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Speaker 1: You're listening to the Simon Barnett and James Daniels Afternoons

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Speaker 1: podcast from News Talk ZEDB.

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Speaker 2: You'll know Nick Sortner as the CEO of Eden Park,

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Speaker 2: but what you probably don't know about him is he

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Speaker 2: is also the leading goalkicker record holder in the Ossie

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Speaker 2: Ruads Victorian Football League with a whopping eight hundred and

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Speaker 2: eighty three goals. He's still the record holder. After his

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Speaker 2: football career, he studied in China, Germany and the USA

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Speaker 2: before venturing into sports administration. Since his time as eden

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Speaker 2: Park boss, he's led the push to deliver more entertainment,

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Speaker 2: more culture, community events on top of our very much

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Speaker 2: loved sporting fixtures changes which incidentally have led to record

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Speaker 2: revenue and the title of eden Park being Venue of

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Speaker 2: the Year at the International Stadium Business Awards. It's a

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Speaker 2: pleasure to welcome Nick Sortner on for six in a song.

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Speaker 3: Hello Nick mate, Good afternoon, Jensen. Thank you for your time.

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Speaker 4: Well, thank you may Yeah, speaking of time after your

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Speaker 4: football career, how come you went to China, Germany and

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Speaker 4: the States to do your study?

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Speaker 3: Well, one other thing that I've always been committed to

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Speaker 3: education and so I had the opportunity to study in

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Speaker 3: the NBA in China, German, America, and it broadened so

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Speaker 3: many opened so many doors, and the learning in the

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Speaker 3: classroom was almost as important, with the connections in the

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Speaker 3: room as the content that you provide it.

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Speaker 2: Right, Why did you give up the AFL.

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Speaker 3: Well, I always wanted to play at the highest level

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Speaker 3: for the longest period of time. We were fortunate enough

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Speaker 3: to playing seven Grand Finals and win seven Premierships. So

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Speaker 3: got to a stage where I had to make a decision.

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Speaker 3: My career was going quite well and I felt that

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Speaker 3: there wasn't too much more that I could have achieved

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Speaker 3: at VFL level.

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Speaker 2: Can I ask this question very quickly then? Because you

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Speaker 2: are a superstar in Australia, like everyone knows who you

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Speaker 2: are because of your AFL career. Was it hard transitioning

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Speaker 2: out of that, from being a kind of like an

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Speaker 2: icon and then to a role that wasn't.

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Speaker 3: Good Well again again, it was one of those things

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Speaker 3: that it's very true when I go back to Australia,

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Speaker 3: I'm known for my sporting prowess rather than my administration.

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Speaker 3: But I always had a philosophy that AFL or VFL

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Speaker 3: football would be five chapters of a book of life

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Speaker 3: and maybe forty five chapters, So what is the other

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Speaker 3: forty chapters going to be filled with? And I've been

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Speaker 3: very fortunate to work in a number of stadiums in

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Speaker 3: Australia New Zealand and they've been able to balance both

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Speaker 3: the sporting aspirations and now administration of our national stadium.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, well, of course that stadium is not just about sport.

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Speaker 4: You've got concerts that take place there. So how much

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Speaker 4: work goes behind the scenes to try and get those

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Speaker 4: big names here, the likes of Taylor Swift and how

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Speaker 4: do you feel when they bypass us?

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Speaker 3: Well, it's a huge amount of effort and we're very fortunate.

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Speaker 3: We've got great relations with a number of promoters, including

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Speaker 3: Live Nation. I always sound it very challenging when I

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Speaker 3: started the role. That had taken one hundred and twenty

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Speaker 3: years for Eden Park to be able to provide artists

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Speaker 3: with the same opportunities as sports people. So once we

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Speaker 3: secured concerts and we're in a process now to go

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Speaker 3: from six concerts to twelve annually, artist came knocking. And

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Speaker 3: when you look from Pink to Billy Joel Guns n'

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Speaker 3: Roses to Ed Sheeran. We've got some of the biggest

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Speaker 3: artists in the world coming and performing at our national

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Speaker 3: Stadium and we want to see more.

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Speaker 2: Are they highly temperamental? I mean you get all the

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Speaker 2: you know, we make jokes, don't we that they only

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Speaker 2: they demand blue em and ms and that's all I mean.

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Speaker 2: Do you get I'm not asking for names here, but

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Speaker 2: do you get that kind of request for kind of

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Speaker 2: crazy stuff.

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Speaker 3: The artists we've had of being just delighted to perform

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Speaker 3: at Eden Park. We were fortunate that Billy Joel signed

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Speaker 3: a piano six sixty, signed a number of pianos and

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Speaker 3: moments at the park Pink she performed on International Women's Day,

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Speaker 3: the first female artists to perform at our national stadium.

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Speaker 3: At about two am after the show, she was sitting

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Speaker 3: in my Eden Park or Eden Pink colored and she

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Speaker 3: left the venue and she was just so delighted with

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Speaker 3: the way that Auckland and New Zealand responded to her performance.

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Speaker 2: Cool.

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Speaker 4: Look, you've just mentioned some big, some great events that

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Speaker 4: you've held at Eden Park, But what are you most

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Speaker 4: proud of during your time there.

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Speaker 3: I think our team, we have a lean team and

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Speaker 3: we operate under a game plan that's seven values and behaviors,

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Speaker 3: the first one being customer service. And we know that

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Speaker 3: very few people or very few venues are perfect, but

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Speaker 3: the team takes enormous pride in delivering experiences and moments

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Speaker 3: for the people of Auckland and New Zealand. And to

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Speaker 3: see the pride that arose out of the fief of

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Speaker 3: Women's World Cup nine fixtures, Hannah Wilkinson scoring the opening

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Speaker 3: goal and a fief of Women's World Cup to have

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Speaker 3: the thief of President say the best venue each year

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Speaker 3: arrived at seven matches of the nine and he say

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Speaker 3: to me each time, my venue, and I'd say, no,

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Speaker 3: it's mine, that mine. But it was just so wonderful

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Speaker 3: to see the venue on the world stage and actually

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Speaker 3: showcasing what we could deliver.

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Speaker 2: Well. Speaking of that, of course, there's a huge debate

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Speaker 2: around another stadium for Auckland, and some have been ruled out.

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Speaker 2: I think there's a couple that are now being debated.

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Speaker 2: Eden two point oz is one of them. Honestly, I

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Speaker 2: mean maybe a typical question to answer, Nick, but what

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Speaker 2: do you think the likelihood of Eden Park being the

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Speaker 2: go to from here? Do you think? Is it fifty

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Speaker 2: to fifty is at sixty forty against or where Well, I'm.

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Speaker 3: Very proud and parochial towards Eden Park. I've had the

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Speaker 3: privilege of traveling the world and people. I was escorted

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Speaker 3: through Johannesburg Airport when I had Eden Park Seolong my

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Speaker 3: arrival card. So Eden Park has a brand globally. We

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Speaker 3: only had to see that recently with forty nine victory

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Speaker 3: straight or Winds, the All Blacks at eden Park and

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Speaker 3: the media coverage the fortress that is our venue, Eden

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Speaker 3: Park's redevelopment. It's a financially responsible, environmentally sustainable option. It's

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Speaker 3: a hybrid multi purpose stadium and it's going to be

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Speaker 3: on a curl station seven minutes from town. Now. I

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Speaker 3: think there's a huge amount of infrastructure and money that's

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Speaker 3: been invested in the current venue is a huge amount

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Speaker 3: of history. But we know we can be better and

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Speaker 3: our approach is a staged approach to accommodate the upcoming

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Speaker 3: calendar events, including a T twenty World Cup for cricket

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Speaker 3: in twenty twenty eight, by extending the boundaries in the north,

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Speaker 3: but also then looking at a retractable roof.

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Speaker 2: I personally hope you get it.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, speaking of those big events, you want to get

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Speaker 4: the state of ohere, state of origin. How likely is that.

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Speaker 3: We're working with both central government and counsel around the

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Speaker 3: state of origin and there's definitely an appetite for league

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Speaker 3: at Eden Park. We see the Warriors selling out at

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Speaker 3: Mount Smart. We want to see more league being played

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Speaker 3: in this country. The nurl A keem the event. It

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Speaker 3: does come down to the economics, but our capacity is

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Speaker 3: very similar to most Marvel Stadium and the City Football Stadium,

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Speaker 3: so we're very confident we'll see stay of origin at

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Speaker 3: Eaton Park in the future.

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Speaker 2: Interesting you'll be aware Nick Takaha Stadium is being built

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Speaker 2: presently opening I think mid twenty twenty six, that's the rumor.

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Speaker 2: Do you have concerns about that that that will take

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Speaker 2: business away from you.

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Speaker 3: I'm looking forward to seeing a route stadium in christ Church.

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Speaker 3: We've got one in dun Eden and how good would

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Speaker 3: it be to have a Route stadium in Auckland, that

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Speaker 3: being Eden Parks. So there's going to be challenges for

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Speaker 3: all venues with a new stadium coming on board. But

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Speaker 3: our point of difference is we have a capacity for

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Speaker 3: concerts in and around fifty five thousand for an end

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Speaker 3: non stage and over sixty five thousand in the round.

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Speaker 3: We're seen with the likes of Pink or Coldplay. The

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Speaker 3: cost of infrastructure to take from Auckland, from Brisbane to Auckland,

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Speaker 3: or Melbourne to Auckland then on to christ Church and

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Speaker 3: dun Eden is very challenging. Lot of artists now are

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Speaker 3: going to one city and getting people to come to

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Speaker 3: that venue and playing model the Knights.

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Speaker 4: Lots of those stadiums that you mentioned sell off the

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Speaker 4: name right they get sponsors and will you do that

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Speaker 4: for Eden Park?

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Speaker 3: We have looked at in the past, but we want

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Speaker 3: to retain our name. It's one of those iconic stadiums globally,

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Speaker 3: and we've been fortunate to align with a number of

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Speaker 3: international leading bands like Katar Railway, Samsung, Tia and then

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Speaker 3: local brands like AA Insurance who have all invested in

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Speaker 3: the future of our national stadium. So we've been able

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Speaker 3: to retain our name and then align with market leaders

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Speaker 3: in a number of categories to deliver actually a greater

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Speaker 3: yield than a naming rights partner would have provided.

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Speaker 2: If I was able to give you a magic wand

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Speaker 2: now neck and say waive it and you can have

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Speaker 2: one guest to perform at Eden Park, one that would

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Speaker 2: be on your WESH list the top of that, who

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Speaker 2: would it be?

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Speaker 3: Well. I was fortunate enough to recently go to Wembley

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Speaker 3: with my four and six role to see Taylor Swift

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Speaker 3: and she was genuinely unbelievable. She performed over three hours.

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Speaker 3: There was ninety thousand fans per show and majority of

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Speaker 3: them knew every lyric and the way that she engages

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Speaker 3: with the audience is something that I didn't go across

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Speaker 3: to Australia for the tour. I was a bit bitter

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Speaker 3: and twister that we weren't able to can't have her

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Speaker 3: at our National Stadium. But on this occasion we went,

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Speaker 3: we experienced and it was the highlight of the trip

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Speaker 3: for my girl. So I think they never forgive me

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Speaker 3: if I didn't say.

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Speaker 2: Tape Yeah, no, I think that was a good call. Hey. Lastly,

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Speaker 2: when you have a music star. I know when Forsyth

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Speaker 2: Bar opened in Duned and I think their first guest

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Speaker 2: was Elton John which was great, but there were some

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Speaker 2: real rumblings then. I'm not sure if it's the same

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Speaker 2: now to be honest, but there certainly were rumblings about

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Speaker 2: the acoustics of a big stadium like that. How difficult

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Speaker 2: is it to get the acoustics right at Eden Park.

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Speaker 3: Well, when you look at now the technology that comes

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Speaker 3: with artists. They I started out in the industry in

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Speaker 3: the Earth of two thousand and bands like ACDC they

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Speaker 3: used to have speakers stacked thirty seven meters tall and

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Speaker 3: you could hear it as far as Geelong when you're

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Speaker 3: in Melbourne. Now these days you've got acoustic guitars where

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Speaker 3: Ed Sheeran wants every person to hear every lyric. So

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Speaker 3: the advancements in technology and the productions. You see over

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Speaker 3: four hundred staff in some instances traveling with artists and

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Speaker 3: it really is tailored to eat specific venue and eat

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Speaker 3: specific need of the artist.

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Speaker 2: Very good, well loving chatting with you. Nick Saortner is

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Speaker 2: our guest CEO of Eden Park.

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Speaker 4: Quick by questions, what's one place you never get tired of?

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Speaker 3: Vited in Queenstown when you land and see the remarkables

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Speaker 3: and head to third Bakery. I don't think there's anything better.

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Speaker 2: Great answer. If you had the power to change one

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Speaker 2: thing in your world, what would it be.

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Speaker 3: Provide every child the opportunity for education. I think that's

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Speaker 3: critical and provides a future of our society.

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Speaker 2: Where did that thirst for education come from? With you?

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Speaker 2: You've touched on that a couple of times.

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Speaker 3: It's just been something I was fortunate. Unfortunately my father

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Speaker 3: passed away when I was two, and much dedicated her

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Speaker 3: life to three boys, and she put us through a

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Speaker 3: private school, and it was something that she always emphasized

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Speaker 3: the importance of education, even though you.

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Speaker 4: Had a big sporting career, and then of course you

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Speaker 4: went you went overseas for the NBA at the end

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Speaker 4: of that, but well done. Hey, what's something you thought

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Speaker 4: was important when you were young, but as you got

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Speaker 4: older you've realized it wasn't.

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Speaker 3: Well. I ran these questions past my wife and she said,

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Speaker 3: straight up, physical positions. She always says that I've got

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Speaker 3: too much stuff. My daughters have got too much stuff,

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Speaker 3: so we do focus on experiences and memories rather than stuff.

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Speaker 2: Lovely, what's the what's the material position that you just

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Speaker 2: go on? Man, that's cool sort of. I hear what

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Speaker 2: my wife says, that flipping cool.

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Speaker 3: I just I just always feel as though a new

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Speaker 3: suitor is always needed. Given the role I play. I'm

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Speaker 3: always wearing suits, so I am a big partial to

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Speaker 3: a new suit.

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Speaker 2: Good.

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Speaker 4: What are you most proud of in your life so far?

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Speaker 3: My wife and my two beautiful girls. My wife's due

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Speaker 3: in nine weeks time, and we don't know the gender.

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Speaker 3: I was one of three boys and I've had two girls,

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Speaker 3: so we'll see what the thirties lovely?

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Speaker 2: That's really nice. Where did you meet your wife?

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Speaker 3: That's a long story. I met her at an ATM

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Speaker 3: and without without bumping into each other, it was fair

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Speaker 3: to say she had no interest in really my sporting prowess.

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Speaker 3: But over time she gained an appreciation.

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Speaker 2: That's an outstanding thing. Well mate. Lastly, if you could

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Speaker 2: invite any one person for dinner, they have to be

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Speaker 2: still alive. Any one person who would it be?

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Speaker 3: Well, it was again an interesting question if they were dead.

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Speaker 3: I was going to say Pt. Barham because he's entertainer.

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Speaker 2: Isn't that a wonderful movie? Greatest Showman?

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Speaker 3: It's just a wonderful story and it actually is so uplisting,

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Speaker 3: and I think in the challenges that we face as

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Speaker 3: a society, to have someone who actually provides joy and

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Speaker 3: entertainment is you can't underestimate. But I will say linking

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Speaker 3: into an earlier question Taylor Swift, because then I make

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Speaker 3: sure that she comes and plays Eden part time.

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Speaker 2: She do it?

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Speaker 4: Gotchat you out for dinner? You will say to oh,

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Speaker 4: cook dinner for you and if you play at Eden Park.

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Speaker 2: Yeah a very nice. Well, we have really enjoyed chatting

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Speaker 2: to you, Nick, You're a fascinating man. Before we leave you,

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Speaker 2: you get to choose one song, any song. What have

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Speaker 2: you chosen? Please?

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Speaker 3: And why coldplay Sky Full of Stars. It was actually

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Speaker 3: our wedding dance on my beautiful wife Eliza and I

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Speaker 3: and looking forward to their three sold out shows at

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Speaker 3: Eden Park in November this year.

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Speaker 2: Brilliant. Thank you so much, Nick, all the very best

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Speaker 2: and thank you for your time.

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Speaker 3: Mate, Absolute pleasure.

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Speaker 2: Next Saughtner, I love the song. Good choice. I wish

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Speaker 2: I was going to Cold plas I should I should

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Speaker 2: have got tickets and I didn't.

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Speaker 4: Oh Little Dropkicks sold out? Yeah, dumb bum Cocure sky

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Speaker 4: the Cosure sky Foo Start

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Speaker 1: For more from Simon Barnett and James Daniels afternoons, listen

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Speaker 1: live to news Talks ed B, or follow the podcast

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Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.