Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Nick Sautner: Eden Park CEO on the All Blacks v South Africa clash

Transcript

Nick Sautner: Eden Park CEO on the All Blacks v South Africa clash · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Some are calling it the biggest match in rugby since
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the twenty three World Cup final. Degree the All Backs
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: will be taking on the spring Box at Eden Park
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: and it's happening this Saturday. The All Backs have been
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: undefeated there for fifty straight test Fortress Eden Park. Last
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: time they lost was back in nineteen ninety four.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Do you have the Beziers greatest moment a series win
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: over New Zealand France twenty three New Zealand.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Twenty That was the very first game of All Backs
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: rugby ever went to and we lost from the try
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: from the end of the world. Next sorting as the
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: CEO of Eden Park Neck, gooday.
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Good morning Andrew, and thanks to your time. Nervous a
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: little bit the staff. Obviously we've got a full time
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: and casual workforce of over three thousand of the putting
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: together this weekend's event and things important. We acknowledged that
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: effort from the volunteers to the train drivers, they all
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: contribute to the en Field performance, but also ensuring that
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Fortress continues.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, absolutely, there's a team of five million behind
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: this team mate. To be fair, but you still haven't
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: seen whether you're nervous or not.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: I am it certainly is the CEO. I don't want
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: the record to be broken. And the All Blacks are
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: great for business. Events like the Test on the weekend
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: highlight the benefits and major events to the city in
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: the country and we want that record to continue. And
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: unconfident will does.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: It break the brand if they do lose? And have
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: you have you got a campaign ready after the unthinkable?
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: Well, we do feature the Fortress signing throughout and when
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: teams come to play at Eden Park they play the
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: All Blacks or the Black Ferns, but they also played
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: in Park and I'm sure there's something special about our
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: venue as you know, and memories are created and lifelong
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: stories are told.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: And is the attention it's a setout that's huge. I
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: mean the attention is enormous. There are parties in Kings
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: happening as well, and this is all reinstating the fact
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: that this is our national stadium.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: That's correct. I was with a business yesterday. They took
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: a two hundred person booking for Saturday. Gates open for
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: corporates at four pm with public at five pm. We
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: want people to arrive early. We want to be part
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: of that atmosphere. There's a huge range of food and
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: beverage offers at the venue and we want to ensure
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: that the street to the seed experience is what people expect.
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: I meanwhile, we had some news yesterday the Blues are
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: going to call ead And Park home for twenty six
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: twenty seven after flirting with Mount Smart. Now that would
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: have been a worrying development for you because that's your
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: anchor client.
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: The Blues are critical to our business model and rugby.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: It has been an important phase for us. We are
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: looking at how we can assist the Blues in their
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: thirtieth year to change the experience for our fans and
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: that was important conversation for us. But to secure six
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: games over the next two years was a great outcome
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: for our national stadium.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Well good on you and good luck and of course
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: you've got some big events coming Metallica can't wait for
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: that and of course the Edinburgh Military tat too. But
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: here's a question for you. Could split in sell out
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Eden Park?
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: I think they could. I think particularly with the shortage
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: of content over the next music content over the next
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: sort of six to twelve months, people are looking for
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: that escapism. We also have Hot Wheels, Monster trucks and
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: International Rugby League. But that diversity and one off content
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: that make memories of something that we're focused on.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Will split end set out Eden Park. Could that happen now?
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: Are You're not allowed to tell me, are you?
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: That's for the promoter to consider, And what I would
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: suggest is since we've got our consequencent, we've had sellout
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: from each year and through to Coldplay, Coldplay, through to
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: Pink and Pink through the Metallica.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah all great. Next, Saughtner, have a great weekend. I
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: know you work very hard over that weekend and your
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: whole team. Thank you so much for making a good
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: venue even greater on these big days as well.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio