Three businessmen walk into a bar…
And the rest is history for the Lakes Weekly. This week we celebrate our 1000th edition and take a quick look back.
It all started in July of 2005, when long-time locals and business owners Scott Stevens, Ferg Spary and Andy Brinsley came together to create the Lakes Weekly.
“The Lakes Weekly was a means of supporting those local businesses like our own, that were struggling to get value for money advertising and marketing. We also wanted to tell hyper-local stories that weren’t making the ‘news,’ and have random entertaining people pass comment (and judgement) on all that makes this unique and complicated place so interesting,” Scott says.
It's now been 20 years since the three businessmen launched the Lakes Weekly, after thrashing out the idea over a beer. In that time, they've hit 1000 weekly deadlines, made possible by dozens of wonderful (and beautiful, brilliant) staff, and hundreds of advertisers (and a fair few drinks too).
While different parts of the business have come and gone over the years – QT TV, the podcast, the whinge page – the Lakes Weekly has always maintained its place as a publication that connects people to each other, and to local businesses.
And change is a good thing. "Stay the same for too long, you become invisible,” Ferg says.
Some of the highs include retaining three long-serving team members for more than a decade, as well as generally poking fun at everything and not taking themselves too seriously, while a less favourable moment was “Being sued for defamation for a joke that didn’t go down too well. Oh, and don't mention The War (Pandemic),” Andy says.
Stand out memories are, of course, the sales, graphics, IT, accounting, delivery and content team over the years, and the Christmas parties with these people, which would occasionally go a little… west.
The trio are also appreciative of the feedback from readers, especially around editorials along with the unsolicited, genuine thanks from advertisers that knew they were getting results. When asked if they’d change anything, Ferg says: “Of course! But the mistakes are part of the story.”
Cheers to 20 years of the Lakes Weekly! “Locally owned since forever, watch this space,” Scott adds, teasing that the next 1000 editions might include being launched into orbit by Rocket Lab!
