The Thames Coromandel District Council have announced five recipients of the second and final round of the 2014 Major Events Fund today.

The events receiving funding are the Coromandel Town Illume Winter Festival of Lights, the Pohutukawa Festival, Surf to Firth, the Thames Heritage Festival and the Echo Walking Festival.

The Coromandel Town Illume Winter Festival of Lights is one of five successful applications in the second and final round of the 2014 Major Events Fund, announced today. Photo: Coromandel Town Illume Winter Festival of Lights.

Economic Development Programme manager Garry Towler says to be successful applications needed to reflect district, regional, national and or international exposure.

'We cannot consider applications that are too locally focused or minor in nature. Equally, the fund is not a pot of money organisations can expect to return to year after year.

'[TCDC is] looking at new events to partner with for one or maybe two years as ‘bootstrap support' with the expectation that they are able to seek sponsorship from sources other than Council.”

In this latest round of funding the Coromandel Town Illume Winter Festival of Lights was awarded $20,000 which will be used towards the purchase of additional lighting hardware.

Last year's lights festival received $40,000 for lighting hardware and assistance with marketing and promotional material. Opening night saw up to 2,000 people visit Coromandel Town.

The Pohutukawa Festival received $5,000 towards promotion and marketing material for the Festival which promotes the Coromandel District in early summer.

Surf to Firth has been awarded $5,000 to go towards developing an improved website and search engine optimisation.

The Thames Heritage Festival have been given $4,000 towards publicity and marketing material, to be distributed in the Auckland and Waikato markets.

And lastly, the Echo Walking Festival will receive $1,500 towards developing an A3 colour brochure which will be distributed to markets to promote the event in advance.

In this year's first round of funding the Leadfoot Festival received $40,000 which will be used to help secure global media and television coverage, says Garry.

'This event has the potential to be broadcast to more than 70 countries, there is nothing like that which will showcase the Coromandel Peninsula.

'If we were to attempt a marketing campaign of our own to the same audience it would cost millions.”

Other successful applicants in this year's first round were $5,000 for Thunderbeach, $5,000 towards the Tairua Wet N Wild event and $5,000 for the Thames Festival of Mindsports.

All applications are scored on a list of set criteria, which includes providing a report on the success of the event.

To read the full list of criteria click here.