Overview

The INTERKULTUR owned World Choir Games is the largest and most prestigious choral music festival in the world. It takes place biannually in a different city around the world. Funded by local and central government, MBIE & TAU and presented by the New Zealand Choral Foundation, The 13th World Choir Games took place in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa 10 to 20 July 2024. 250 Choirs, with 11,000 singers competed from over 42 countries. I joined the event delivery team in October 2023 to set up and lead the Marketing, Sales & Communications team for the event. Working through the timeline and allocated budget, alongside the industry leading PR Siobhan Waterhouse and her team,

Challenge

This was no ordinary arts event.

While the choral community in Aotearoa is passionate and well-established, we needed to reach far beyond the traditional audience. We were tasked with filling major venues – Spark Arena, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Holy Trinity Cathedral and more – multiple times over an 11-day schedule. And as the largest international event in the country since the pandemic, we also needed to ensure that the city felt the scale of the Games from the moment the first choir landed.

On a not-for-profit budget, the challenge was clear: generate mass awareness, disrupt outdated perceptions of choral music, and create a bold, joyful campaign that matched the spirit of the event.

Strategy

At the heart of our approach was reframing what choral music means to the general public.

We knew we had to break away from the stereotypical image of quiet, robed singers in churches and instead highlight the explosion of colour, energy and culture that the World Choir Games would bring.

While the choral faithful were already engaged through regular NZCF communications, our job was to reach everyone else across the motu. We needed visuals that celebrated diversity and joy, messaging that opened minds, and media that could scale our story.

Key components of the strategy:

• Creative campaign: Partnered with Curative to develop a visually arresting campaign that honoured INTERKULTUR’s brand guidelines while bringing modern, culturally resonant energy.

• Media amplification: Secured a powerful integrated media partnership with MediaWorks, delivering national reach via radio, digital and outdoor, alongside promotions, ticket giveaways, and a bespoke Games podcast voiced by radio legend Robert Scott.

• Additional media: Strategic purchases in high impact print formats across NZME and Stuff properties, as well as local publications, and digital arts destinations were utilised to widen the audience reach. Targeted paid use of social media platforms and database drove engagement and ticket sales.

• Partnerships : Leveraging event partnerships to dress accomodation partners, run competitions targeting their database and social media following and providing extravagant prize experiences.

• City takeover: Worked with TAU and other partners to activate major civic landmarks including:

  • Vector Lights on Auckland Harbour Bridge dancing to the official anthem Breathing in, Breathing out Te taukaea tangata” performed by Marlon Williams & Ria Hall.

  • Sky Tower, Light path & Auckland Live venues lit in Games colours.

  • Street flags, billboards, buses and banners dressing the city from the Viaduct to Mayoral Drive.

Execution

We phased our approach across key moments:

• Lead-up: Built organic and paid momentum on social media, growing a database through newsletters, social recruitment competitions and cross-promotion with other arts orgs including The Auckland Arts Festival, Auckland Philharmonia and NZ Opera

• Always-on digital: Deployed a smartly targeted paid campaign focused on engagement and education.

• PR storytelling: The participants and internationally renowned juror panels all have stories to tell of their journey leading up to the Games. Used earned media to shift perceptions of choral music and spotlight the cultural, human and international scope of the Games.

• Final push: Two weeks out, we went big — activating every available asset to immerse the city in World Choir Games branding.

Results & Impact

• Strong attendance with packed venues, sold out houses and queues out of the door at the competition venues, workshops and marquee concerts provided a total audience of over 25,000

• Widespread city visibility, with Games branding and presence felt across central Auckland.

• Massive uplift in awareness, digital engagement and social media buzz, a respectable 5:1 purchases ratio to engagement digitally

• Positive media coverage helping reposition choral music as dynamic, inclusive and global, across radio formats, TV and print.

• Tourism impacts far exceeded similar events, the Games attracted 9,395 visitors to Tāmaki Makaurau, generating 61,586 visitor nights, and $14.5M of tourism expenditure. At a national level, the event attracted 8,310 international visitors to the country, generating 81,676 international visitor nights and $19.9M visitor expenditure

• Public perception was measured at a 92% event satisfaction, and a Net Promoter score of 67. 92% of local attendees agreed or strongly agreed that hosting events makes New Zealand a more enjoyable place to live.

• Coverage, not only did the Games receive extensive coverage as a news and current affairs item during the event, it will live on in RNZ live recordings of the Marquee concerts, and a documentary series “Choir Games” coming to Sky and Neon from 4th May 2024

Reflections

This campaign proved that even on a not-for-profit budget, you can create something big, brave and unforgettable with the right mix of strategy, collaboration and creativity. It was an incredible privilege to help bring the Games to life in Aotearoa and celebrate the power of music to unite the world.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Chief Executive Nick Hill - “The event exceeded our expectations in driving winter visitation to Tāmaki Makaurau and provided a significant boost to Auckland’s economy. It was truly a celebration of community and creativity, showcasing the best of Auckland to the world and proving again the value of events to our region. The journey to host the World Choir Games began in 2020, and witnessing our region come alive with song over the eleven days was nothing short of magical. Our rich Māori and Pasifika cultures were beautifully woven throughout the Games, with world-class opening and closing ceremonies at Spark Arena and a special celebration of Matariki.”

INTERKULTUR’s President Günter Titsch, - “2024 has been a milestone year for the World Choir Games, standing out as one of the most successful and memorable events in our history.”

WCG2024 Artistic and Games Director John Rosser - “Our twofold ambition in hosting the Games was to put in front of New Zealand choirs and audiences the vast richness and diversity of the choral world, while at the same time sharing this country’s musical and cultural traditions with our international guests. Both aims were achieved in a more complete and satisfying way than we could ever have imagined.”

Official photographs (c) Jinki Cambronero