Alexandra's annual blossom festival has made a significant financial loss for the second consecutive year.
The Alexandra Blossom Festival Committee will discuss the loss at its next annual meeting in Alexandra on March 1, as well as the resignation of two committee members.
Former chairman Steve Battrick and treasurer Leo Hulme, both of Alexandra, resigned from the committee in the same week of January.
Neither wanted to comment about their resignations when contacted yesterday.
Mr Battrick, who was committee chairman during the 2007, 2008, and 2009 festivals, said he would prepare a statement to be presented at the March meeting.
Mr Hulme, who had also been on the committee as treasurer for "the best part of three years" said he had "nothing to add".
Acting chairman Tim Cadogan, who is the Vincent Community Board's representative on the festival committee, said Alexandra resident Mark Tait had joined the board as its new treasurer.
The appointment had been made official, Mr Cadogan said.
When asked how much money last September's festival had lost, he declined to comment.
Mr Cadogan said he encouraged people to attend the March meeting, at which financial details would be disclosed.
His position as chairman would be also be officially decided at the meeting, Mr Cadogan said.
In 2008 a $30,000 loss was recorded against the festival's budget due to poor sales for the Contact Alex Live Concert on the evening of the event's opening day.
That year's festival was thought to have generated about $400,000 less for the local economy than the 2007 festival, which pulled in about $1.4 million on its opening day.
Based on a survey of people who attended the 2008 festival's opening day, and what they spent, takings from the day were $647,042.
About $307,230 of opening day spending went directly into the local economy.
Figures for the 2007 festival indicated $1,408,610 was spent on its opening day, $705,952 of which was directly injected into Central Otago's economy.
It was thought bad weather and unpopular entertainment contributed to the 2008 festival loss.
Overall, it brought in almost $660,000.
The Alexandra Blossom Festival Committee's annual meeting will be held at 7.30pm on March 1, at the Stadium Tavern function centre in Alexandra.
