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Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is enjoying a golden end to a busy year, with international recognition of the quality of its work by AIPC – the International Association of Convention Centres.
Te Pae Christchurch has achieved Gold Certification in the AIPC Quality Standards programme, in recognition of the organisation’s performance across a range of operational areas. In achieving the gold level, the highest standard in the independently audited programme, Te Pae Christchurch joins a select group of only 30 convention centres worldwide.
The programme covers ten key areas including customer service, quality of facilities and operations, employee relations, health, safety, security and emergency response, financial integrity, community relations, environmental responsibility, industry relations and supplier relations.
The independent auditor Rick Knowlan, president of Knowlan Consulting Group Inc. of North Vancouver, Canada, stated: “The clarity of Te Pae’s documentation was among the best we have seen in any Certification application”.
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre general manager Ross Steele says gaining the AIPC recognition is a great way to end the year, and a high note for the team that has been working extremely hard across all areas of the operation.
“This really is a reflection of the international standards of service and quality we’ve been able to achieve through our experienced, world-class team,” says Ross.
“While working through a very busy programme and welcoming more than 80,000 visitors to almost 220 events over the course of the year, we have been able to maintain a consistently high level of performance across all aspects of the business – from employee engagement to sustainability.
“But perhaps the thing we are most proud of is the level of customer feedback we’ve been getting, with an overwhelmingly positive response to their experiences of Te Pae, and the city.”
As well as the latest AIPC rating, this year Te Pae Christchurch has also achieved Toitū Net Carbon Zero status – the first convention centre in the world to do so, as well as ISO 9001 for Quality Management and ISO 22000 for Food Safety Management.
Ross says the standards are not only a way to benchmark the organisation against the best in the world but provide the platform for a process of continual improvement.
“We’re hitting our targets to be world-leading in terms of the quality and service we offer from a landmark facility,” he says. “But this is a sector that is continually evolving and improving – especially in areas like sustainability and community support and engagement.
“Achieving these world-leading standards means we are making a commitment to showcasing the very best of our city, our region and our local economy at the highest possible level and continuing to develop in response to our customers’ needs in the future.”
Ross says while the AIPC standard provides a ‘golden moment’ to reflect on everything the team has achieved this year, there’s no letup in the pace of activity planned for Te Pae Christchurch in 2025.
“Looking at the strength of our forward bookings, with industry leading conferences in a wide range of areas, from agriculture and construction to education and healthcare, 2025 will also be a big year ahead for Te Pae Christchurch.”
