Outlet Podcast: Snow Machine ready to hit the slopes
Queenstown festival Snow Machine will bring around 7,500 people to town next week, spending an estimated $19 million.
The ski trip music festival, massively popular with Aussies, is now in its third year and has quickly become established on the Queenstown events calendar.
Festival co-owner Quentin Nolan, guest on this week's Outlet Podcast, says numbers are up on previous years, with about 5,000 attending the inaugural Snow Machine Queenstown.
"About 85% of them are Australian, with about 10% Kiwi and 5% from elsewhere," he tells Outlet host Brent Harbour.
"It's kind of interesting that there's such a big Aussie impact on this event . . . we have actually tried to market pretty significantly in New Zealand, and bring on a number of Kiwi acts and whatnot, but yeah, for whatever reasons, the Aussies just love it."
Snow Machine sells five and seven-night inclusive packages, including accommodation, chairlift passes, festival passes and extras. About 90% of attendees by the packages, with an average price of $1,500.
"When we work those numbers that relates to around $11 million in package revenue that's going into the local community, for ski passes, rental companies, transportation up and down the hill, event infrastructure, scaffolding for the stages, hire companies, production guys, F&B, all that side of it.
"And then there's the other spend that people are making while they're over here. With the average stay being five or six days, and people spending probably about $200 a day, we estimate that comes out at $7-8m as well."
Nolan says the company is very proud to bring that money into town toward the end of the ski season, after the lean Covid years, and the quiet shoulder season.
Snow Machine, which also runs festivals in Hakuba and Niseko, Japan, says the way the festival has been welcomed by the community and local businesses has contributed towards its success, although there have been some challenges along the way, especially trying to get approval for a downtown venue with Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Snow Machine was downtown for its first year but then moved out the Remarkables Park.
"There was definitely a number of roadblocks hit there with council and I tried for two-and-a-half years going through every avenue possible. Unfortunately, that wasn't well received from the current council but we're hopeful as we work through things in the future, we can probably try to bring a bit more of that value back into town.
"It was a bit disappointing but in saying that, we've now got a really good partner in Remarkables Park. We came to them quite late in the piece last year, and since we've been working out there, they've been super supportive."
Snow Machine also has a new stage at Ayrburn this year, running every day.
"That gives people the option if they want to have a day off skiing ... 50% of people coming are first time skiers, so to go up the slopes four or five days in a row can be quite strenuous."
There'll also be a community day on the Saturday at Ayrburn, aimed at getting locals involved, with big names performing, including LadyHawke and Drax Project.
"We think that's going to be really appealing. We've also got some other things happening out there, including lunch packages and a drag brunch, which should be fun."
On the main stage, open from Thursday through to Saturday, there'll be a great line up of dozens of Australia, Kiwi and international acts, including Angus & Julia Stone, Atomic Blonde, Bag Raiders, Lee Mvtthews and others.
"There's something for everyone, you've got different acts from different genres ... so it's a really good way to introduce people to new music."
There's a pop up store at 15 Church Street downtown, where locals tickets are available, as well as online at snow-machine.nz/locals.
"We've got discounted tickets for the main arena each night and also tickets for the Ayrburn events."
Nolan, who's been coming to Queenstown for 20 years, has also taken over the former Surreal premises on Rees Street downtown, which is now Local Queenstown and will be rebranded Snow Machine Saloon for the festival, which runs 3-8 September.
