Ōtautahi Christchurch – New Zealand’s second largest city in the heart of the South Island – is building a reputation as the country’s business events capital, with state-of-the-art new facilities, a stunning natural setting, and easy international air connectivity.
ChristchurchNZ Head of Business Events, Megan Crum says the city is a world-class destination for business events. She will be joining Tourism New Zealand and Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre to promote the city’s offerings at IBTM World 2022 in Barcelona this month.
“We have so much to share about what Christchurch has to offer on the world stage.
Newly-built infrastructure and beautiful heritage buildings, stories of growth and innovation, and our manaakitanga — the welcome and hospitality visitors receive — make Ōtautahi Christchurch a gem for business gatherings,” she says.
“This is a bucket-list destination and so many of our conference bid wins are coming because Christchurch ticks all the boxes – our city is connected to the world with modern sustainable new infrastructure, the city centre is a pleasure to walk around, and the natural environment is stunning.”
New Zealand’s first new-generation convention centre – Te Pae Christchurch – is a world-class venue, carefully designed and purpose-built to cater to the full range of event requirements. The main auditorium seats 1,400, the exhibition hall can accommodate over 200 booths and the banquet hall can comfortably seat 1,000. Combined with smaller meeting rooms and generous pre-function space, Te Pae Christchurch allows Christchurch to host large international conferences in the heart of the city.
A myriad of other venues and accommodation within the city centre include Venues Ōtautahi’s wide portfolio of venues and its award-winning Christchurch Town Hall – a premium performing arts and conference venue. The central city boasts dozens of newly refurbished or brand new accommodation properties, including two new luxury hotels all within easy walking distance of the main venues.
“New Zealand’s flagship business events trade show, MEETINGS 2022 was held in Christchurch this year, allowing us to showcase all of this to hundreds of buyers and exhibitors. Without exception, all of them were exhilarated and inspired by what they experienced here, and bookings have been flowing since,” Megan Crum says.
Knowledge hub
Christchurch is home to world-leading academics and experts with three internationally-recognised universities, two polytechnics and new health and innovation precincts.
Areas of expertise include aerospace and future transport, food, fibre and agritech, health tech, earth science, health science, engineering and construction technology and resilient communities.
“We recently won the right to host the prestigious International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) Conference in 2026. Our region is a particular hotspot for landscape investigation, making us a geomorphology knowledge and research hub, and a bucket-list destination for 1,000 international delegates,” Crum notes.
“The same year we will be hosting the International Cool Climate Wine Symposium – the Canterbury wine region surrounding Ōtautahi Christchurch is a rising star in cool climate wine production,” she adds.
Major healthcare conferences for Christchurch include the Thoracic Society Meeting 2023, Engineering and Physical Sciences in Medicine (EPSM) 2023, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons 2024 (RACS) and the ESA/SRB/APEG/NZSE Annual Scientific Meeting 2022.
Easy access
Christchurch Airport is New Zealand’s second largest international gateway, with flights from across New Zealand, Australia, Asia and beyond, including 92 flights weekly between Christchurch and Australia on convenient daily schedules. Christchurch is just three hours from Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Brisbane, with a seasonal flight to Perth.
The city centre is 10 kilometres or 20 minutes’ drive from Christchurch International Airport. Once delegates are in the city, most things are within a few minutes easy walking distance as the central city is flat and compact, and there are plentiful options for delegate transport.
“Delegates feel our warm manaakitanga (welcome) as soon as they arrive here by air. A welcome lounge for business events travellers provides a dedicated space to welcome delegates, with interchangeable branding to suit each event. The airport also offers high impact digital signage throughout the airport campus to welcome or farewell delegates on the days they arrive and depart,” Megn Crum says.
Sustainable city
Canterbury is New Zealand’s largest and most diverse geographical region and Christchurch sits in the heart of this area of spectacular and beautiful landscapes, with an array of unique features, from glacier-fed braided rivers to naturally filtered water from the Southern Alps.
“We are hugely aware of the pristine nature of our land, and mindful of caring for it,” Megan Crum says.
As a city, Christchurch is aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and has a goal of net zero emissions by 2045. The city is walkable, making for a smaller delegate carbon footprint, and transport options include electric car shares, e-scooters and e-bikes, and electric public buses to and from the airport. Christchurch’s key venues have sustainability at their core – Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre holds a 5-star NZGBC Green Star Design rating and Toitu enviromark gold certification.
“We are very proud, too, that Christchurch Airport is a world leader in decarbonisation, having gone beyond carbon neutral to become New Zealand’s only climate positive airport,” Megan Crum says, adding: “Christchurch has a range of excellent options to incorporate CSR and team building into conferences. These include native tree planting, wildlife conservation, wetland restoration, equipment building for schools, and a variety of financial sponsorship options.”
Conference organisers can choose to partner with Toitu Envirocare, an event certification programme that allows business events to reduce carbon emissions while demonstrating a commitment to the future.
Spectacular in every season
“We have many unique incentive and pre- and post-touring options on Christchurch’s doorstep, and it’s possible to experience the mountains and the sea all in one day and enjoy the magic of four distinct seasons,” Megan Crum adds.
Delegates can explore the city by double-decker bus, e-bike, gondola, tram or punting boat. The walkable central city is home to riverside markets and global cuisine, laneway shopping and rooftop bars. Christchurch Botanic Gardens is a relaxing inner-city escape near The Arts Centre, one of the most significant collections of heritage buildings in New Zealand.
Within easy reach are numerous beaches bordering the Pacific Ocean, the Southern Alps, and an ancient volcanic peninsula. The wider Canterbury region is a haven for those seeking incredible scenery and adventure, from lush vineyards and wild coastlines to sky-piercing mountains and pristine glacial lakes.
ChristchurchNZ Business Events
The Business Events team at ChristchurchNZ connects event organisers to its collaborative network of partners across a range of venues, accommodation, event service suppliers, attractions, and activities, who work together to ensure great outcomes for business events clients coming to Christchurch.
The team are neutral and have all the tools and knowledge to assess what is best for clients and refer and connect them to appropriate suppliers, assist them with ideas and support with familiarisations.
Find out more about ChristchurchNZ’s free services for business event organisers here: https://www.christchurchnz.com/meet
