Expo man to plan Sesqui

Press, 23 November 1988, Page 53

Expo man to plan Sesqui

' PA •' Wellington The man who marketed Brisbane’s Expo 88 has been engaged as chief executive for Sesqui, the , festival which will turn i Wellington into a visual ; and audio carnival city for nearly two months in L 1990. Tasmanian-born John Gittus, aged 56, has already started full-time work on a project he expects will see Wellington the colour and fun centre of New Zealand in February and March as New Zealand celebrates 150 years. Mr Gittus plans to use ..the character of Wellington to create the character of Sesqui — “Not another Expo but a warm, fun-for-everyone festival, a national event but .uniquely Wellington audibly and visibly, bringing New Zealand into a Well- ' ington set up to entertain the whole country.” He is working on what he calls the unbeatable .mix, commercial enough to bring in the support of . the big-business commun--ity, commercial enough to give the sponsors their fair return and uncommercial enough for the public to have a longrunning fun time to which they will want to return. " Sesqui is a joint venture between the Wellington Show Association and the ■ 1990 Trust, a regional organisation.

The president of the Show Association, Mr Keith Hancox, said the appointment of John Gittus was seen as a coup. He predicted Sesqui (denoting a century and a half) would draw more people into Wellington than the 1990 Commonwealth Games would to Auckland.

Mr Gittus, who has been engaged for at least 18 months, says he is sure overseas Governments will produce exotic displays beyond commercial and trade exhibits. The colour-character of Sesqui would lend itself to displays of cultural exhibits and activities.

“Such things as wool fashion shows from sheep to models, the shearers doing their thing with the wool going to the spinners and on to the weavers and into the garments for show. “Giant hangis, bigger than anything imagined before. “The food component of the festival is vital. If people can’t experiment with food or get enough to eat they go away, so there will be food with imagination and pizzaz, open-air spit-roasts, wine festivals.” While Sesqui is bowling along, Wellington will also host the New Zealand Festival of the Arts and. Mr Gittus plans to work closely with the organisers.