ways in which I believe tennis – and this applies to other sports – has helped me in business.

1. Complete focus on the fundamentals
Tennis requires dedicated practise on the fundamentals almost every day to have a good, rock solid foundation. I used to hit hundreds of groundstrokes and serves, over and over again, working on the basics. In business its important to take consistent action on the fundamentals, and not get distracted by the latest trend. You need a rock solid foundation to build on.

2. Effort is not enough
I used to practice so much, so hard.. in fact my philosophy was to make practice harder than the games I was playing but this didn’t mean I was always successful – the key is effort is not always enough, you need to combine effort with a good strategy and looking back at some of my tennis results when I applied effort with a good strategy was when I achieved my best results; a key for success in business too

3. Find weaknesses to create opportunities
Tennis teaches you to look for your opponents weaknesses to create opportunities.. sounds like a good business strategy? Sure it does!

4. Physically fit helps mental fitness
I trained super hard for tennis.. and this effort rolled over into other sports I competed in. You needed to take care of yourself to be in the best possible shape to perform on the day – eating well, getting some sleep and knowing what worked for me to ensure I could perhaps at my best level. When I felt fit and focused I was ready… mentally as well. Making time to stay physically fit now helps my mental approach in business, but with a young family this has its challenges and is a consistent work in progress.

5. Dealing with stress
I know I didn’t always deal with stress well when I played tennis, but I know I got better. On a tennis court there’s nowhere to hide, there’s no one to call for help… it’s all on you. When I feel over whelmed on the work front I take it in bite sized chunks, like when I was playing tennis and when things got pressured I played a game point by point, and then the larger result would take care of itself.

6. Goal planning
I always set goals when I played tennis, writing them down. I did it from a relatively young age and achieved many of them. This goal setting obviously applies to business; setting goals, planning longer term, monitoring and evaluating results to make sure I’m on track.

7. Competiveness
This sounds obvious, but I think it has different levels. Tennis, and sport, helps us with tenacity, discipline and competiveness. I would looks for ways to win, and this is the same in business, but often winning can come in different forms and can come from trust, trust in yourself, trust in the process and trust in others
#enthusemedia #enthuse #communication #motivation

11 years old, standing in the corner of a room… and having an influence.. a strong memory I still have to this day that was to shape and influence some of my future career decisions… this is one (or two) of my stories
#enthusemedia #storytelling #socialmedia #marketingcommunications #eventprofs #enthuseevents #enthuse