Big effort secures i SITE conference for Napier | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

The prospect of top Hawke's Bay wine, food, some bathing belles and an "amazing race" through Ahuriri were among the swaying factors which has seen Napier win the right to host this year's national i-SITE conference.

'When it came to choosing this year's host region the Napier i-SITE team really put their best foot forward," i-SITE chairman Kerry Marshall said.

Spearheaded by Napier i-SITE Visitor Centre manager Carolyn Neville, Napier went through a "rigorous" bidding process alongside the rest of the country's i-SITE centres which were also seeking to host the annual tourism focused gathering. The theme for the 2010 conference, which will be staged at the War Memorial Conference Centre and opened by Mayor Barbara Arnott on September 12, is "Outside the box" - challenging delegates to look for solutions to meet the changing needs and expectations of visitors.

The conference will also have a strong technology and innovation focus.

Within the "Outside the Box" focus the pursuit of sustainability will be firmly under the spotlight.

Mrs Neville said every decision that had been made for the conference had an environmental focus - from the online paperless registration process, the packaging for a picnic lunch at McLean Park, to the use of venues, tourism operators and food and wine suppliers with Qualmark enviro-ratings.

"This is the first event of its type that will be recognised for a sustainable focus," she said.

The three-day conference will be preceded and followed by a "Famil" programme highlighting a mixture of wine, food, Art Deco, activities and the Bay's attractions.

"From a Bathing Belle's and Bloke's event at the National Aquarium to an Amazing Race event around the Ahuriri area, delegates are sure to have a wonderful experience that will give them a true insight into the many delights that the Hawke's Bay region has to offer."