Queenstown Airport is tapping into the talent of local students in a bid to design a better luggage trolley.

A class of Year 10 students at Wakatipu High School will be guided through the project over Term 3 as part of a design and visual communication course.

Genevieve Small, Head of Learning Area Technology, welcomed the collaboration.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to present students with an authentic design challenge.”

Queenstown Airport staff will visit the school to provide feedback on the students’ work. A graphic equipment pack valued at $250 will be awarded for the best design.

To ensure other young people get a chance to showcase their talents, Queenstown Airport is also running a trolley design competition with a prize of $1,000. It is open to any student enrolled in secondary education in the Central Otago or Queenstown Lakes districts, including those who are home-schooled.

"The trolleys we use now aren't perfect, so we want to develop a better design," Acting Chief Executive Todd Grace says.

Queenstown is a premium leisure destination, which means the airport handles an unusually large number of oversized items, such as skis, snowboards, golf bags, bike boxes, pet crates, and prams.

"We sometimes see passengers struggling to navigate their way through the airport terminal and forecourt with all their belongs on a single trolley," Mr Grace says.

"We're looking for a bespoke design to meet the unique needs of our customers."

At a minimum, the trolley needs to be ergonomic, stable, and easy to use to carry the variety of items passengers bring through Queenstown Airport.

"We'll award bonus points for safety brakes, a seat for a child weighing up to 20 kilograms, a locking system to prevent the trolley being taken beyond the airport boundary, and for advertising space," Mr Grace says.

"We're excited to see what clever ideas emerge from this competition and to celebrate the talent within our community."

Students are limited to one entry. The design and an explanation of the concept, preferably in a PDF format, should be emailed to [email protected], along with a signed entry form.

The competition closes at 5pm on Friday, 11 October 2024.

Download the design brief and entry form.