Pictured above: Wellington CBD
The year 2023 is the most exciting in terms of business events for New Zealand’s capital city. Tākina, the brand-new convention centre, is scheduled to open at the start of June 2023. Located in the heart of Wellington’s cultural precinct, the venue will boast 10,000sqm of conference space comprising two divisible plenary rooms seating up to 700 and 1,600 delegates; a 2,500sqm exhibition floor and four smaller meeting rooms.
Set in Wellington CBD’s cultural precinct, Tākina is architecturally stunning, within easy walking of hundreds of accommodation options, restaurants, Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand and the country’s seat of power, known affectionately as ‘The Beehive’ because of its quirky design.
Just three weeks after opening, the venue is playing host to MEETINGS, the country’s only national trade show for business events. It’s the first time MEETINGS has been held in Wellington in the event’s 30-year history and will add to a jam-packed business event calendar which includes the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Demand is now back to pre-Covid levels, and the government has been supportive of a campaign to bring in skilled event professionals from abroad.
Wellington Oriental Bay
“As we came out of the pandemic, it became clear that flexible working hours and working from home were an option for many. Coupled with an enthusiasm to meet and participate in conferences, the latter half of the year saw day meetings and multi-day conferences return to pre-Covid levels, including a number of events with an international cohort of delegates.” Irette Ferreira, Business Events Wellington manager, provides a succinct overview of the market. “Domestically, we’ve seen excitement building for Tākina, coupled with more events being held in the city. For New Zealanders, Wellington provides the easiest and most exciting urban destination as well as an ability to get closer to government, its agencies, and politicians.”
She added: “International organisations are also intrigued and excited by the opportunity to have their conference in New Zealand’s capital where access to government is so much easier, and the reputation of government is seen as collaborative, inclusive and innovative.”
Wellington has long been a leader in the area of climate change and is already the lowest carbon city per person in Australasia. It continues to attract accolades in line with its ambition to be a net zero city by 2050, including being named by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 eco-friendly cities in the world. The city’s four business and performance event venues owned by Wellington City Council became the first venues in New Zealand to achieve EarthCheck’s Bronze accreditation. Tākina is being built to a five-star green standard and the operational policies and practices will reflect that on a day-to-day basis. The glass cladding which is most of the visible exterior of the building will reduce heating and cooling energy requirements by about 60%.
Tākina
Wellington was also named first in the world for environmental security (Safe Cities Index 2021) and ranks highly as a city to live and work. Even transport is making its contribution: the Wellington Airport was ranked third in the world for airport sustainability. The work is paying off; the famous ground-dwelling Kiwi bird, the national emblem of New Zealand, has been released to live for the first time in decades in suburban parts of the city.
Not surprisingly the capital city is also home to many educational facilities, spread out across town. Victoria University of Wellington is one of New Zealand’s oldest universities and it ranks in the top 2% of 18,000 universities internationally, and the city is home to Massey University’s School of Design, as well as Otago University’s Wellington medical school campus. Wellington has a strong presence in creative technologies, with a proud history in the creative screen sector; think The Lord of the Rings films, King Kong and Avatar and globally recognised production capabilities.
However, other globally recognised sectors include scientific research, and public and professional services; and the city strategically uses its key sectors to attract the right association conferences. This approach was formalised in 2022 with the launch of the Wellington Advocate Network to formally recognise and raise the profile of Wellington’s industry leaders and top academics. The advocates are local experts and leaders and play a crucial role in creating new bid opportunities for Wellington and continuing the legacy of these events.
There are also plenty of options for meetings and venues across the city. Several new hotels have opened recently in the city, including a Mövenpick, Quest, Ramada and Sojourn, with a Tryp by Wyndham arriving just metres from Tākina. Outside the traditional meeting spaces, planners can also consider quirky venues such as Wellington Zoo or the Basin Reserve, New Zealand’s oldest test cricket ground. Venues Wellington have also recently launched Shed 6, designed with hybrid events in mind.
Moving about the area is simple with an integrated transport network, and the city is noted for being one of the safest in the world, an important consideration for many delegates.
To better support international clients and their delegates conferencing in Wellington, Business Events Wellington recently streamlined and expanded the assistance available. For organisers, this includes a customisable delegate promotional video, banners and social media tiles to announce and promote their conference in Wellington and delegate discounts to must-visit attractions in the city.
Wellington takes the prize as the world’s southernmost capital of a sovereign state. As meeting planners from around the world will vouch, it’s well worth the trip.
