Shopping centre spending a complex issue

Papamoa Unlimited co-ordinator David Hill took a sideswipe at Mainstreet Tauranga this week, saying the hands-on Papamoa model is far more efficient than the way Tauranga does business.

Papamoa Unlimited co-ordinator David Hill outside the Papamoa Plaza. Photo: File.

The Papamoa organisation's style of taking $25,000 from a commercial rate levy and ensuring all events are fully sponsored is far more efficient than contracting everything out for $250,000.

He's referring to Mainstreet Tauranga, which contracts out all event promotions and initiatives to Tuskany Marketing for $250,800, according to figures tabled in the monitoring report at this last week's Monitoring Committee meeting.

'I think the business model of asking for a little bit of money and not relying on paying money and abdicating responsibility, and that business model works exceptionally well with town centre organisations I have been involved in now and in the past.”

David moved to Papamoa from Richmond, Nelson, where he says the decision to turn everything over to a marketing group didn't work out so well.

'What happened with the Nelson retailers, they brought on a marketing group and within a couple of years moved back to the retailers running the organisation because there was direct accountability and direct line of feedback. Did this work? Was there an increase in foot traffic, was there an increase in turnover?

'Our model is run by retailers, people with skin in the game and have direct responsibility for where their money is being spent, and that model tends to work exceptionally well.”

Tuskany Marketing director Sally Cooke says they are employed by the Mainstreet Board.

'They are the ones who set up the partnership with Tuskany that we report to every month,” says Sally. She adds that the advantage for Mainstreet is it gets a full team working on the Downtown Tauranga contract, who have got marketing, event management, strategic marketing and branding expertise and offer independent advice on how to market the city centre.

Tauranga Mainstreet board vice chair Anne Pankhurst says Mainstreet is not just a retailer organisation. Two thirds of the 725 members represent commercial or first floor business in the CBD, which is the commercial, civic, and cultural hub of the region.

'The Mainstreet board has had Tuskany as their management and marketing agency for two years now and are very happy with the results that we are achieving,” says Anne.

You may also like....

6 comments

Homesowners should NOT be paying a Mainstreet Levy!

Posted on 24-08-2015 07:42 | By Murray.Guy

Not hard to see who and what the problem is .... Tauranga Mainstreet board vice chair Anne Pankhurst says Mainstreet is not just a retailer organisation.


David should make it entirely voluntary

Posted on 24-08-2015 09:57 | By Annalist

I've never liked oneupmanship in a city that should be working together. I feel strongly that there should be NO ratepayer contribution to either organisation, whether commercial or residential rates. Let's see both David's outfit and Tauranga's mainstreet tell Council they no longer want a compulsory levy. Now that's what I would call a newsworthy challenge.


Anne Pankhurst.

Posted on 24-08-2015 12:26 | By Colleen Spiro

Tell me again how many retail businesses have moved from the CBD Anne. Last paragraph seems to differ with reality


Interesting.

Posted on 24-08-2015 19:19 | By Accountable

The one person that is controlling Mainstreet because of a very weak Board is Anne Pankhurst and as she is the Chamber of Commerce representative she definitely has no skin in the game. In fact the only reason she is there is because of her past and present Council connections. The CBD can do without this type of representation if it is to progress through this downturn.


Scrap mainstreet rates and tourism levies

Posted on 26-08-2015 09:53 | By Annalist

Make Mainstreet entirely voluntary and totally reliant on member fees rather than compulsory rates levies. Do the same with the rates taken from commercial ratepayer and used for tourism promotion. General businesses shouldn't have to pay to promote tourists to enrich tourism businesses. Perhaps Mr Campbell should run for Mainstreet Board. I guess they're elected by the members?


Papamoa unlimited

Posted on 27-08-2015 23:17 | By The Master

That works, main street does not, Tourism fails. Get rid of them and let them CBDers alone. They ar


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.