Fresh from organising the 2010 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, director Simon Green has been announced as 2010 ASB Queenstown JazzFest event manager.
JazzFest Trust chairman Luke Baldock said after years with trustees managing and producing the event, it was time to engage a professional.
"We are thrilled to have secured someone as talented as Simon Green for the role."
Mr Green would continue as Winter Festival director and because there were "great synergies" between the two events, it would be of benefit to all concerned, Mr Baldock said.
Two new trustees had been added this year, with James Denniston and Margaret O'Hanlon joining the team while Peter Howe was leaving.
The focus for the trust this year was to build on the success of 2009 and establish a strong platform leading up to the 2011 event, which would coincide with the end of the Rugby World Cup.
"The establishment of the competitive and development programmes in 2009 is something we definitely want to build on and it is envisaged that even more aspiring jazz musicians from around New Zealand will travel to this year's festival to showcase and further develop their musicianship."
The biggest change for this year's event was a "condensing" of the festival to concentrate on the five days around Labour Weekend.
"We've always staged our major events during Labour Weekend and will still be bringing to town a similar number of bands and entertainers.
"We're also working on producing more ticketed events during these five days and building on the successful introduction of the community stages, which added a great new dimension to the festival."
The 2010 ASB Queenstown JazzFest will be held from October 21-25.
Expressions of interest for the Jumpstart youth competition open on July 19.
