Something I’ve noticed about New Zealanders is that we have this insatiable desire to get everything finished before Christmas. It’s as if wrapping everything up neatly with a bow is our annual present to ourselves heading into the holiday period; giving us a measure of clarity and freedom from the mental overhead that comes with unfinished tasks.
Couple to this the lead up to Christmas—the manic present shopping, the prepping food for celebrations, the negotiation of visits from relatives—and then the planning of summer holidays, we are left, every year, with a country, running, wild.
From this rush to get things done comes the end of year event boom. Wrap ups. Awards Dinners. Christmas Parties. Celebrations. Day. Night. Online. In Person. Hybrid.
Events of all shapes and sizes emerge during this period, making it somewhat of a high point in the year for us.
It’s crazy.
It’s also why we begin telling you in June that you need to start planning for December. As this becomes a very busy season for us.
But now I’m writing to you as we come out the other side of the billow, when the waves of events are beginning to calm. The feeling is almost, peaceful. Quiet. There’s space to tidy up, unwind, and breathe.
So, given the quiet, and in the spirit of the holidays, this last piece of the year is something of a memorandum; a final glance back at the milestone year that has been.
Highlights from the Year
Before we do, just a note. We close from this Friday (December 20th) and are back again on the 13th of January.
Okay, here’s a little look at what has gone in our world this year; some highlights from both in and out of events.
(1) First off, Scott found himself stuck in the Auckland museum service lift for a couple of hours…
…with the keys to the van full of gear in his pocket. Let’s just say that the setup for one part of the event came down to the wire (cue nervous laughter).
(2) Isaac (Scott and Shona’s youngest son and longest standing part-time staff member) got married!
And of course the ceremony was operated and livestreamed by AV Events.
(3) Tate, as always, continued to make friends with clients. He definitely takes his role as a “manager” seriously.
(4) The AV Events crew once again experienced the 3:30am start for Matariki 2024. Many a coffee was drunk that morning.
(5) Sound tech or security?
One of our new team members this year, Gabriel, decided he wanted to pursue a second career. He thought he would have a go at being a bouncer…
…though we are unclear what people thought of him.
(6) I can’t confirm, but Lime scooter racing may have occurred this year…
…on multiple occasions…
…in multiple cities.
(7) Murphy, the smallest member of AV Events (yet the one with the most attitude), continued to ride co-pilot on many different trucking adventures around the country.
(8) We have these picnic tables that sit up on the top of our warehouse, not really being used for most of the year.
But every now and again, when the weather is nice and events are quiet, we forklift them down, strike up the barby and, thanks to our CFO (chief food officer)—AKA Tate—have a feed.
(9) Last, but not least, a winter morning pack in.
I think we had… 5 layers of clothes on for this pack in.
I guess blocking a road, to unload a truck, in the middle of winter, in Queenstown, at about 6 am, is quite cold for us Aucklanders.
A Moment With Shona
This year AV Events celebrated 30 years, a feat that warranted a dedicated writing piece. As I was researching for that particular newsletter, I got to dig through boxes of old photos with Shona, and hear all about what the company was like in the early days.
As she talked, a warm smile came over her. She gently leaned back in her chair, her mind taken to a different time and place.
I heard about what it was like to be newly married and building a business together; Scott taking over their home shed with production equipment; buying their first projector by using the money they had saved for a house deposit; being evacuated to a rural high school, whilst pregnant, when the youth camp Scott was filming was threatened by a storm.
I heard about their pet German Shepherd, named Archie. There’s this beautiful picture of him lying on a YTV road case, taking his job with absolute seriousness.
“He was our head of security,” Shona recounted with a grin. This wasn’t a joke though. Apparently he was legally on the books as a company asset. (This is just one instance in which Scott’s accounting background has come in handy).
As we sat talking, it became apparent that there was a deep fondness for the time that has been. She was honest and realistic about how hard it had been at times having a company to look after. There have been many challenges and set backs along the way—some quite substantial ones, it seems.
Yet amidst this, there was gratitude for the blessings that she and Scott have received over the years: for hard working staff to call family; for relationships built with long-time clients; and for success in raising the business. As someone who has been privy to much of their story, I can affirm that these have been major tenets of AV Events’ history.
But I can also see that this is the story of the events industry. It is a tension of personal and working lives, each pulling for our focus. There is joy in seeing prostigious accomplishments recognised, or exciting new products launched to the world. But often these events can take us away from our friends and families—not as distractions per se, but as the cost of our industry.
It’s worth acknowledging that. Especially as we enter a season that, in many ways, is marked by families coming back together.
AV Events is testament to the fact that both can co-exist, and even, perhaps, thrive. So for one last time, we want to celebrate the 30 years of events that Scott and Shona have co-laboured in, seeing this beautiful thing called a company come to life.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
From the family here at AV Events, we hope you all have a great break over the holiday season (unless you are managing a festival, in which we hope it goes well for you!)
We look forward to planning those next events with you as the new year rolls round. Stay safe and see you in 2025!