Len Lye Centre
Len Lye Centre development builds a stronger region
The Len Lye Centre is fast becoming one of New Zealand’s iconic buildings, winning numerous architectural awards and providing an outstanding visitor experience. In fact, in the first seven months of opening, it had already reached their 12-month target of 96,000 visitors. This is great news for growing a rich cultural and thriving community. To get from concept to reality the Centre required a revenue generation strategy.
Len Lye (1901-1980) is one of the most important and influential artists to have emerged from New Zealand. He made Taranaki the home of his works and gifted them into the care of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and the Len Lye Foundation. The development of a centre dedicated to his work would be beneficial for the local community as well as the rest of New Zealand.
The New Plymouth District Council engaged Giblin Group in 2010 to project manage the $10 million capital raising campaign for the Len Lye Centre. Giblin Group developed and implemented a comprehensive Revenue Generation Strategy with supporting communication and marketing materials.
Working with New Plymouth District Council and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Giblin Group secured the funds for the project. This was a combination of obtaining $3M in sponsorship from Todd Energy, which at the time was the single largest corporate contribution to an arts facility in New Zealand. A large proportion of the money raised was from central government funding sources, community funding and community trusts.
The result is a simply stunning building that house an equally stunning collection, to which people come from all over New Zealand and overseas to Taranaki to enjoy. It has become part of a regional renaissance in the town, with visitors flocking to special events and staying at two new hotels in the area.
“Jenni did a fantastic job in helping us to secure critical partnerships and funding support for our internationally significant Len Lye Centre project – what’s more we really enjoyed working with her.”
“Giblin Group’s work on the Better Business Case process contributed to the development of a compelling piece of work. This project has created a considerable step change framework for the future of our City.”
“Giblin Group’s knowledge of government practices and procedures on a national and local level is invaluable, and I often find that they are well connected with staff and officials on all levels of Government. Giblin Group scopes their assignments well, provides accurate cost estimates for their services, delivers within the agreed timeframes and always deliver excellent quality work – no project manager can really ask for more!”
“The work that the Giblin Group completed, in collaboration with our staff, was instrumental in the success the project has had in securing significant funding to this key City initiative. In particular we have found the experience of the Giblin Group to been invaluable in seeking funding from a variety of sources in an increasingly challenging environment.”