Event Sponsorship Fund | Hamilton City Council

Applications for 2026/27 Event Sponsorship Fund have been confirmed and are noted below. The 2027/2028 Event Sponsorship Fund will open for applications in 2027.

Why do we have this fund?

Our Event Sponsorship fund is designed to support event organisers who are delivering events that attract a significant number of visitors to Hamilton and have high profile coverage.

This fund provides sponsorship over $5,000 to help fund the effective organisation and marketing of events that:

ensure best value from our investment
develop new long-term business opportunities for Hamilton businesses
help establish event tourism strategies and new community opportunities.

Sponsorship funding is not intended to fund operating shortfalls.

Eligibility

We will look for the following when we consider your application:

emerging events that are new and warrant a kickstart sponsorship investment as they are seen to have significant long-term growth potential for the city
cornerstone longstanding events that have proven performance in delivering a high profile for Hamilton, which add to the city's value proposition and will help drive incremental visitation and expansion opportunity
significant one-off events that present an opportunity to deliver substantial benefits to Hamilton by way of profile, increased visitation, and new business opportunities.

The principal criteria and guidance for sponsorship assessment include:

an alignment with the Hamilton City vision, profile, and broader strategies
quantified/proven exposure benefits and distinctiveness for Hamilton nationally (and internationally) and across business at large
evidence of target audience attendance at regional/national/international levels
the generation of overnight visitation to the city
a significant number of anticipated participants and future growth potential
the use of facilities and assets in the city
strong leverage opportunities and community support
any existing interests and relationships that may give rise to a potential conflict of interest.

Fund criteria

You can apply for the Event Sponsorship if at least one of the benefits listed under each of the three criteria below applies:

Exposure and promotion for the city

The event lifts the status, awareness or profile of Hamilton through the media exposure it receives (international, national, and local) and helps position Hamilton as New Zealand's premier events destination.

Economic benefits for the city

The event will increase the number of people who would normally come into the city at that time, thereby providing potential benefit to local businesses.

Promote pride and sense of place for Hamilton residents

The event gives local residents and those living outside Hamilton more recreational opportunities and helps create a more vibrant and interesting local lifestyle.

2026/2027 funding recipients

Council is a proud financial supporter of the following events via the event sponsorship fund in 2026-27:

The Hamilton Brick Show 2026 ($5,000)
Endangered Species National Hui 2026 ($4,000)
NZ Crossfit Championships 2026 ($10,000)
Cambridge to Hamilton Paddle Race 2026 ($5,000)
COW Art + Design Week 2026 ($15,000)
Aramex Kiwi Walk and Run Series 2026 ($10,000)
Round The Bridges 2026 ($20,000)
World Tennis Tour Hamilton 2026 ($20,000)
Bridge to Bridge Waterski Classic 2026 ($8,000)
Equifest 2026 ($50,000)
Atalanta Jamboree Ladies Badminton Championships 2026 ($5,000)
Z Manu World Champs - Hamilton Super Qualifier 2027 ($12,000)
Porritt Classic 2027 ($6,000)
Hamilton Arts Festival Toi Ora ki Kirikiriroa 2027 ($175,000)
Balloons Over Waikato 2027 ($130,000)
Revcon 2027 ($15,000)