Te Pae Christchurch Celebrates Two Event-filled Years

submitted by Te Pae Christchurch

More than two hundred thousand attendees have taken part in events at Te Pae Christchurch since the convention centre hosted its first conference on 2nd May 2022 – far exceeding expectations for its initial operating period.

The 458 events held at Te Pae Christchurch over the past two years included 146 multi day conferences – 29 of which were international, 19 exhibitions, 131 banquets, 157 meetings and 5 live performances. In total, the events have attracted 204,420 attendees over the past 24 months.

Te Pae Christchurch is also kicking off its third year with a packed events calendar in May 2024, during what is traditionally a quieter month for local tourism. The centre will host back-to-back conferences, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress 2024, Institute of Directors 2024 NZ Conference and MotorSport NZ Conference 2024. In addition to the five international and 10 national conferences, concerts and events booked for May, the programme of local events ranges from school balls to information evenings. Over 8,200 attendees are expected over the course of the month, including 2,650 attending from overseas and 3,135 from around New Zealand.

The impressive economic and broader benefits for the city and the region are the reason the New Zealand Government invested in Te Pae Christchurch as part of the Central Christchurch Recovery Plan, according to John O’Hagan, the Chief Executive of Rau Paenga Limited, the Crown infrastructure delivery agency that built and owns the facility.

“The goal was to catalyse spending and social activity in the central city for decades to come with an international standard convention centre within walking distance of hotels, shops and restaurants,” says John O’Hagan.

“We are delighted with the number and quality of events that our operator ASM Global has been able to attract in the first two years.”

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele says the first two years of operation have been an outstanding success for Te Pae Christchurch.

“We’ve far outstripped all expectations for our initial operating period,” says Ross Steele. “That’s not only testament to how hard our team has worked to welcome so many people to our region. It also reflects the integral role the entire local events infrastructure – from the Council and ChristchurchNZ, to our local suppliers and the city’s hotel and hospitality sectors – has played in putting Christchurch and Canterbury back on the map for business events.”

Mr Steele says as well as providing a major boost to the regional economy and driving increased visitation during off-peak periods, the activities have also created an opportunity for local people to participate in world class events, share knowledge with industry leaders and promote their products and services to a national and international market.

“The direct economic impacts of business events – each of which can bring hundreds of people into the city to stay for several nights – has been well researched,” Mr Steele says. “What are perhaps less well recognised are the broader impacts of a successful business events infrastructure for our community. Whether it’s the opportunity to learn from the best in your field or network with industry leaders, or the chance for local businesses to demonstrate their capabilities in front of a huge audience, the wider impacts of a successful convention programme are incalculable.”