Frequently Asked Questions

The event will be advertised within a special feature about Hawke’s Bay weddings in New Zealand Weddings magazine, within the Wedding News section of Bride & Groom magazine, the Radio Network, Hawke’s Bay Today, local community newspapers, local and national wedding websites including the soon to be launched Hawke’s Bay Weddings web directory.

Posters and flyers will be made available to exhibitors to display within their usual retail environments from early October. Signs will be displayed in prominent positions in and around Hastings, Napier and Central Hawke’s Bay in the lead up to the event.

Gates will be open to the public from 10am, finishing at 5pm

Hired marquees will be erected on Thursday 18 November. Exhibitors will be able to plan and set up their exhibits on Friday 19 November from 10am before joining together for our Pre-Event Networking Soiree from 5pm. On the morning of the event (Saturday 20 November) exhibitors will have access to complete their set up from 7am.

Stalls must be ready and manned by 9.30am. We recommend that the bare bones of your exhibit be set up on Friday with products and finishing touches added early on Saturday morning.

Our gazebos have optional canvas side walls which can be easily added to your gazebo.

If you intend to set up most of your exhibit on Friday, you may choose to enclose your gazebo overnight with four walls. You may also opt for having three walls up on the day of the event to further define your space.

Yes, you can drape fabric on the interior of your hired gazebo but you will not be able to make holes in the canvas.

We can also offer advice and ideas on how to dress your gazebo for maximum impact. More information will be available in your Exhibitors Information Pack which will be sent out 6 weeks prior to the event.

Exhibition panels are 1.2 x 2.4 m solid partition walls which are Velcro receptive and therefore ideal for displaying posters. A minimum of two is required to enable them to stand freely (in an ‘L’ formation). These are an optional extra available for hire.

If you are not sure what optional extras you need at this stage, just make a note on the form and send it in with your $200 deposit as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We will need to know what extras you require prior to invoicing for the balance in October for payment by 1 November.

The gazebos will primarily be on the lawn area in front of the homestead. They will be organised in rows, back to back and side by side.

Walls will be supplied between adjacent gazebos. All hired gazebos will be erected uniformly in one area. A separate area will be allocated for exhibitors own gazebos on the lawn.

Each site will be clearly marked with a number corresponding with the site map. A detailed site map and space allocation will be made available following the close of applications (end of September) once we have assessed the individual requirements of our exhibitors.

There will not be any exhibit sites available in the homestead. The dining room and conservatory areas will be reserved for the service of drinks and afternoon tea only.

In the event of heavy rain (or excessively wet ground as a result of heavy rain) on Saturday 28th November, the event will be postponed to Sunday 29th November. A decision will be made by 5pm on Friday 27th November

Notification of postponement will be provided to exhibitors by text and the public by way of local radio announcements. Updated information will also be provided on our website www.weddingaffair.co.nz .

If rain continues on Sunday 29 November and the site is deemed to be unsafe as a result, the show will be cancelled and all exhibitors will receive a 100% refund for their site investment.

Rather than present a formal fashion show, wedding attire will be modelled throughout the day by our models as they circulate around the venue, offering our guests the opportunity to see gowns and suits up close.

Wedding attire suppliers and designers are advised to provide models with a ‘Z’ card with all the dress statistics including who designed it, fabric type, colours, sizing, availability etc.

As the models will be circulating around the venue talking to prospective brides throughout the day, we recommend that you use someone you can be confident will present your gown at its very best (preferably of an age appropriate to modelling bridal-wear).

We will be able to suggest exhibiting hair/make up stylists who you can collaborate with in order to best present your gown/s. We can also offer help with sourcing models if necessary.

Our models will take the upmost care to prevent gowns from being soiled when worn, however, the models will be walking on grass and gravel at times throughout the day.

If you wish to participate in presenting your bridal fashion at the event, please be advised that you do so at your own risk and Mangapapa Petit Hotel and the event organisers cannot be held liable for any damage.

Where bridal gowns are on permanent display, carpet flooring will be supplied.

If you would like to showcase your hair/make up on our live models, we will be able to put you in touch with the bridal houses exhibiting.

Together you can coordinate hair and make-up which will work best with the selected gown. As our models will be circulating around the event, we suggest that you prepare your model with answers to any enquiries.

All musicians exhibiting at the event will have the opportunity to play in our musical line up which will be spread out across the day.

This is the perfect opportunity to showcase what you have to offer. We will be looking for a variety of musical genres appropriate for either ceremony or reception music, presented by solo artists, duos or bands. If you would like to perform, please contact us and send in a demo CD to assist us in developing the line up for the event.

We will be running a series of seminars throughout the day in our conference facility in Green Sahara. All exhibitors have the opportunity to put their name forward to present a half hour to one hour workshop or demonstration on any wedding related topic from within their area of expertise, e.g: a photographer may present a seminar on what to look for when selecting a wedding photographer.

We will be looking for a wide variety of topics for presentation. Please put your suggestions forward early to avoid disappointment as this is an excellent way to raise the profile of your business! A data projector and flipchart will be made available in the conference space.

Please note that if you are presenting a seminar it is advised that you have somebody to man your stall for you in your absence.

Our high quality gift bags will be distributed to the first 500 visitors through the door and is therefore an ideal opportunity for you to reach as many of your target audience as you can.

Shandelle Marketing will be offering free advice to all exhibitors about how best to promote your business with vouchers and long lasting promotional gifts as well as practical tips on how to get the most out of exhibiting at the event.

All brides will have the opportunity to enter to ‘Win a Wedding’ with the ceremony taking place at our 2010 event.. Exhibitors can contribute to the prize by offering their product or service free or for a significantly discounted rate (e.g $500 off the total cost).

All contributors to the prize pool will be named in advertising of the competition in the lead up to the event and when promoted on the day in 2009. As an added bonus, all contributors will be offered a database of competition entrants who have given permission for their contact details to be used.

If we haven’t answered your question here, please contact Andrea on 06 870 7266 or 027 5506 647 or email andrea@weddingaffair.co.nz .

We will be only too happy to help! We will also continue to update our FAQs as more questions come in and as the project develops, so please let us know what information you require and we will make sure we cover it here.