The event, now in its 10th year, had for the past few years been held at Prime Restaurant in Queenstown, but with proceeds from this year's event going towards a new community sports facility at the Arrowtown Rugby team's home ground, it was fitting to move the party to the town.
"Simon Spark works very closely with Arrowtown Rugby ... he came and said to me `could we apply to be the recipient of the funds?"' Mr Campbell said.
"They fit within the Rotary [guidelines] with regard to receiving funds from us.
"He [Mr Spark] thought it would be better, if it were going to be an Arrowtown fundraiser, to have the event in Arrowtown.
"I talk to Mark Jessop [owner of Prime Restaurant] and he was happy with that. They'll be there on the day supporting it, as well.
"Last year we raised about $20,000 and the year before that we raised about $34,000.
"Arrowtown Rugby will form a trust and once they get all their other funding in place they'll apply to Rotary Queenstown for their funding - we'll tell them how much they've made [on Tuesday]."
Mr Spark told the Queenstown Times a new facility had been part of the rugby club's strategic plan for about five years and there had been fundraising carried out for several years with an idea to "potentially build our own building".
However, the Arrowtown community had also identified a desire to see a community complex established at Jack Reid Park in long-term community plan workshops in 1994 and 2003.
The rugby club had been working to progress the project "really from the fact that somebody has to" and it was now at the point where more fundraising was required and the Arrowtown Community Centre Trust could be established.
"It will own and run the building.
"It [the trust] will be made up of ... members of the community and that will be the vehicle to advance the project.
"The rugby club has little to do with it, other than the fact we've done the initial part of it."
The initial plans indicated about $700,000 would be required to build the new complex - which would take pressure off the Athenaeum Hall on Buckingham St and also provide a "home" for many of the community groups or sports groups who had never had a permanent base, Mr Spark said.
"We [the rugby club] are going to be one of the users who benefit from it, so we've said we're prepared to put in about $100,000 towards it."
The Queenstown Lakes District Council Community Services committee had looked favourably on the project, but it was now at a point of determining where the new complex would be established. The building there now is on council reserve and council-owned land, so the complex may be built elsewhere on Jack Reid Park, he said.
"We're probably looking at having to do another year in that building ... this time next year hopefully we'll have everything in place or very close to it, to start construction early in 2012."
Of Tuesday's event, Mr Campbell said a "huge" marquee, capable of holding up to 350 people, would be put up on the park.
The event will begin at noon, including a barbecue lunch, a fashion parade starring members of the Arrowtown Bulls and a special guest appearance by "Little Miss Arrowtown", prizes for worst and best-dressed and a charity auction.
The three top auction items would be a framed guitar, signed by Sir Paul McCartney, a two-part picture of Lady Gaga, signed by the artist, and "accommodation for 10 people at a private house, including a maid", at Denaru Island, Fiji.
Other auction items included burgers for a year, a skydive, a jet-boat private charter and a night's hotel accommodation.
The highlight of the day would be the running of the Melbourne Cup and those keen for a flutter would have plenty of options.
"We'll have a betting syndicate, you can join the Melbourne Cup Club and we also have the ability to use the TAB at the New Orleans.
"There's also the Melbourne Cup Calcutta.
"We will have an online account available for people with TAB accounts and they will be able to access their accounts and bet out there ... all day.
"The Melbourne Cup has the ability to bring a cross-section of local people together [joined] by Australasia's biggest horse race.
"I think people underestimate the fun this event creates. Everyone that goes to the event has an absolute ball. The biggest problem is that it's a Tuesday."
Tickets cost $50 per person and are available either from Locations Real Estate in Queenstown or the New Orleans in Arrowtown.
