When the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) returned to Sydney Motorsport Park for its annual night race recently, YMA once again turned the occasion into a special evening of Kando* for staff, family and guests. With the circuit located just 10 minutes from the YMA head office at Wetherill Park, staff were invited to enjoy the atmosphere of top-level motorcycle racing from a suite above pit lane, with an opportunity to get close to the Yamaha Racing Team, the star riders, and the people who deliver the team’s winning formula.
The 2026 event also marked the first Yamaha event organised by YMA’s new National Events Manager, Kate Hardman. For Kate, the evening was not only her first Yamaha event, but also a chance to experience the Yamaha family culture while creating something designed to connect Yamaha staff with its racing activities.
Among the evening’s highlights was young Oceania Junior Cup racer Callum Campbell, who conducted informative and highly entertaining interviews with Yamaha Racing Team Australian Superbike stars Mike Jones and JJ Nahlous, as well as riders from the many support categories featuring Yamaha participation. A pit walk gave guests an opportunity to get close to all the superbike machinery, while a lucky door prize bonanza saw many walk away with a prize.
The event may not have been the biggest Kate has managed in her career, but it carried a new kind of importance. “Being a staff event makes it hugely important, regardless of the size or the logistics involved,” she said. “I wanted to create an experience for Yamaha staff and guests to make it special and meaningful for them, as well as for me, because it’s my first event.”
One of Kate’s most enjoyable aspects of organising the night, and of her new role, was it being centred around motorcycles, something she is personally passionate about. “Being able to organise something that’s about motorbikes and about people enjoying motorbikes is a huge plus,” she said. “Add the element of delivering Kando to Yamaha staff and their guests, and it doesn’t get much better than that. I love being around bikes, riding bikes and talking about bikes,” she added. “I also love being around other people who are passionate about bikes.”
While she ensured the event had a relaxed and welcoming feel, Kate said it had also been a valuable way to start her Yamaha journey. “Like many successful events, some of the biggest challenges came in the smaller details rather than the major items,” she revealed. “The hardest part was blowing up all the balloons, something we needed to do twice.”
A huge thank you to her Land Mobility colleagues was also high on Kate’s list. “When I arrived at Yamaha, I heard about the Yamaha family spirit,” she explained. “Everyone chips in to help out and will hang around until all the work is done. Thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome and for providing so much assistance and encouragement.”
For YMA’s new National Events Manager, the settling-in period already appears to be over, and she is now full speed ahead organising events that will deliver Yamaha’s legendary Kando to customers, staff and dealers.
* Kando is a Japanese word representing the simultaneous feeling of deep satisfaction and excitement experienced when encountering something of exceptional value, quality, and performance. It is Yamaha Motor’s core corporate mission to create these moving moments, enriching lives through, innovation, and emotion.
