Wellington is fast developing a reputation for being New Zealand’s capital of parties, social outings, recharging the batteries, and relaxing. And, coupled with some of the best convention facilities and accommodation in the country, it is proving to be a great mix of business and leisure options, all within a compact city that is tailor-made for walking around.
According to Positively Wellington Tourism, the latest Regional Visitor Monitor (RVM) confirms that Wellington’s reputation as a place to visit and have fun is on the rise. Results at the end of 2007 show Wellington’s reputation as a place to have fun and socialise has increased from 2006 – from six percent to a whopping 42 per cent - while its reputation as a place to recharge and refresh has also increased over that same period (from nine per cent to 22 per cent).
Outgoing Positively Wellington Tourism CEO, Tim Cossar, said it was great to see that Wellington was becoming a destination of choice.
“Our marketing activity places a strong focus on Wellington’s urban attributes of having a buzzing downtown area, fantastic cafes and bars, and arts and cultural attractions. That activity seems to be working, as the right messages are getting through!”
No doubt part of its growth in popularity is the continued upgrading, improvements and enhancements of some of its iconic buildings and attractions as well as the all-important accommodation sector. The Museum Hotel’s $29 million expansion and upgrade in 2006 is paying dividends for the property which is going from strength to strength in terms of business tourism numbers. Another, the Mercure Hotel Willis Street has also seen a spike in conference numbers since completing its refurbishment works.
The Holiday Inn Wellington is also doing well after adding another 280 rooms and more than 500 square metres of conference space to the city, as is the Quality Hotel Wellington.
Clearly the stand-out of the city is the Wellington Convention Centre which continues to not only retain long-term clients but attract plenty of new ones year-on-year. And the good news is that it is doing so with the environment in mind. One of the centre’s most recent initiatives is the decision to remove plastic bottles from all of its venues, and using only glass bottles and bio-degradable cups.
Added to this change, they have now installed water coolers in all rooms where delegates can refill their bottles as needed. The venue operators are also planning to release a How to Host Sustainable Events toolkit later this year (October) to assist planners with being more environmentally aware. (Turn to page 61 for news on the centre’s latest big initiative).
For details about how you can make the most out of conferencing in Wellington contact the Wellington Convention Bureau by visiting www.wellingtonnz.com/conventions. />
As befitting a capital, the city of Wellington continues to offer new products and facilities, and plenty of great initiatives that each help to create a buzz in a highly competitive environment. Some of the latest and greatest activity includes the following:
Wellington has a new park area at the intersection of Courtenay Place and Taranaki Street. The $1.1 million park includes an open paved area well-suited for events, markets, performances and theatre crowds. It also has a double row of trees and light boxes for displaying art. Construction began in January 2008.
The upgrade of the Mount Victoria/Matairangi summit is complete, and ready for visitors. Key upgrades include a new viewing platform, a more contoured path to the summit, a more pedestrian-friendly area around the Byrd Memorial, and improved lighting, traffic management and directional and information signs.
It’s all happening at Wellington Zoo thanks to a $15 million grant from Wellington City Council. The money is for a major redevelopment over the next 10 years, and will go to projects that upgrade the zoo’s facilities. One of these is an African animals exhibit, which will initially feature giraffes, zebras and ostriches, but will later include African antelopes including springboks. For further information visit www.wellingtonzoo.com.
The Wakefield Memorial, thought to be Wellington’s oldest monument, has been restored and relocated. The memorial, which was previously located on the eastern side of the Basin Reserve, has been moved a short distance back inside. Its new site on the top of the bank is now closer to its original location. Colonel William Wakefield was the leader of the fledgling Wellington settlement in the 1840s. The memorial was prefabricated in England and shipped to Wellington in the early 1850s, but not erected until 1882.
Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie has an interactive water play area aptly called Spray. New Zealand’s first purpose-built interactive shallow water play area, Spray is a great place for families (or delegates travelling with families). It includes a school-age children’s area that has two tidal pools with changeable water features and a beach area. Parents can relax at the new café.
CityLife Wellington, a Heritage Hotel, has unveiled a newly refurbished boardroom that offers an up-market meeting venue in central Wellington, ideal for small, private meetings and conferences. This modern meeting space caters for up to 12 people and features state-of-the-art technology including a fixed data projector and screen, surround sound system, DVD player, ready-to-use broadband internet and tea/coffee-making facilities. Delegate comfort is ensured through new furniture including a large wooden boardroom table and ergonomically designed office chairs. CityLife Wellington offers a rate of $300 plus GST for a full day’s hire of the boardroom venue or a half day rate of $200 plus GST. The hotel’s associated conference providers can cater for larger events, functions or conferences on request. For more information on meetings in the new CityLife Wellington boardroom contact Lisa Coory on (04) 922 2800 or email lisac@heritagehotels.co.nz.
 
Located in the heart of the city opposite the Wellington Convention Centre and around the corner from Te Papa, the Duxton has 192 executive rooms (including 16 suites) and meetings facilities. The property has a ballroom which has views across the Wellington Harbour and which can seat up to 850 delegates. It also has a selection of other meeting rooms including a great boardroom. The Duxton Hotel also features The Grill restaurant with its award-winning cuisine and The Bar, a place to meet and greet. For more information telephone (04) 471 5717, email convsales@wellington.duxton.co.nz or visit www.duxton.com.
The Wellington Convention Centre certainly has meetings covered, offering 18 venues across two unique buildings right in the city’s central business district. The two buildings are the beautifully resorted and historic Wellington Town Hall, and the well-known Michael Fowler Centre, each of which is home to a variety of venues that can cater for between 50 and 2500 people and 5000 theatre-style. A third venue, added to the centre’s collection in 2003, is The Events Centre Wellington, previously the Queens Wharf Event Centre, which is capable of holding just over 5000 people. For more information telephone (04) 801 4231, email wellingtonconventioncentre@wcc.govt.nz or visit www.wellingtonconventioncentre.com.
One of the new kids on the block in Wellington, the Holiday Inn Wellington opened in late 2006 and offers 280 guest rooms that have been designed to maximise views of the city. The property offers more than 500 square metres of conference space in four separate meeting rooms as well as a large pre-function area and a business centre. All meeting rooms have natural light from expansive floor-to-ceiling windows facing historic Thorndon. Visit www.holidayinnwellington.co.nz for further details.
The Quality Hotel Wellington opened in 2007 and has quickly become a great option for conference groups, day meetings and special events. It is well located for business or leisure - within walking distance of the CBD, harbour, Te Papa, and many of Wellington’s major attractions. Cafes and restaurants are also located nearby as is the entertainment precinct of Courtenay Place. The property offers spacious superior rooms, all with kitchenettes, and some with balconies, spa baths, and interconnecting rooms. The Quality Hotel Wellington also has a swimming pool, spa, fitness room, car parking, and conference/meeting facilities that can seat up to 250 delegates. The Quality Hotel Wellington is adjacent to the Comfort Hotel Wellington which offers 114 accommodation rooms. Visit www.qualitywellington.com for further details.
This national museum is also a leading conference venue in Wellington thanks to its incredible spaces and wonderful location. Perched on the Wellington waterfront Te Papa has meetings facilities from 10 to 500 with many rooms offering natural light. More recently it has an additional 10 function rooms following the transformation of a restaurant to the Icon room. A great venue for off-site events, Te Papa offers a variety of spaces for dinners, cocktail parties and banquets. Guided tours of Te Papa’s exhibitions
and behind the scenes are available for groups. For more information telephone (04) 381 7272, email functions@tepapa.govt.nz or visit www.tepapafunctions.co.nz.
The five-star InterContinental Wellington features 232 modern guestrooms and suites. The largest conference room can cater to 400 delegates theatre-style and 220 for a banquet. The hotel has a selection of other meeting and boardrooms and a number of break-out and seminar rooms. Its restaurant, the Chameleon Restaurant was awarded the New Zealand Restaurant of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2003. For more information telephone (04) 472 2772, email banquets_wellington@interconti.com or visit www.intercontinental.com.
Situated minutes from the central business district at the top of Willis Street, the Mercure Hotel features 90 accommodation rooms. The eight conference rooms cater for up to 200 banquet-style or 400 theatre-style in the largest, the Victoria Room. The Willis Room holds 110 theatre-style and is divisible by two. The hotel also has a restaurant, bar, indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna, fitness centre and squash court. For more information telephone (04) 803 1000, email reservations@mercurewillis.co.nz or visit www.accorhotels.co.nz.
On 8km of private coastline on Wellington’s rugged west coast is Papanui Station, a 3200 acre sheep and cattle farm, home to Boomrock Lodge. Just 25 minutes drive from the Wellington central business district, Boomrock Lodge is situated on a clifftop on the property, 250m above sea level with spectacular views over Cook Strait to the South Island. Boomrock is an exclusive business and entertainment retreat for up to 70 people. For more information telephone (04) 478 9587, or visit www.boomrock.co.nz
 According to the venue it was the first New Zealand convention venue to gain official environmental accreditation when it was awarded ISO 14001, one of the world’s most common environmental management systems.
General manager Neville Brown said securing the accreditation reflects the Wellington Convention Centre’s long-term commitment to reducing the organisations environmental footprint.
“Wellington Convention Centre is taking a leading position among convention and performing arts venues in New Zealand by incorporating this series of environmental standards and the supporting audit programme that comes with it,” he said.
“The audit will help us to go about things the right way.”
Pursuing ISO 14001 has resulted in the venue operators significantly expanding their existing environmental practices.
“Beyond operational practices like using energy-efficient lighting and appliances, we are taking a very systematic approach to reducing energy use. We train staff on energy-minimising practices, set targets for energy reductions and carefully measure our performance against these targets. This will also help us to understand our carbon footprint.”
He said plans were in place to address transport issues by providing more parking for motorcycles and bicycles, reducing waste by recycling all food waste, and replacing all takeaway food packaging with 100 per cent biodegradable products.
Additionally, the centre would increase energy efficiency through using low-energy lighting and modifying heat schedules, and educating all staff on sustainability issues and practices.
“Clients were increasingly asking what we were doing to improve our environmental performance. We took the issue seriously, and it seemed that an external environmental accreditation was the way to go,” Mr Brown said.
ISO 14001 is administered by the International Organisation for Standardisation and is in use by more than 90,000 organisations in 127 countries.
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