This year's show reported a loss of $88,000, compared with a $224,000 profit for the first Ellerslie show staged in the Garden City last year. Council legal services manager Chris Gilbert said the figure covered event production, ticketing, event traffic, volunteers, gardens, sponsorship, sales and marketing and administration costs. This year's Ellerslie International Flower Show cost nearly $3 million to stage &ndash. Christchurch mayoral candidate Liz Gordon said the figures showed the event had become too commercialised and had moved away from its simple "flower show" concept. A breakdown of how the money was spent is being kept under wraps by the Christchurch City Council because it fears giving competitors sensitive information will threaten its chances of bidding for similar events. The council declined to release a breakdown of all costs incurred at this year's show. "The high costs involved in staging the show are driving the event into a very highly comcommercialised model &ndash. Details released to The Press under the Official Information Act showed $2....
By GLENN CONWAY | File Under Flower Show | Comments