In late 2020, Frank Engagement partnered with Hawke’s Bay Airport to provide communications and engagement support leading up to the opening of its transformational new terminal.
While the completed building offered vastly improved amenities for travellers, the space was much more than the sum of its parts. Through strong engagement with mana whenua and local community groups, the terminal had become something special – a place to welcome manuhiri to the region in a distinctively Hawke’s Bay way.
Chief Executive Stuart Ainslie’s brief to Frank Engagement was simple – connect the community to this unique place and help residents take ownership of their airport.
This involved working with partners and stakeholders to weave together the story of the building – an exterior design inspired by the rare kuaka that reside in the nearby Ahuriri Estuary, the carved panels by local artist Jacob Scott that recount the devastation and renewal of Ahuriri brought about by the 1931 earthquake, and the many local partnerships that have added to the fabric of the building.
Frank Engagement worked with mana whenua to determine tikanga for the karakia to bless the new building and how to welcome the first manuhiri to enter the building in August 2021. Shareholders, stakeholders and media were granted exclusive access prior to opening, and a programme of media engagement had positive results.
As the organisation reached this significant milestone, Frank Engagement assisted with the update of Hawke’s Bay Airport’s website and grew its social media presence – allowing Hawke’s Bay Airport to reach a broader audience than ever before, strengthen its social licence and demonstrate its efforts as a good corporate citizen.
Now Hawke’s Bay Airport is open, passengers can get good coffee, learn about the history of aviation, or get a taste of what the region has to offer.
