One of Otago's longest-running festivals will be managed by outsiders next year.
The Alexandra Blossom Festival, run within Central Otago for more than 50 years, is to be managed by Christchurch firm Innerwink Management Ltd.
The company won the right to manage the Contact Energy-sponsored festival in 2009, heading off 14 other applications for the contract.
Festival committee chairman Steve Battrick said Innerwink managed events throughout New Zealand, including the Montana World of Wearable Art Awards in Wellington.
He said Alexandra's annual spring festival would benefit from Innerwink's experience organising a wide range of events.
The blossom festival committee had met Innerwink recently to discuss strategies for the next festival.
Innerwink managing director Annetta Latham acknowledged the festival's importance to Alexandra, adding the firm was "excited by the prospect of becoming integral to the festival's ongoing success and development".
Projectexcel staff Karin Bowen and Selar Henderson, who managed the past three festivals from their Alexandra base, were either unavailable or not in a position to comment yesterday.
