Courier Article

The Te Awamutu Courier ran this story on the front page of today's edition.

Innovative Ideas Rewarded

Te Awamutu couple Ange Holt and Dave Owen were to the fore at the recent Waipa District Business Awards due to their involvement in innovative activities to promote Te Awamutu.

Ms Holt is an information officer for the Te Awamutu Visitor Information Centre, winner of the inaugural Innovation Award for its Go Bush promotion.

She and partner Mr Owen also have Wavelength Media, an internet based business, and their Virtual Te Awamutu CD-Rom and online version was also a finalist in the award.

Go Bush was conceived and planned by the Public Relations Committee and launched and administered by Te Awamutu Visitor Information Centre.

The innovative promotion included Go Bush packages for school aged children, encouraging them and their families to take part in easy bush walks in the Te Awamutu district. These had to be collected from the Te Awamutu Visitor Information Centre.

A Go Bush graphic was developed and used on T-shirts, posters, flyers, maps and stickers.

Brochures and other promotional material was distributed over a wide area.

Success was measured in terms of the number of kids packs collected (almost 1000 to date) and the statistics collected at that time, use of discount vouchers included in the packs and increased use of our walks.

Benefits include increased visitor numbers and use of local businesses and amenities, participation in a healthy and educational pursuit and the development of a tangible Te Awamutu product.

Mr Owen also takes people on a tour of the district, but from the comfort of a computer chair.

Virtual Te Awamutu has been a labour of love as part of the couple's commitment to the town.

They run the online Race Cafe, web design and other internet work as part of their business in partnership with Mr Owen's brother Richard.

He looks after the technical aspects of the business, while Mr Owen is more the creative mind.

They host www.teawamutu.co.nz, the website dedicated to this town. It in turn hosts other Te Awamutu based sites and is home to the online version of Virtual Te Awamutu.

CD versions are available to buy online or from the Visitor Information Centre and Guys Paper Plus.

Virtual Te Awamutu features tours of the town through simple links, Heritage and Finn Brothers Trails, tourist features and games and interactive features.

Mr Owen says it should appeal to locals and visitors, and as gifts for friends and family living overseas.

He hopes to continue the development as time permits, with new features such as video and more panoramas.