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All On Target for Show Week
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It’s a hive of activity at the Hawke’s Bay Show Grounds as nearly 8000 square metres of marquees go up in preparation for next week’s show.
Heading the massive task is Hirepool’s northern events manager Ian Jowsey. With around 19 truck and trailer loads of equipment converging on Hawke’s Bay from all over the North Island, there is a lot to coordinate.
He and his 18-strong team started putting up the marquees on Sunday, March 2, and will have all 56 up and ready for business by Saturday (March 14).
“This is probably one of our biggest jobs in terms of infrastructure and value,” says Jowsey.
And it adds to an already busy time for the company, who are also supplying equipment and marquees to the Cricket World Cup, Northern Field Days, Central District Field Days, weddings and other events.
“When we have this sort of volume of gear, it has to come from a number of different sources, so it will just come straight here,” he says.
And it’s not just marquees either, Hirepool also supply showers, toilets, internal fittings, exhibition requirements, fencing, arena lighting, flooring and more.
They’ve been working with HOY since 2012 – that first year, they were hit with a tornado while setting things up, costing them around $100,000 in damages.
“Wind is our biggest challenge,” says Jowsey. “This year it has been pretty cruisey.”
He’s full of credit for his new operations manager Josh Roussel.
“He’s driven the crew and logistics extremely well. He has been the big difference between this year and last.”
He’s also thankful he is dealing with an organisation that understands Hirepool’s challenges.
“The team at HOY get what is involved with infrastructure and what has to be done,” he says. “They understand what it takes to get that volume of equipment moved around the country at this time of year . . . that understanding and knowledge of my side of the business is invaluable.”
