It’s been a longer wait than anticipated, but Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has finally, officially welcomed it’s first conference, kick starting a full roster of more than 100 events scheduled for the remainder of the year.
Appropriately given the Centre’s status as a major piece of public infrastructure, the inaugural conference was the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga Looking Ahead Symposium, during which Te Waihanga launched its Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2052.
Te Pae Christchurch general manager Ross Steele says the Te Pae Christchurch team had been eagerly awaiting this day.
“It’s wonderful to see the Centre busy and operating as it is meant to be – filled with people connecting face-to-face, sharing knowledge and ideas and engaging in conversations that will have a real impact on our collective future.
“I could not think of a better way to open our convention account than with the launch of a strategy that will help build a thriving Aotearoa.
“Te Pae Christchurch itself is a crown infrastructure project built to provide economic value to New Zealand and to ≈åtautahi Christchurch and 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.”
Te Waihanga event manager Chetana Dahya says: “It’s been really special to be the very first conference held in Te Pae, and appropriate too for an infrastructure event. We’re really pleased to be a part in the ongoing rejuvenation of Christchurch.
“Te Pae has worked really well for us and our delegates, with plenty of space and great facilities. It’s also meant we’ve had a chance to explore the central city.”
Project manager at The Conference Company Chris Peak worked with Te Waihanga and the Te Pae Christchurch team to deliver the event.
“From a planning process, the experience was seamless, you would not have known it was the first event,” he says. “The catering has been top notch, we’ve been really impressed.”
Of the events planned at Te Pae Christchurch for the remainder of 2022, more than 60 are conferences, including eight international events. Combined, they will bring more than 67,000 people into the central city, and generate an estimated $37.2 million in direct economic value.
Ross says looking beyond the end of 2022, the Centre had a solid pipeline of business moving forward.
“In total, through to October 2024, we have 146 events scheduled, which will bring close to 150,000 people into our city and generate more than $74m in direct economic value. This includes 88 conferences, 23 of which are international.”
A mix of business and public events, the scheduled events in 2022 include:
• Harcourts National Convention, May
• New Zealand Dance Awards, May
• Christchurch Art Show 2022, June
• MEETINGS 2022, June
• Roofing Association of New Zealand Conference, June
• Bookeepcon 2022, July
• House of the Year Awards, July
• Maia Health Foundation FEAST 2022, September
• Archipro – Meet, Greet & Eat 2022, September
• Armageddon Expo, December
