New Zealand meeting & function opportunities

On the horizon

A short hop across the Tasman Sea and Australian conference groups are discovering an entirely new world of fun and excitement.

Over the last year, Australian C&I arrivals to New Zealand have increased by more than 30 per cent. New Zealand, with its spectacular natural beauty, wide range of meetings facilities, and even wider range of experiential potential offers much that can't be duplicated in Australia.

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New Zealand's appeal has also improved with the three Lord Of The Rings movies which, as laden with special effects as they were, certainly didn't need much in the way of digital manipulation when it came to the backdrops. It could be said that New Zealand was created to be Middle Earth, a land of towering snow-capped mountain chains and expansive untouched rural scenery.

New Zealand's tourism promotion has certainly reached the stratosphere right around the world, with Australian meetings organisers making the most of the connection. Auckland is a city blessed by its coastal and harbour surroundings, with numerous 5 star convention hotels and purpose-built facilities.

Christchurch has an English-like appeal that is charming yet more than capable of satisfying the most demanding conference organiser. Queenstown has adventure activities galore, while Wellington makes the most of its active arts and creative scenes.

CAPITAL OF THRILLS

In Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, the council has announced the fast-tracking of the first stage of a planned $NZ6.9 million upgrade of The Events Centre Wellington at Queens Wharf. As a result of increased venue occupancy, the upgrade began just before Christmas with stage one expected to be completed by May 2005.

ìThe Events Centre will be entirely refitted with upholstered bucket seats replacing all the flat-floor seating,î says Wellington Convention Centre Manager, Neville Brown. ìRelocation of the existing control booth will create additional prime seating and re-alignment of several blocks will improve spectators' lines of sight throughout the venue.î

The maximum seating capacity will increase by more than 500 seats, depending on the configuration. New carpet and paint will complement the upgrade, adding to the versatility and multi-purpose function of the venue. Other additions include a much anticipated refurbishment of the existing kitchen.

Positioned as Wellington's premium venue, The Events Centre Wellington will efficiently cater to the demands of conference organisers, exhibitors and sports bodies alike.

CITY AND BEYOND

Wellington will also get its first major 4 star hotel in years, with the Holiday Inn Wellington, construction of which started late last year. The 238 room $NZ65 million hotel, located in the heart of the Wellington CBD, is expected to be open for business in mid 2006.

In the heart of Wellington's wine district, just an hours drive outside the city, the newly named Peppers Martinborough Hotel is a beautiful colonial property offering guests a taste of one of New Zealand's pre-eminent wine regions. Martinborough is a tiny town hemmed in by 24 vineyards, most within walking distance from the hotel.

Peppers Martinborough Hotel, which dates back to 1882, was renovated in 1996 and provides 16 individually designed guestrooms. Ten of the rooms open out to the first floor verandah, while the six ground floor rooms overlook the rose-filled hotel garden.

Peppers Martinborough Hotel is an ideal venue for conferences, offering a fully equipped meeting room seating up to 60 people theatre style, as well as accommodation for up to 32 delegates. With excellent natural light, understated decor and easy access through French doors into the garden and courtyards, the room is perfect for meetings.

BUSTLING AND BUSY

In Auckland, much meetings business has flowed to the new SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre, which opened last year. Situated opposite SKYCITY Auckland, on Federal Street, SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre has a capacity for up to 1,000 people (banquet function) on one floor and 800 on another, or 1,500 (theatre style) delegates (or a total of 2,000 people banquet style over two floors).

The $140 million development represents the largest commercial project currently underway in the city. On completion, it will comprise five floors of convention centre and 15 levels above will become the new SKYCITY Grand Hotel (scheduled to open in April 2005), providing 316 rooms of luxurious 5 star accommodatiion in the heart of the city. The SKYCITY Grand Hotel will also offer guests two restaurants, a club lounge, luxury spa and gym.

In July, the SKYCITY Auckland Convention Centre was officially opened with a lavish evening attended by some 500 industry representatives and local dignitaries. The event showcased the world-class venue's leading-edge technology and AV capabilities, excellence in catering and service, and event management.

An ìice caveî arrival zone greeted guests, before taking a ride in the loading lift through the main kitchen and up to the Auckland Room on level four. After an hour of canapÈs and cocktails, guests were invited to take their seats in the massive New Zealand Room ñ a 1,300 square metre column-free ballroom with six metre high ceilings.

TRADITION OF LUXURY

The first Langham Hotel in New Zealand opened its doors for business on the first day of 2005. It heralds in a new era of 5 star hospitality and luxury to a landmark Auckland property formerly known as the Sheraton Auckland Hotel & Towers. The Langham Hotel, Auckland, will continue to build on the heritage of both this property and the Langham brand, which has created a tradition of luxury with royal standards in service, dining and hospitality.

The hotel has 410 guestrooms, 12 luxuriously appointed suites and a 70 room Langham Hotel Club, which will offer butler service and other exclusive amenities to meet the needs of business and leisure travellers. The hotel also offers an outstanding food and beverage selection and superb conference and meeting facilities.

THAT ENGLISH TOUCH

Christchurch is riding high, with 11 major conventions taking place in the first half of 2005. These include the ITYA Yoga Convention at the University of Canterbury and Converge 2005 ñ the Creative Industries New Zealand Convention at the Christchurch Convention Centre.

Terrace Downs High Country Resort, located on the edge of the Rakaia Gorge with views to Mt Hutt, is the ideal retreat for small corporate meetings and conferences, or as a unique business-incentive destination. The resort has a wealth of activities, including an 18 hole championship golf course rated as one of the top three in New Zealand. The clubhouse can seat up to 150 people theatre style or 120 for banquets, while the Fairway Chalets can be utilised for break-outs or smaller meetings.

Golfing is also on offer at the Outrigger at Clearwater Resort. Kaikainui is the Outrigger's prime meetings facility, built over a trout-stocked lake and offering 126 square metres of space. Kaikainui can accommodate up to 180 delegates theatre style or 144 for banquets. Adjacent to this is a private dining area, which can also be used for meetings of up to 30 people theatre style.

ON THE EDGE

In Queenstown, the very impressive Millbrook Resort boasts eight dry-treatment rooms, two wet-treatment rooms, a hair salon, manicure and pedicure areas, a retail area, an outdoor dining area and a number of private courtyards.

A wet steam room will offer a unique combination of a Turkish bath-style steam session with treatments; while another room will contain a Hydra Swiss shower, an invigorating experience with nine high-pressure jets. At the opposite end of the relaxation scale, a specially built bathing room will be a must to soothe aching muscles after a hard day in the conference room. The spa is considered invaluable in servicing the growing demand from conference and incentive groups.

The InterContinental Hotels Group has moved into New Zealand's most significant resort city with the partial purchase of the Parkroyal Queenstown. Some $NZ6 million will be put into a refurbishment program before its midyear re-branding as Holiday Inn Queenstown.