Testimonials

We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Janette as part of the Avis Magic Team which we are all looking forward to continuing into the future. As the Operations Manager Janette is meticulous in approach and her attention to detail is incredible. She willingly does what needs to be done plus more. She takes time to understand and meet the needs of those involved in the event. Nothing phases Janette and she certainly deals with the unexpected extremely well. Her planning and follow through sees match days and the Season Awards run like clockwork with nothing overlooked and therefore, the experiences offered to fans, sponsors and volunteers are always first class. We really enjoy working with Janette and are looking forward to our special relationship continuing. 

Gary & Sheryl Dawson

I had the pleasure of working alongside Janette during one of the largest sporting events ever held at ILT Stadium Southland. Contracted by Netball New Zealand, Janette quickly established a strong and trusted working relationship with both myself and our wider team.

Despite only having a relatively short lead-in period together due to the event being qualification-dependent, Janette quickly earned my respect through her calm, organised approach and exceptional leadership. Having worked in the events industry for more than 20 years and alongside countless event professionals during that time, it is rare that someone stands out as quickly as Janette did. Her ability to identify opportunities, challenges, and important details was exceptional, and there were several occasions where she highlighted things that others had missed. I was genuinely impressed by her experience, insight, and attention to detail. These qualities added significant value to the event and contributed greatly to its success.

What impressed me most was her ability to remain composed under pressure while keeping everyone focused and moving forward. She led with confidence, professionalism, and a genuine willingness to collaborate, making even the most challenging moments feel manageable.

Beyond her professional expertise, Janette was simply a pleasure to work with. There were plenty of laughs along the way, and by the end of the event I felt like I had gained not only a highly respected industry contact but also a new friend.

I could not have asked for a better person to work alongside during such a significant event, and I would have no hesitation in recommending Janette to any organisation looking for an experienced, capable, and highly professional event leader.

Ang Simpson

Event Manager

ILT Stadium Southland

I wanted to share how much we have appreciated working with you over the years. Your professionalism, warmth and genuine care for your sponsors never went unnoticed, and you have made us feel very much a part of the Magic family.  We know you will be an incredible asset wherever you go.

Thank you again for everything you have done for us and for Lodge as their representatives. We wish you all the very best over the coming months, and we hope our paths cross again soon.

Donna Southwick, Lodge Real Estate

Working with Janette is always a pleasure. She is highly organised, communicates clearly and has a relaxed, positive approach that makes even the busiest events feel like a breeze. She gets the job done to a high standard while keeping the experience enjoyable for everyone involved. I would happily recommend Janette and Events Collective.

Bob Wilson, COO, Monstavision

Janette from The Events Collective was an absolute asset to the Blue Lake Multisport Festival. She hit the ground running and brought a clear level of event expertise that was evident in every detail.  Her communication was excellent, keeping us informed and addressing any issues as they arose.  She had everything covered from ensuring we had the right stationery at registration to meticulously planning signage and preparing for emergency scenarios. Her attention to detail was second to none. She was incredibly supportive, allowing our club to make the key decisions while providing well-considered advice and relevant information to guide us.  As a grassroots, community-led event run by volunteers, we truly appreciated her professionalism and structure, which helped us deliver a fantastic event. And she managed to do all of this in a super fun and engaging way, making it a joy to work alongside her. We would highly recommend Janette to anyone looking for expert event management with a personal touch. 

Nicola Smallwood, President, Rotorua Triathlon Club

Janette at Events Collective is an outstanding Event Manager. Her depth of experience is evident as she thought of everything and her timing for each step on our journey was perfect. She provided guidance and leadership to our Governance group and also to the local organising committee for on the ground event delivery. Importantly she set the tone from the start around high expectations of the experience from purchasing tickets, to arriving at the venue, all the way until leaving at end of day. This extended not just to spectators but to all those involved and aligned beautifully with our values in Rotorua around manaakitanga and ensuring all our visitors feel welcomed and respected. The event ran smoothly, we all had great fun as a united team and even finished in the black due to her prudent financial management. We would not hesitate to use Events Collective again and to recommend Janette and team for other major events 

Aimee McGregor, President, Rotorua BMX Club

I wish to acknowledge the work and attention to detail that you applied to ensure the success of the 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Cup, hosted at the Rotorua BMX club in February 2024. The UCI World Cup was the first and second rounds of the 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Cup series, both rounds being qualifying events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the first time a UCI BMX Racing World Cup has been held in New Zealand. The event was strongly supported by International BMX nations and attracted over 200 of the world’s best riders including the current Olympic champions, the UCI World champions and the 2023 UCI BMX Racing World Cup series winners. The 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Cup series was a showcase of a world class sporting competition and was broadcast live around the world. Your Event Management skills were very well executed, leading a team of over 50 persons from Cycling New Zealand, BMX New Zealand and the Rotorua BMX club. It is not an easy task to lead this number of people from differing backgrounds, ensuring they work together to achieve the successful outcomes, something that you took in your stride and executed in an exceptional manner over many months of preparation and then 7 days of the event. Your engagement with the key UCI stakeholders was on point from day one which is very much appreciated by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Rotorua city and surrounds were showcased during the International broadcast feed, providing excellent marketing return for the City and New Zealand tourism in general. Rotorua as a city is an excellent destination. UCI personnel and athletes were warmly welcomed and hosted by the Rotorua community. The Māori welcome onto the venue will be a lasting memory by all that attended. Overall, our experience during the 2024 UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Rotorua was fantastic and the UCI would welcome a bid by Cycling New Zealand for the UCI BMX Racing World Cup to return to Rotorua for future events. Thank you once again for your support and dedication.  

Norm McCann, BMX Consultant, UCI

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Janette during her time as the Event Manager and more recently now as Operations Manager for Avis Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and I can confidently say she is an exception professional. Janette consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership, organisation, and attention to detail in managing all aspects of the event. Her ability to coordinate logistics, juggle multiple balls and wear multiple hats to ensure smooth execution under pressure was truly impressive. Janette’s positive attitude and proactive approach made her a joy to work with, and her ability to handle complex challenges with grace and efficiency was key to the success of every event. Her communication skills are top-notch, always keeping all contractors and stakeholders informed and aligned. Her approachable, friendly but fair demeanour is a very commendable quality. I highly recommend Janette for any event management role. She is a dedicated, reliable, and skilled professional who would be a valuable asset to any team. 

Dana Haycock, Event Manager, H3 Group

Janette has delivered multiple events for us, with a variety of scale, budgets and people dynamics. Janette’s knowledge of the event sector, her positive working relationships with the major players and funders, combined with her attention to detail has ensured a very professional delivery of positive event outcomes. Customers and partners have received first class experiences as substantiated in post event survey results. I highly recommend the Events Collective (Janette) as your event delivery partner.

Simon Peterson, Chief Executive, Cycling New Zealand

Congratulations again on a successful event! I thought your leverage and legacy plan was particularly impressive, in terms of engagement with Rangatahi, successfully building a relationship with mana whenua and influencing the UCI to change the schedule for future events! Also, love the images featuring the big ROTORUA on the start ramp!  Thanks again and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Charlotte Pearson, Events Planner, Rotorua Lakes Council

Working with Janette over five years we partnered on everything from World Cup events and major championships through to regional competitions for juniors.  Regardless of the event, the same exacting standards around health & safety, guest experience, commercial returns, promotion and stakeholder engagement were never compromised.  Jannette was a trusted advisor and shared her expertise as we worked to develop our own calendar of events.  She is an absolute subject matter expert in what it takes to deliver extraordinary events. Through quite a few back to back 20-hour days during big events and some very challenging situations, Janette has only ever delivered outstanding results.     

Scott Gemmill, Home of Cycling.

I think about working with Janette with such fond memories.  Through the years I learnt so much from her and I was forever inspired by her professionalism, unmatched creativity, fierce organisation, hard work and humour.  There wasnt an event she wasnt trying to improve and step-up from one year to the next.  If you are wanting events delivered to a world class standard, it's Janette you need on your team.

Maria Walker, Ironman NZ