Kiwi Innovation

NZ puts 2010 World Rowing Champs in a box

Organisers of the 2010 World Rowing Championships to be held at Lake Karapiro - in New Zealand’s Waikato region - have used legendary Kiwi ingenuity to develop a novel tool to promote the event internationally.

Launched today (28.04.09), the ‘RowBox’ is a unique exhibition and interactive experience inside a retractable 20ft container that will soon head off to Europe to promote the NZ-based championships at key rowing regattas.

The invention is designed to promote New Zealand, Hamilton and the Karapiro region as well as the event, with a realistic hands-on-experience that gives potential visitors a taste of the environment.

Virtual rowing experience
The container unfolds to reveal four rowing machines that connect to visuals of Lake Karapiro. Digital technology then allows users to have a virtual row down the lake just as competitors will experience it during the 2010 World Rowing Championships.

The ‘on-the-water’ experience will be enhanced by tourism material promoting New Zealand, Hamilton and the championships.

European rowing events
The RowBox will make an international debut at the Munich World Cup Regatta in June (2009), before moving on to one of the rowing world’s glamour events - Henley Royal Regatta.

Karapiro 2010 CEO Tom Mayo said he hoped that the New Zealand rowing team’s presence at Henley would add real interest to the show.

"The New Zealanders are pencilled in to race there in their World Champs’ build up, and more than 200,000 spectators are expected to attend the regatta during the week.

"We believe there will be huge interest in what is an innovative and unique approach to both marketing the championships and the country directly to a captive audience of potential spectators and tourists. As well as that, it gives our athletes a reminder of home and that’s got to be an advantage!" Mayo said.

Home and away
After Henley, the provisional schedule for the RowBox includes Lucerne, Racice for the Under-23 World Championships, Poznan for the elite World Championships, Vienna for the World Masters, and the biggest rowing event in the United States, the Head of the Charles in mid-October.

The home audience won’t miss out on the experience either. On its return to New Zealand, organisers are planning a nationwide tour to drum up support for the 2010 event.

Karapiro 2010 RowBox - 2009 schedule (provisional)

• Munich, Germany, World Cup: 19 - 21 June
• Henley Royal Regatta, UK: 2 - 5 July
• Lucerne, Switzerland, World Cup: 10 - 12 July
• Racice, Czech Republic, World U-23 Rowing: 23 - 26 July
  
• Poznan Poland, World Championships: 23 - 30 August
• Austria, Vienna, World Masters: 4 - 6 September
• Head of the Charles Regatta, USA: 17 - 18 October
  

Global award
Innovative planning has already won international recognition for the organisation behind the Karapiro 2010 World Rowing Championships.

An International Olympic Committee award for environmental planning - one of just five granted globally - was made at the World Conference on Sport and Environment in Vancouver.

Judges said Karapiro 2010’s groundbreaking ‘Rainbow Project’ that covers environmental strategies and plans for the international event was a worthy recipient of the new Olympic environmental award.

The environmentally-friendly Rainbow Project covers a series of eco measures that include carbon emission reduction, zero-waste, educational programmes, bio security strategy for boats and equipment destined for the venue, environmental protection for infrastructure, an organisational environmental officer, and provision of environmental training to ensure personel have a ‘green’ focus.

Background: Karapiro 2010 World Rowing Champs

Lake Karapiro
The 2010 World Rowing Championships will be held on Lake Karapiro, in New Zealand’s Waikato region.

Lake Karapiro is one of several artificial lakes formed more than 60 years ago for a hydroelectricity scheme on the Waikato river, the longest North Island river. Waikato is a Māori word meaning flowing water.

The lake is regarded as New Zealand’s best rowing venue, and one of the most scenic and picturesque in the world.

Lake Karapiro was the scene of the 1978 World Rowing Championships.

Cambridge
Lake Karapiro is a short drive from the small town of Cambridge, and 24km southeast of Hamilton, the Waikato’s biggest city.

Cambridge (pop: 15,000) is on the banks of the Waikato river, and is known as "the town of trees".

Apart from being home to some of New Zealand’s top international rowers, Cambridge is known internationally for breeding thoroughbred horses. Cambridge stables have produced many champion horses in the sports of racing and show-jumping.

Hamilton
Hamilton, on the banks of the Waikato river, is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and is the country's seventh largest city.

In the Waikato region of the North Island, and 130km (81 miles) south of Auckland, Hamilton is the major road and rail centre in the Waikato basin.

Waikato region
The Waikato region - a local government region on the western side of the North Island - stretches from Lake Taupo and northern King Country in the south, north to the Coromandel Peninsula and the Auckland region.

The region of 25,000 km² has an estimated (2006) population of 387,700.

Within its geographical boundaries, the Waikato region includes part of 12 separate districts, the most of any New Zealand region. These regions include Taupo, Rotorua and Waitomo, Thames-Coromandel, Otorohanga, South Waikato, Matamata-Piako, Waipa, Hauraki and Hamilton city.

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