Event Coordination & Management:
In 2024, I had the privilege of coordinating the Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival – a much-loved event that brings together artists, gardeners, and the wider community to celebrate creativity and connection. My role allowed me to step into a wide-reaching position across planning, design, logistics and community engagement.
Artist Management & Process Automation
Originally brought on to manage the festival's 80+ artists, I quickly recognised a need to improve workflow. I built an automated onboarding system using Trello and Zapier that kept communications clear, timely, and supportive. The system also supported the gardener coordinator, freeing up time across the team and ensuring participants felt well looked after.
Bloom in the Bay: Festival Hub Coordination
I took the lead in organising Bloom in the Bay, the festival's vibrant central hub designed to attract a wider audience. This included curating the Wellness Zone (with free yoga, tai chi, breathwork, reiki, floral readings, saunas and cold dips), interactive workshops (like pottery, macramé and kokedama making), and unique attractions such as a pop-up tattoo studio, live art and knife-making demonstrations.. I also organised the event schedule and acted as on-site announcer across the festival weekend.
Emerging Artists Workshops
I organised and facilitated two Emerging Artists workshops, supported by the Weekend Sun. These culminated in a live presentation of the winners at Bloom in the Bay, giving young artists a platform to share their work and engage with the public.
Festival Directory Creation
One of my responsibilities was designing and producing the Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival Directory, a detailed publication featuring all 80+ artist and 60+ gardener profiles. Using InDesign, I added new design elements to improve the user experience and ensured the directory was accurate, clear, and visually compelling. It remains one of my largest and most rewarding design projects to date. I have a hard copy available if you would like to see this work.
Feedback & Highlights
Throughout the project, I received consistent praise for my strong communication, positive energy, and ability to stay calm and solutions-focused under pressure. Here are a few kind words I received:
"Thank you Hollie, You have been outstanding with keeping us all informed. Every time I've seen you, you were always smiling and positive. Well done." – Jo
"Just wanted to give a great big SHOUT OUT appreciation to Hollie... Thank you thank you, it was an awesome experience and I feel so blessed to have been part of it this year." – Maureen
Coordinating the Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival was an unforgettable experience. It challenged and inspired me in equal measure, and I’m incredibly proud to have played a role in delivering an event that brought so much joy to the community.