Seventh time's a charm for Hawkes Bay’s Enchanted Ball
Organisers of the Enchanted Ball hope seventh time's the charm when it comes to the long-awaited event due to be held at the end of the month.
The event, hosted by Etiquette Events and the Flagship Events Company, has had to be postponed six times in the past two years as organisers navigated alert level changes and the introduction of the traffic light system in the Covid pandemic
Organiser Greg Howie says that creating safe and fun events is important for social wellbeing and the added benefit of this event is that it supports their charity Te Mata Park.
"Originally this upcoming ball was sold out in 48 hours which completely blew us away. Naturally with any event postponement however not everyone can make the new date so we have to process refunds and re-sell tickets with each date change.
"This is a costly exercise and the temptation to simply cancel has definitely been a consideration however we are humbled by the ongoing support of our amazing sponsors and a large group of loyal ball attendees and of course the charitable trust we support and that pushed us to keep going."
He says "everyone simply deserves a good party after the last couple of years we have all faced".
The Enchanted Ball which started back in March 2018, was initially created with the intention to provide a unique experience for attendees, wrapped around a bit of mystery and theatrics.
Guests simply need to get dressed up, get to the designated bus collection point and the event organisers take care of the rest, Howie says.
"Through word of mouth and some very generous landowners, each location has held true to the enchanted theme creating incredible wow moments as quests are enraptured by the night. This year's secret location is no exception and we are so excited for lucky ticket holders to finally see it."
“The Enchanted Ball is surrounded in secrecy with guests not knowing the location of the event until they are on the bus and arriving at their destination. Previous balls have been held on private land that has been gifted to event organisers and just like Te Mata Park itself, they are also jewels in Hawkes Bay’s crown.”
Another key component of the event is the live auction which always provides a bit of fast-paced entertainment with all proceeds going toward the Te Mata Peak trust.
“We’ve raised over $30,000 over the last two events and we have a goal of hitting $100,000 over five years with a plan to develop the pond area at the beginning of Chambers Walk."
This year, to help get everyone on the dance floor, Howie said they'd hired one of the best cover bands in the country, Superbad Soul Selection from Wellington.
"We have been in close correspondence with this band over the last few years and we are thrilled to finally find a date that works for them and us, ball attendees are in for a real treat this year”.
“Tickets are selling fast, so we urge people to book now and hopefully those that missed out originally can make the new date."
