In the lead up to opening in October 2020, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has expanded its global reach into Europe by appointing leading international representation company, Worldwide Convention Specialists to support its lead generation activities.
Having recently returned from attending the world’s premier convention and meetings industry trade event, IMEX Frankfurt, Te Pae Christchurch general manager Ross Steele is buoyed by the future potential for the city.
“Attending a trade show is only one part of the process, follow up and regular contact is paramount for success. Given not all high-profile international associations attend every tradeshow, it is important to establish continuity by meeting these decision makers throughout their decision cycle.
“Our research shows more than 53 per cent of international associations are headquartered in Europe, which is why this region is a significant target market for Te Pae Christchurch.
“Winning a convention is like bidding for the Olympics, with a planning cycle that can be between two to 12 years in advance. So, we need to be in front of every potential client to showcase Christchurch as a future host city contender,” says Ross.
Based in Germany, Worldwide Convention Specialists supports convention centres and convention bureaux throughout the world, including Kuala Lumpur, Toronto, Cape Town, Stockholm, Basel and Brussels, and now Christchurch.
AEG Ogden has had a long association with the Worldwide Convention Specialists director Anette Palm, who understands the importance of regular 'in-market' meetings with clients face-to-face.
“Our history shows that associations primarily book events with destinations or venues with whom they have built a mutually beneficial business relationship and when AEG Ogden are involved it gives the client extra confidence during the selection process,” says Anette.
“With Te Pae Christchurch opening next year, it is an exciting proposition to share with our long-term client base – many of whom organise more than two or three events worldwide, and most importantly, seek venues within the Asia Pacific region.”
New Zealand, and in particular Christchurch, has a strong pool of global experts that are internationally renowned for world’s best practices in the fields of earth and health sciences, building technology, ICT, agribusiness and international education.
“Based on the 2018 International Congress and Convention Association global meetings ranking, New Zealand is ranked 46th in the world as a conference destination and 12th in the Asia Pacific region.
“In collaboration with the country’s academic community leaders, Tourism New Zealand and ChristchurchNZ, we will be working towards raising this position in the years ahead with Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre being a lead catalyst for this growth,” says Ross.
