Location:
WH418, WH Building, AUT Wellesley Campus
Abstract: Hallmarking a mega event to strengthen tourism leverage is a strategy adopted by Tourism New Zealand. Mega sporting events also provide the host country a legitimate approach to promote their national identities and cultures on a global scale. Different from other event stakeholders, the host community is also the stakeholder whose role can be the contributor, benefactor, and beneficiary, or sufferer throughout the whole event process. Causality exists between early stakeholder input of host community and impacts of the event. As the largest event ever staged in New Zealand (NZ), the Rugby World Cup 2011’s (RWC2011) “uniquely New Zealand” thumb-printing slogan may create doubts of national identity for some who are not devotees of rugby. Through a case study of the Chinese migrant community this research explores the relationships of migrant’s participation to identity and pride, their awareness of the RWC2011 and its connection to event participation, economic links and identity and pride.
Through a triangulation approach with a content analysis, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires, this research aims at: analysing the local Chinese community’s awareness of the RWC2011; understanding the local Chinese community’s participation in RWC2011, understanding local Chinese business community engagement with TWC2011; and identifying the impact of RWC2011 on the sense of identity and pride within the local Chinese community. This seminar focuses on the quantitative element of this research.
Biography: Chloe Lau received her Master of Business in Tourism from AUT and her Bachelor of Science in Travel Industry Management from University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA. While she was at Hawaii, Chloe was with the marketing team of Pan Tours, the largest travel retailer and wholesaler in Hawaii. She was also with the staffing team at the ITT Sheraton Hotels in Waikiki, responsible for developing procedures and recruiting. After studying and working in Hawaii, she returned to Hong Kong and joined the Peninsula Clubs & Consultancy Services, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited. During her time with the HSH, she was involved in various projects from feasibility studies, planning, development, opening to operation stages. She has served as the Regional Services Manager (Greater Auckland Region) for the Chinese New Settlers Services Trust, one of the largest NGOs in NZ. She is now an Accredited Trainer for Meeting Professionals International (MPI) & Certified Hospitality Educator, and joined the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM), Hong Kong Polytechnic University, in 2006 as an Instructor. She is currently also the Programme Leader for BAC Xi’an. She is also with the team of New Zealand Tourism Research Institute.
