Waitangi Day Dinner 2009
6 February 2009, 3:30pm - 8:00pm
Venue: Millennium Hotel, Mayfair, London
Dress: Black tie
Cost: £125 for NZ Society members, £145 for non-members
The New Zealand Society’s annual Waitangi Day Dinner took place at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, London on the evening of Friday 6 February at 6.30pm.
Bookings were taken by the Society for the glittering and glamorous black tie evening, which featured the very entertaining guest speaker Jeremy Coney, described as 'international cricketer, raconteur, author, radio and TV commentator, teacher, student and man of letters'. Those attending enjoyed a gourmet dinner showcasing the best of New Zealand food and wine, a welcome sparkling reception and entertainment including a Maori cultural performance and after dinner band.
Tickets cost £125 for members and £145 for non-members and were available from the NZ Society. See www.nzsociety.co.uk for more information.
Can you nominate a New Zealander of the Year?
The search was also on for the Air New Zealand New Zealander of the Year, the annual award given by the New Zealand Society at the Waitangi Day Dinner. Nominations closed on 5 December 2009.
Nomination forms are available on www.nzsociety.co.uk/awards and should be sent to The NZ Society Ltd, Box 277, 77 Beak Street, London W1F 9DB or emailed to nzsociety@nzsociety.co.uk.
The award, which recognises the outstanding contribution that a New Zealand or British national has made in presenting “a positive image of New Zealand in Britain” over the past 12 months, symbolises the continuation of the close relationship between the United Kingdom and New Zealand. By making a nomination you will be enter into a free prize draw for 1,000 Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars courtesy of Air New Zealand.
The Society is looking for nominees from a wide cross section of the community who have worked devotedly promoting New Zealand in the UK. Last year's winner Ian Conrich, was recognised for his achievements in establishing the Centre for New Zealand Studies which came into being in February 2007. The centre builds on Ian’s passionate work as chair of the New Zealand Studies Association (NZSA).
Air New Zealand is proud to be sponsoring this award for the fifth year. “There are many outstanding New Zealanders working and living here in the UK who we believe should be recognised for their contribution to New Zealand's global reputation as a small country capable of producing big achievements in an astonishing number of fields. We are delighted to be associated with the award again and honouring the remarkable work being done in the UK by New Zealanders, particularly during the past year, in the arts, entertainment, academia, commerce, sport or public life.” says Air New Zealand’s European Regional Manager Scott Carr.
Previous winners have included: Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, DBE, Provost of Kings College, Cambridge; The Rt. Hon. Don MacKinnon, Commonwealth Secretary General; the late Harry Mahon, OBE coach for the winning British Olympic Rowing team; world-renowned golfer Michael Campbell; celebrity chef Peter Gordon; Gold Olympic Equestrian winner, Mark Todd; Peter Leslie President of the New Zealand Society’s Scottish branch for many years and his work regarding the NZ war graves in Scotland; Kiwi restaurateurs Tom and Susan Glynn and Jonathan Rennie for his pivotal contribution to the erection of the New Zealand Memorial in London’s Hyde Park corner.