GG BUZZ - ISSUE 4

Merry Christmas from Go Geraldine ...

Well, it is officially summer (despite mixed weather!) and with December romping along we can now all come out of the closet and start to really enjoy the festive season!

At Go Geraldine it has been a busy year with a highly successful Shop Local campaign, the appointment of a new coordinator, a move to online newsletters and the introduction of the BUZZ, to name just a few activities.

Rounding out the year has been a wonderfully positive reception at the Christchurch Show (see below) and what is shaping up to be the biggest Go Geraldine Christmas Parade yet, this Friday.

The board of Go Geraldine would like to thank the members for their support and encouragement during the year and specifically to those members who have offered up time, expertise and other support on the various projects that have been undertaken to promote and develop our amazing town.

Finally, a huge thank you to our generous sponsors Barker's of Geraldine, HHA, Geraldine Licensing Trust and Lynn River. These organisations provide vital practical and financial support, enabling Go Geraldine to strive to achieve great results. These organisations are local hero's, they firmly set their faith in our vibrant, diverse and interesting town through their support of Go Geraldine . Thank you!

On behalf of everyone at Go Geraldine, the BUZZ wishes you and yours a very merry Christmas and happy new year!

CHCH Show Update

Each year Go Geraldine hosts a marquee at the Christchurch A&P Show to promote Geraldine to the wider world. Member businesses are invited to display products, host stalls, display brochures and participate in a variety of other ways. The CHCH Show attracts up to 100,000 visitors each year from around New Zealand and the Go Geraldine marquee, ideally situated on the busy Deans Avenue, is a very popular destination for show visitors.

This year the businesses showcased in the marquee included a diverse range of industries from Marsden Engineering (with a cow massage machine) through to chic clothing from Design 1,2,3 and The Tin Shed, on to iconic Barker's of Geraldine and everything in between.

People visiting the marquee were very positive about what a great place Geraldine is which made it easy for our welcoming team to talk about other aspects of interest in the town. People visiting the marquee reported that they really enjoyed finding out more about our great town and enjoyed browsing the displays on offer.

Valuable feedback was received both at the show and in the weeks following the show with several member businesses reporting new custom as a direct result of displaying brochures or hosting a stand.

The CHCH Show project is an important part of Go Geraldine's strategic promotional plan and feedback is important in gauging the effectiveness of the marquee in achieving the aims of promoting Geraldine. If your organisation receives any comments about the GG marquee at the CHCH show we would love to hear them - it helps us plan for the future.

Speaking of planning; the CHCH Show project team will be gearing up again from February 2015 to plan next year's marquee. Please contact Janene if you are interested in joining next time round!

Pictured above at the Show: Lesley Limbe, Stacey Timblick, Jenny Timblick, Brigitte Barker, Jenny Dewar, Jill Roberts and Cheryl Emmerson.
Picture below: Kaye Highton (GG Board Member) and Stacey Timblick.

Go Geraldine Notices

Important Information for Members!

After a busy year Go Geraldine will be winding down for the holidays from late December through to late January. During this period the Go Geraldine Co-ordinator, Janene Adams, will be available for urgent queries by phone (027 555 6524) or email and normal business will resume at the start of February.

Events Around Town

NYE Ball: Now is the time to start planning your New Years Eve and the GG NYE Ball will be THE place to be this year.

With tickets only $65, and available from Fresh Choice and the Geraldine Resource Centre, you need to get in quick!

The Ball will be held at stunning Stonebridge with guests greeted by a glass of bubbly and canapés on arrival, able to dance the night way to band Wicked Game followed by a lovely supper and then a ride home!  Get a group together and make this New Years Eve one to remember!

Go Geraldine Christmas Parade: The Christmas Parade returns again this Friday, 5th December, with more floats than ever!  The entertainment commences at 6 pm on the Village Green with the parade starting at 7 pm from the Hislop/Talbot Street corner. The GG Christmas Parade committee work all year to make the sure parade goes off with a bang and they are especially thrilled with the support of local businesses and organisations this year taking part in the parade.

Christmas Street Lights:  Many of you will have noticed that the Christmas street lights are in the process of being installed at the moment and are creating a sparkling festive atmosphere in the evenings. The lights currently festoon the verandas along Talbot Street from Peel to Wilson Sts.

During 2014 Go Geraldine worked with the Geraldine Community Board to arrange the purchase of additional strings of white lights which, in the future, will enable the whole of the centre of town to be lit up in the same way. The lights were purchased using a budgeted allocation from the Timaru District Council (TDC).

With the lights now purchased and in storage in Geraldine the next stage of the project will be for power points to be installed at various places around the town so that the new lights can be plugged in. The cost of and time frame for installation will be staggered over the next two years from the TDC budget, with work taking place in mid winter.

During each stage of installation businesses will be approached to seek permission for power point placement.

The lights make a wonderful addition to the town during the festive season and the Geraldine Community Board along with Go Geraldine are reviewing other options to further enhance the Christmas lights displays in future years.

Finally, a huge well done and thank you to all the businesses who have got into the festive spirit with decorations and lights in their windows - the town is looking resplendent!!

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