Sports Impact Limited is a specialist in sports and major events management company with a proven track record over 30 years of delivering international events to the highest standards.
Managing Director, Arthur Klap, has worked throughout New Zealand in delivering major events, sitting on Boards of several sports and major events bodies, and assisting numerous bids for international sports events.
Since 1994 Sports Impact has been responsible for 12 World Championships, 24 World Cups and 5 Winter Games NZ:
Winter Games NZ 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017
ITU Triathlon World Championships in 1994 and 2003
UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 1997
ISF Snowboard Junior World Championships 2002
ITU Aquathlon World Championships 2003
WMRA World Mountain Running Trophy 2005
UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships 2006
ISDE Motocross 2006
World Water Ski Racing Championships 2007
Unicycle World Championships 2010
FIS Snowboard Junior World Championships 2010
FIS Freestyle Skiing Junior World Championships 2010
FIS Snowboard World Cup Half Pipe 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 & 2017
FIS Snowboard World Cup Slopestyle 2012, 2013, 2015 & 2017
FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup Half Pipe 2013, 2015 & 2017
FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup Slopestyle 2013, 2015 & 2017
IPC Alpine Slalom World Cup 2013 (x4)
Para-snowboard Banked Slalom World Cup 2017
Chief Executive of the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ from 2008 to 2017
The above events have won a number of business and tourism awards including a Life Achievement Awards from the events industry in 2009 and Sport NZ in 2015. These events have also contributed more than $100m to the New Zealand economy.
Arthur is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leaders in sports governance, sports management, major events and event tourism. He recently stepped down as chief executive of the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ in Otago – a multisport event developed from scratch that attracts the world’s elite snow sports athletes as well as considerable international media interest. He was the Games CEO for 10 years.
Sports Impact Ltd
Sports Impact Ltd was established by Arthur in 1987 and one of its first clients was Henry Van Asch and AJ Hackett with their proposed bungy enterprise. Initially centred on community recreation and nationally focussed events, Sports Impact soon moved in to major sports events with the 1994 ITU Triathlon World Championships considered to be the start of events in New Zealand with event tourism as a major focus.
Major Events
He has a proven track record of delivering major international events to the highest standards. Since 1994 he has been responsible for twelve World Championships, across eight sports, and twenty three World Cups:
These events have won Arthur a number of business and tourism awards including Life Achievement Awards from the events industry in 2009 and Sport NZ in 2015. These events have also contributed more than $100m to the New Zealand economy. Arthur has also organised more than 200 other events as varied as Bruce Edgar’s Cricket Benefit Season, Fotofest 98, the Wellington Wind Festival as well as national championships in wind surfing, mountain running, snow boarding, triathlon, mountain biking and skiing.
Together with Ray Salter, from the Ministry of Tourism, he established the NZ Major Events unit for the Government. At the time he also managed the Government’s leveraging of its investment in the America’s Cup, EcoChallenge and NZ Fashion Week.
He was responsible for the succesful bids for the FISA Rowing World Championships 2010, the ITU Triathlon World Championships 2012, the UCI Junior Track World Championships 2012 and the UCI BMX World Championships 2013.
Sports Development
Arthur had a leading role in the establishment of five sports in New Zealand:
- freestyle skiing
- mountain biking
- mountain running
- triathlon
- multisports
For these sports, Arthur setup the national body or sports sub-committee, wrote the constitution, established national championships and, for both freestyle skiing and triathlon/multisports, he was the inaugural chairman.
He established the Masters Games concept in New Zealand and ran the New Zealand Masters Games in Wanganui and Dunedin from 1989 to 1995.
Arthur was also the CEO for the Wellington region’s bid for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Governance and Other Voluntary Positions
Director Mountain Bike Events Ltd (Rotorua not-for- profit)
Current Paralympics NZ selector
Past President of Triathlon NZ
Past Chairman of Bike NZ
Past Board member of U20 FIFA Football World Cup 2015 and the ITU Triathlon World Championships 2012
Snow Sports NZ Selector for 2014 Winter Olympics
Manager of NZ Mountain Running team to the World Championships 1995,
1996 & 1997
Manager of NZ Triathlon team to the World Championships 1991 & 1992
Awards
1994 Wellingtonian of the Year (with Lynne)
1995 Wellington Sports Personality of the Year (with Lynne)
1997 Outstanding Achievement Award – NZ Events Industry
2004 NZ Tourism Award – Events, Conferences and Incentives
2006 NZ Tourism Award – Events, Conferences and Incentives
2006 NZ Tourism Award – Innovation in Tourism
2006 Wellington Gold Business Award – Events
2006 Wellington Sports Administrator of the Year
2007 NZ Tourism Award – Events, Conferences and Incentives
2007 NZ Tourism Award – Distinction Award
2008 Member New Zealand Order of Merit
2009 Life Achievement Award – Events
2010 SPARC Events Excellence Award
2010 Absolutely Positively Wellingtonians Award (with Lynne)
2012 Sport NZ Commercial Partnership Excellence Award
2014 Sport NZ Event Excellence Award
2014 University of Otago Innovation in Sport Award
2015 Sport NZ Life Achievement Award
2016 Sport NZ Commercial Partnership Excellence Award
In the 2008 New Year’s honours Arthur was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to sport and recreation.
Life Memberships
Olympic Harriers Club
Founding president and life member of Wellington Triathlon & Multisports Club
Qualifications
B.Comm (Marketing), University of Otago
B.Sc (Mathematics), University of Otago
Dip. Recreation & Sport
Dip Teaching, Dunedin Teachers College
Personal Sports History
Originally a professional freestyle skier in France and New Zealand, he joined the running boom of the late 1970s and 80s before moving in to triathlon and multisport. Completed first multisport event in 1982, the same year that he organised his first multisport event.
He is the only person to have competed in both the first Coast-to- Coast and the first New Zealand Ironman. His best multisport performance is 4 th in the Coast-to- Coast.
Arthur is a Level 2 coach in triathlon and middle & long distance running.
Co-author (with Derek Paterson) of ‘The New Zealand Triathlon Training Book’ 1985 that sold 2,000 copies.
Lynne Klap
Events Manager & Therapeutic Masseur
Director Sports Impact Ltd
Owner & Practitioner of Massage By the Sea
Event Management
Awards Manager - Winter Games NZ
NZ Business Games co-organiser (with Jill Ford for 10 years)
Unicycle World Championships UNICON XV, Wellington 2010
Project Co-ordinator - Greater Wellington Cycle Way Launch 2010
Bank New Zealand Women’s Triathlon Series: Held in 5 cities for the 1992 Centenary of Women’s Suffrage Celebration and New Zealand’s first national women’s triathlon series.
Qualifications
Diploma of Teaching, Dunedin College of Education
Bachelor of Teaching & Learning, Canterbury University
Virtues Project Master Facilitator
Certified Therapeutic Massage Practcioner
Sports History
Freestyle Skier in Europe & New Zealand in the mid-1970s.
Member of the Freestyle Demonstration Ski Teams; ‘Le Poods’ (France) and ‘Hexcel White Stag’ (New Zealand).
1975 European Freestyle Ski Championship – 2nd
A keen runner and sometime multi-sporter for 20 years and now walking, golfing, mountain biking and having fun with friends.
