Hamilton’s H3 group took out two top accolades at the Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) Awards in Christchurch last night.

Claudelands was named ‘Large Venue of the Year’ off the back of an action-packed 12 months of events coupled with an enhanced focus on sustainability and customer experience, while H3 Lead Event Technician Kyle Evelyn was crowned ‘Rising Star of the Year’ for his leadership and innovation within the business and industry.

Sean Murray, Hamilton City Council General Manager of Venues, Tourism and Major Events, says the two awards are outstanding recognition for Kyle and the wider team.

“We are very proud to receive these awards. Claudelands is an outstanding venue and our people have a huge amount of skill, experience and passion when it comes to events, so to have them recognised by the industry is fantastic,” says Murray.

“Kyle is a true star of our business and industry. Having recently stepped up into a leadership role within H3, he certainly has a bright and exciting career path ahead of him.”  

H3 is unit of Hamilton City Council responsible for overseeing the city’s premier event venues – Claudelands, FMG Stadium Waikato and Seddon Park.