What is amazing is the diversity of events on offer. From the agriculture and big business flavour of Fieldays and the hooplah of international rugby to the intense competition of the Gallagher Great Race and the glamour of the King St Great Race Ball.

There is an event to suit everyone. And not long from now one of the biggest events in the world will come our way when the V8 Supercars hit town. I don't think we quite realise what the impact of this will be - from the straight visitor numbers to the worldwide television coverage we will receive. It will be enormous.

Our events calendar is making a big difference to Hamilton's image and is really helping put us on the map.

How do we make the most of this? I've come up with a few suggestions.

First, it's about maximising leverage. We are all indirect sponsors of the events so it's about working out which ones best suit and then aiming to gain maximum mileage. If you've paid to be an event sponsor you've already made the decision that it suits your business image and you have potential to expand your network and grow. Leveraging then becomes key. The rule of thumb is that you need to spend one dollar on leverage for every dollar you spend on securing the sponsorship. This can prove costly so you need to ensure you have the right strategies around signage, media exposure, hosting, advertising and public relations.

Second, we need to be creative. Ernest Rutherford, Nobel Prize winner, came up with the famous quote -"We haven't got any money, so we have to think". So when you have limited resources and you can't afford sponsorship fees or a big leverage budget, then it's time to put your thinking cap on. Try to think up a stunt that will get some media attention - remember the two streakers who helped launch a certain phone company's texting service at a rugby test match? That was outside the square thinking. You don't need to end up on court but there are lots of ways to get attention without spending a fortune.

Third, we need to keep thinking big. Getting the V8's was an absolute coup for the city and a credit to the people involved. While Auckland tied itself up in knots with local Government wrangling and every do-gooder under the sun finding a reason why it shouldn't happen, we slipped quietly under the radar screen, put all barriers to one side and secured it. This was the result of someone having the idea to do it in the first place, then putting a plan in place to succeed. It was that simple. And there is nothing to stop other major event from being brought here. All it takes is a big idea, a bit of good luck, a lot of hard work and the will to make it happen.

Last and by no means least, let's celebrate our own achievements. For a relatively small city we have hosted, wined, dined, wooed and charmed hundreds of thousands of visitors over the last six months. World rally superstars have passed through, the All Blacks have been to stay, rowers from one of the world's top three universities have competed (and lost) on the Waikato river, thousands of the country's farmers have spent their hard earned cash here, and so on the list goes.

It all seemed to have gone smoothly and as a business I am proud to be part of a growing events culture. So we should celebrate this and maybe thank the powers that be for helping build such a vibrant city.

Come to think of it, maybe we need to be thanked for helping make it all happen with the minimum fuss in typical Waikato style.