The theme of which was why do we insist on trying to fix things after the event rather than planning to avoid the consequences of mistakes.
Introduced by Murray Gillespie:
Kylie is the Head of Major Events in The Ministry of Business and Innovation (MBIE)
She was born in Tauranga educated there and in Hamilton, graduated from Waikato University in Business Studies started working in accountancy but found that she was more interested in PR, Marketing and Journalism.
Her father was a Rotarian and she remembers her father volunteering in weekends, Riding Club for the Disabled, International student exchanges (hosted many students from around the world) gained an interest in cooking and a diverse palette as a result. Learnt the Service before Self Rotary way and felt very fortunate to do so.
Worked in Napier for 15 years in advertising agencies, Chamber of Commerce, Young Professionals, Hawkes Bay Rugby, Mission Estate Winery. First to do the Mission Concerts.
A short stint in Otago CEO with Toi equivalent.
Moved to Taupo where she met her husband Gareth (CEO of NPDC whose already addressed the club).
Now have a family of daughter at High School and 2 boys in High School and primary school.
She was actively involved with her husband in setting up a Satellite Rotary Breakfast Club (Expresso) meeting fortnightly and breaking away from the traditional Rotary club meetings. Its since been absorbed into its parent Rotary Club (which is always the intention of establishing these clubs). Rotary's major project in Taupo is the Round the Lake Cycle Challenge which is now a leading major event of its kind in the country and raises annually up to 6 figure amounts for charity.
Kylie then turned her address onto her Major Events role and her passion for improving women's participation in sport and outcome rewards.
She mentioned that traditionally only 1 in 3 girls are involved in sport after leaving school.
For boys this is more than 1 in 2.
Factors around this are:
1. Environment (girls not welcome)
2. Competition, girls aren't generally as competitive as boys therefor not so driven to win.
3. Visibility: can't be what you can't see.
In her view Sport adds so much to character particularly team sports, leadership, learning to lose and good sportsmanship.
Cricket has led the way in introducing a quota system. She was 1 of seven women appointed to Cricket Boards in NZ, hers was on the Northern Districts Board(she's still on it).
Now Sport NZ has mandated that the make up of Sports governing bodies has to be at least 40% of either gender to attract funding.
Visibility of women's sport has also increased through the media(TV) quite dramatically in the last few years. Now 50% of NZ'rs watches women's sport.
3 national women's teams in the top 5 of watched international sport:
1. All Blacks
2. Black Ferns Rugby
3. Mens 7's
4. Silver Ferns netball
5. Womens 7's
In the case of cricket 7 years ago women were paid $50.00/day, men $1800.00/day
Today equal pay for equal play in NZ Players agreement.
Top 20 men get a healthy retainer
Up to top 50 paid $150,000 annually equal with men.
Males agreed that women should be paid more.
There has also been big investment in toilets for the top 4 sports over 100 facilities with gender neutral toilets.
She was heavily involved with the FIFA Women's World Football Cup, which was a great success involving 2 host countries with 32 teams.
Each individual player guaranteed a pay cheque. Biggest women's sporting event in New Zealand. 29 matches she got to see 20 of them.
5000 volunteers from 68 different countries, 700,000 tickets sold in NZ (budgeted for 300,000).
There was 2M sold in Australia but NZ well ahead per capita
A survey revealed that 87% of Kiwis had heard of the tournament and 59% had watched at least one game.
Filled Eden Park 3 times, great economic return for each $1 spent, High Profile world wide with an estimated 2 million people watching games.
During television half time breaks New Zealand tourist spots were given coverage.
She met Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State and Karmala Harris's(VP USA) husband
Doug Emhoff at a game (they were in NZ for "The Christchurch Cal"l a meeting hosted by Jacinda Ardern.
One interesting International event coming in July next year is "The World Choir Games"
Over 10,000 choristers from around the world. They will be performing around the country at free community locations culminating in a competition at The Spark Arena in Auckland.
Her annual budget is $66M which is low compared to Melbourne $250M. So its a struggle to be commercially successful. New Zealand has a unique trusted reputation for staging events unlike many other countries
She acknowledged that all areas of volunteering are struggling to recruit members particularly younger members including sports clubs.
Rotary in her eyes has a shared set of values to involve people in Community, Camaraderie, Friendship. We must acknowledge that people these days are time poor and respect that, but there are benefits to be gained by belonging to such an organisation, how to sell this and make our community engagements relevant is the challenge ahead.
What a wonderfully inspiring address Kylie communicated to us.
Congratulations to her for being a pioneer to improve women's sport's profile and attract major events to New Zealand.
She was thanked by Jan Dempsey.
