Southpac Trucks has made the call to postpone its huge 100 Years of Kenworth celebration for 12 months.

The event was originally set for February 2023, but Southpac Trucks CEO Maarten Durent is now planning for a 2024 celebration. And he says a change in government is needed before they will hit the go button.

“There is too much uncertainty from this government. This is an event with international connections in terms of the entertainment we plan to deliver and also with its factory involvement and some of the guests we plan to invite,” Durent says.

The venue for 100 Years of Kenworth will remain at the Mystery Creek Events Centre near Hamilton and the date moves to Waitangi weekend 2024.

 Durent says it will be the biggest event for Kenworth in New Zealand, eclipsing the 2007 Mt Smart event and the 50 Years of Kenworth in New Zealand celebrations held at Mt Maunganui’s Baypark venue in 2014.

The 100 Years of Kenworth show will be more than double size of the Baypark event which attracted 300 Kenworth’s and over 5000 visitors, ending with a spectacular VIP show and dinner.”

“We are planning to have 1000 guests at the gala evening show and we have booked the entire Mystery Creek site so there will be room for 1000 trucks,” Durent says.

He says the international music acts and the guests he had been in contact with while planning the event had expressed concerns over New Zealand’s changing border restrictions. 

“The 100 Years of Kenworth celebration is an event of enormous proportions that we cannot risk having screwed up by dithering from Wellington. It makes it too difficult so we have decided to push it out for 12 months.

“By 2024 there will have been a change of government and we’ll be able to plan with some certainty,” Durent said.