Yesterday saw the first meetings of two new Sub-Committees put together by the Board of Harness Racing NZ.
Owners’ Initiatives and Liaison Sub-Committee
The group, consisting of Trevor Beaton, Greg Crawford, Martin Cummings, Nigel Armstrong, Barry Dent and Pete Ydgren will meet regularly to discuss initiatives and promotions aimed at maximising the experience of Owners within the industry and attracting new ownership.
Some of the key issues discussed at the meeting held on the 29th of November were:
- The production and circulation of an ‘Owners Identification Card’ to all owners on the HRNZ database.
- Opportunities within the Harness Racing Media to better publicise current owners and the ownership experience.
- Incentive schemes available to encourage Harness Racing Clubs to provide exclusive Owners Areas on course and maximise the recognition owners experience on race day.
- To support the Owners Association’s objective to ‘tidy-up’ the current proliferated state of the Association’s branches across the country.
The Owners’ Initiatives and Liaison Sub-Committee will meet again prior to Christmas to action some of the ideas from the meeting and further discuss new promotions for implementation in early 2017.
Youth Council
A select group of young people representing a wide range of participants was bought together to share their thoughts on how young people can be more involved in the future of the industry. Led by HRNZ Board members John Coulam and Trevor Beaton, some of the key areas of discussion were;
- Engaging and motivating a wider base of youth to attend race meetings.
- Promotion and Events at race meetings to maximise the on-course atmosphere and make use of the time between races.
- The branding of Harness Racing and how this can be more disruptive in the modern environment.
- Potential industry funding options to assist young people in making the transition from school leavers to full time employees or into self-employment.
The group will seek to add more members over the coming months to expand the views put forward.
For more information on either of these Committees please contact Pete Ydgren on 021-190-0063
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
