Promotional cartographer

Press, 14 September 1988, Page 10

Promotional cartographer

By

KAY FORRESTER

Gillian Wess’s challenge for the next two years is to put Christchurch on the international map, and she is confident that she can achieve that as Christchurch City’s new promotions director. Miss Wess’s appointment to the high-profile post created by the City, Council was announced yesterday by the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay. ■ - Miss Wess, aged 31, a corporate affairs executive, won the post from 40 other applicants and will take it up next month. She '.will leave a job as corpo-. rate affairs executive at Paynter Corporation, Ltd. The City Council established the. promotions directorship in March .to provide a focus for promoting, the city’s national and international image. This year’s budget provides $120,000 for the director. A little more than half of that is Miss Wess’s remuneration; the rest is for the position’s expenses, including travel. Sir Hamish said yesterday the $120,000 would include “office costs, travel, printing, • stationery, telephone and the usual associated items.”

As promotions director, Miss Wess will report to the council’s Christchurch promotions working party of businesspeople and councillors. “I want to bring a sound and focused approach, so that means doing homework on various projects,” she said. She was in no doubt there were a number of events Christchurch could stage. “I. will be out there marketing Christchurch as a destination in Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. We also have the 'overseas precedents for international events to look at.” Her job description includes securing a regular event comparable with the Adelaide Grand Prix or the Wellington International Festival of the Arts, as well as . smaller events. Her job would also include liaison with various groups in Christchurch to try to. focus the _ rather fragmented present approach to marketing the city, she said. Miss Wess’s contract is for two years. Miss Wess, who is Eng-lish-born, has a /background in public relations and publishing in New Zealand and Britain.