A Maori Haka dance rocked the official opening of MEETINGS 2022, which took place in June at Te Pae Convention Centre Christchurch.
New Zealand's business events sector is upbeat right now. One of the most locked-down countries in the world during the global pandemic is now re-entering the market full of enthusiasm and a new arsenal of valuable infrastructure.
In July 2022, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was in Australia, encouraging its closest neighbour to reacquaint itself with New Zealand. And, in a boost for business events, she was accompanied by Lisa Hopkins, chief executive of the official association for the New Zealand conference industry, Business Events Industry Aotearoa.
Hopkins attests that her country is in an enviable position to attract a growing share of meetings and incentive business to New Zealand, particularly due to new facilities coming online.
“With New Zealand’s first next-generation convention centre Te Pae now open in Christchurch, and two more purpose-built venues under construction in Wellington and Auckland, plus new experiences for groups and a significant number of new hotel openings across the country, New Zealand has a strong business events offering,” she said.
We’re now actively targeting events across the Asia Pacific region as well as widening the net for international association business.
Bjoern Spreitzer, general manager New Zealand & Business Events, Tourism New Zealand
“New Zealand will soon have three brand-new next-generation convention centres in its three largest cities, supported by excellent accommodation, hospitality and visitor attractions. All three new convention centres have impressive sustainability credentials.
“Regional New Zealand also has excellent meeting venues and incentive travel destinations, all within easy domestic flight distance of the country’s main airports.”
Her views are shared by that of Tourism New Zealand general manager, New Zealand & Business Events, Bjoern Spreitzer, who says New Zealand is entering the post-Covid events market with an unprecedented offering: three new world-class convention centres to boost the country’s conference capacity and capability.
“We understand that bookings for the facilities are strong, and this bodes well for the future of conferences in New Zealand,” Spreitzer said. “Initial converted conference business was domestic, then we saw real growth in Australasian events. Now we’re actively targeting events across the Asia Pacific region as well as widening the net for international association business.
"The Southeast Asian market will find what’s always been strong in New Zealand – our warm welcome, inspiring thought leaders, and amazing landscape and activities to entice delegates; but now with the added benefit of cutting-edge venues, new hotels, and an enhanced focus on strategic support.”
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, which opened in February 2022, has more than 100 events already confirmed for its first year of operation.A dynamic trio of offerings
The NZ$450 million (US$281 million) Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre officially opened in February this year and has hit the ground running with more than 100 events already confirmed for its first year of operation.
The opening of the centre was considerably delayed but is certainly making up for lost time, hosting its first national meeting in May and playing host in June to the MEETINGS exhibition which is owned and managed by Business Events Industry Aotearoa.
That event, which included more than 120 hosted buyers from outside of New Zealand, shone a spotlight on the new centre’s tiered auditorium for 1,400, 24 meeting rooms with capacity for between 20 and 2000, banquet space for up to 1,800, and 3,000sqm of exhibition space.
Te Pae Christchurch general manager Ross Steele said Te Pae is a crown infrastructure project built to provide economic value to New Zealand and to Otautahi Christchurch.
“With 60 conventions between now and December, along with many other events, we’re excited to get to work and make a difference to our city,” he said.
New Zealand will soon have three brand-new, next-generation convention
centres in its three largest cities, supported by excellent accommodation,
hospitality and visitor attractions.
Lisa Hopkins, chief executive, Business Events Industry Aotearoa
Part of the functionality of Te Pae is its location within the Christchurch city precinct, meaning delegates don’t have to hop in and out of taxis or buses to get to the centre, their hotel accommodation, or the numerous attractions.
Pedestrian precincts make for an intriguing way to explore the city centre on foot or by e-scooter.
Not to be outdone, New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, will soon have its own state-of-the-art convention centre - Takina opening in mid-2023. In the Mori language, Takina means to invoke, to summon, to connect, and to bring forth.
With 70 bookings already on its calendar, the building exterior of Takina is now complete. The facade features around 1,300 glass panels installed across the building’s curved profile, with the engineering of these panels capable of reducing heat entering the building from the sun and reducing the peak cooling requirements and associated energy.
The very first conference at Tkina will be the Festival for The Future in June 2023, while bookings are being confirmed as far out as 2026, including the Congress of the International Association of Sedimentologists.
Takina is set to open in mid-2023 as a state-of-the-art convention centre in Wellington.The three-floor venue right on the waterfront and opposite the museum Te Papa will have capacity for up to 1,600 delegates in its plenary space, alongside more than 2,500sqm of exhibition and catering space.
General manager of commercial development for Takina at Wellington City Council, David Perks, said even at this early stage, Takina is quickly becoming a recognised and exciting new landmark in Wellington.
“In the first months of operation, there is a considerable volume of New Zealand domestic business booked but as we look further out, bookings and interest from Australia, and from both Asia Pacific and global associations who have identified Wellington as New Zealand’s capital city as an ideal destination for their conference, are growing quickly,” he said.
In comparison to Christchurch and Wellington, New Zealand’s most populated city, Auckland, located on the country’s North Island, is a little behind schedule with its dedicated convention and exhibition centre.
The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) is slated to open in 2025 and will be the largest in the country with a plenary theatre of 2,850 seats and 32,000sqm of gross floor area. The NZICC will be able to host conferences of up to 3,150 pax and have the capacity for one-off events of up to 4,000.