One of Auckland's busiest venues enters new era
NEWS | Introducing…Ellerslie Events
One of Auckland’s busiest venues enters new era
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR), parent of Ellerslie Event Centre, has kicked off a new chapter in its illustrious history with the launch of a new family of brands.
The merger between Auckland Racing Club and Counties Racing Club saw the creation of a new entity, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, which is the parent company of Ellerslie Racecourse, Pukekohe Park, and Ellerslie Event Centre – now renamed as Ellerslie Events to better reflect the breadth and diversity of its offerings.
With the anticipated return to racing at Ellerslie Racecourse scheduled for early 2024, the timing was ideal for a rebrand that would consolidate the three destinations together under a single umbrella.
“It’s not every day you get the opportunity to work on brands that have such importance not only to a vital NZ industry but also to our city, especially those that are close to 150 years old,” says True CEO, Matt Dickinson.
“So, it was with equal parts excitement and trepidation we undertook this amazing project with the team at Auckland Thoroughbred Racing. Thankfully, Paul (Wilcox), Laura (Madden), Olivia (Kinley) and the board were hugely supportive of the process and the work and as a result we have created new brands for the iconic Ellerslie Racecourse, Ellerslie Event Centre, Pukekohe Park, and the Auckland Thoroughbred Racing brand itself. Work we are immensely proud of.”
The new events brand draws on the feeling evoked by an occasion spent with friends, family or colleagues and True Creative Director & Partner, Matt Heays comments, “working closely with ATR to develop the brand and identities has been an exciting challenge.
“ATR boasts an outstanding legacy as the premiere home of thoroughbred racing. It was essential we honour that legacy while making sure we delivered modern, vibrant, and exciting identities for each brand, with bold expressions that would be head-turning and create the kind of energy generated at the races and the many events and occasions they host.
“Each brand is defined by unique colour and design attributes yet each is imbued with elements from the masterbrand, bringing them all into a cohesive family. We’re thrilled with the outcome.”
The Ellerslie Events brand was showcased at the MEETINGS trade show which took place from 21 June, the only national trade show in New Zealand for the business events industry, while the new racing brands are launching on August 1 to coincide with the start of the new racing season. The launches will also include new websites developed by Calibrate, as well as various out of home executions.
“There’s a lot of positive change happening in the industry and across ATR, and most people will be aware of the huge amount of building and redevelopment work taking place at Ellerslie. For this reason, we needed new brands to provide ATR and Ellerslie Events with a focus and strategic direction for many years to come,” says ATR CEO, Paul Wilcox.
“Getting there was an incredibly robust process, but I’m pleased with the result, grateful for all the hard work that went into creating it and delighted to have all our brands united under a single umbrella.”
